Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox noble Template:Family name hatnote Template:Nihongo was the Sengoku era head of the Azai clan.<ref name=kotobank/> Sukemasa was a retainer of the Kyōgoku clan but when the Kyōgoku clan declined for conflicts over the succession, the Azai clan came to power with Sukemasa as its daimyō.<ref name=kotobank>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
After Sukemasa died, his son Azai Hisamasa became the head of the clan in 1542, but unlike his father, he was never a strong leader. Losing domains against Rokkaku clan, he instead became a Rokkaku retainer.