yagy

Yagy, often rendered as Yagyū or Yagyu in English, is a Japanese surname most closely associated with the Yagyū clan, a samurai lineage that rose to prominence during the Sengoku period and became influential in the early Edo period. The name is written with the characters for willow and life (柳生). The clan is renowned for its mastery of kenjutsu, and for serving as instructors to the Tokugawa shogunate.

Several members of the Yagyū clan held important posts as sword instructors and advisors to the Tokugawa rulers. Yagyū Munenori (c. 1570–1646) is among the best documented; he tutored Tokugawa Iemitsu and helped shape martial policy at court. The family is associated with a kenjutsu tradition commonly referred to as Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, which claims lineage from the broader Shinkage-ryū school. The name Yagyū also features prominently in folklore and popular culture through the legendary swordsman Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi, a figure who has appeared in numerous films, novels, and games.

In modern times, the Yagyū surname persists in Japan and among Japanese communities abroad; researchers and historians study the clan for its role in the development of martial arts, as well as its place in Edo-period politics and culture.