Although shugo for the Tosa Province should have been the Hosokawa clan, gozoku who called themselves nanashugo (seven shugo) (Tosa shichiyu (seven ruling families in Tosa)) took separately their bases in the central part of Tosa and accepted the Tosa-Ichijo clan, that was evacuated to Hata-gun as their leader.
土佐国の守護は細川氏であるはずだが、七守護（土佐七雄）と称した豪族が土佐中央部に割拠、幡多郡に疎開してきた土佐一条氏を盟主と仰いだ。