Ariwara clan

The Ariwara clan (在原氏) was a Japanese noble family of imperial descent

Name
The name of the clan is also read Arihara.

History
The clan was initially formed during the Kōnin era (810-824) in the reign of Emperor Saga from the children of former Imperial Prince Takaoka (廃太子高岳親王). In 826, following a request by Takaoka's brother Prince Abo (阿保親王), the latter's sons Yukihira, Narihira, Morihira (守平) and Nakahira (仲平) were also given this name. The descendants of Narihira, a great waka poet, continued to flourish. The clan remained politically obscure, however, due to pressure from the powerful Fujiwara clan.