In Medieval Europe we see that there is a lot of value placed on the lands in possession of an individual. They are known by their titles, the lands that they and their family have claim to, and the descent of people who possessed lands.
However I haven't seen much of that while looking over samurai and daimyo from the Sengoku era. Were they held primarily in the esteem of their clan? Their individual accomplishments? What would be the marker of a daimyo or a samurai you, for lack of a better term, didn't want to fuck with?
Well the Daimyo also had family ties and relations. People changed names to claim descent from Imperial lines or powerful families of old. The Tokugawa are a fine example of this, being called the Matsudaira before Ieyasu came along.
What would be the marker of a daimyo or a samurai you, for lack of a better term, didn't want to fuck with?
Reputation seems to be the biggest factor here. Daimyo received their reputations by their actions and how well they fought in battle. It's why you see people fearing Oda Nobunaga, Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, etc. People feared Nobunaga because he was brutal and seemed to be able to crush any opponent that came his way. Takeda and Uesugi were both considered to be brilliant generals.