Hmm. Kamakura period Kyushu's most significant place was the port city of Hakata (modern day Fukuoka). Most passing references to the history of Hakata, unfortunately for your case, focus on the late 13th century Mongol invasions, so your best bet is probabaly Bruce Batten's book "Gateway to Japan: Hakata in war and peace, 500-1300" (overview of book on Google books). Reviews seem good, but I haven't read it myself.
Jeffrey Mass is the historian best known for Kamakura-period histories, so you might try looking into his works for general flavoring, but I don't think he has anything specifically on Hizen except as minor mentions in things mostly about the relations between Kyoto and Kamakura.
As for the Matsurato/Matsuura-to, this brief paragraph in the Cambridge History of Japan confirms they were definitely well-known as part of the wako (pirates/traders in the E China Sea).
Other major clans in Kyushu during the Kamakura period included the Kikuchi in Kumamoto Prefecture (formerly Higo), just south of where you're looking; the Shôni who had something to do with commanding the defense against the Mongols and thus appear to have been in that general area a half-century later; the Ôtomo who were in Bungo/Buzen (today's Ôita prefecture on the E side of Kyushu) also defending against Mongols; and the Shimazu in Satsuma (today's Kagoshima prefecture on the S tip of Kyushu).
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branchandroot
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Date: 2011-06-22 02:47 pm (UTC)Jeffrey Mass is the historian best known for Kamakura-period histories, so you might try looking into his works for general flavoring, but I don't think he has anything specifically on Hizen except as minor mentions in things mostly about the relations between Kyoto and Kamakura.
As for the Matsurato/Matsuura-to, this brief paragraph in the Cambridge History of Japan confirms they were definitely well-known as part of the wako (pirates/traders in the E China Sea).
Other major clans in Kyushu during the Kamakura period included the Kikuchi in Kumamoto Prefecture (formerly Higo), just south of where you're looking; the Shôni who had something to do with commanding the defense against the Mongols and thus appear to have been in that general area a half-century later; the Ôtomo who were in Bungo/Buzen (today's Ôita prefecture on the E side of Kyushu) also defending against Mongols; and the Shimazu in Satsuma (today's Kagoshima prefecture on the S tip of Kyushu).
I hope that helps to start off, at least!