The main branch of the clan ruled as daimyō of Shibata Domain in Echigo Province (100,000 koku) until the Meiji restoration, and was subsequently unbowed with the kazoku peerage title of hakushaku (count).

His abilities came to the attention of Niwa's overlord, Oda Nobunaga, who granted him a 5000 koku fief in what is now Takahama, Fukui.

Following Nobunaga's assassination, he entered the service of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and was active at the Battle of Shizugatake against Shibata Katsuie, for which he was granted a 44,000 koku estate in Kaga Province.

During the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598), he remained in Japan as part of the guard of Nagoya Castle.

After the abolition of the han system in 1871, the final daimyō of Shibata, Mizoguchi Naomasa relocated to Tokyo and received the kazoku peerage title of hakushaku (Count) in 1884.