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was the founder and the first
shogun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakura ...
of the
Kamakura shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no ...
of
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, ruling from 1192 until 1199.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako who acted as regent (''
shikken The was a titular post held by a member of the Hōjō clan, officially a regent of the shogunate, from 1199 to 1333, during the Kamakura period, and so he was head of the ''bakufu'' (shogunate). It was part of the era referred to as . During ro ...
'') after his death. Yoritomo was the son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo and belonged to
Seiwa Genji The is a line of the Japanese Minamoto clan that is descended from Emperor Seiwa, which is the most successful and powerful line of the clan. Many of the most famous Minamoto warriors, including Minamoto no Yoshiie, Minamoto no Yoritomo, the f ...
's prestigious Kawachi Genji family. After setting himself the rightful heir of the
Minamoto clan was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during th ...
, he led his clan against the
Taira clan The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divide ...
from his capital in
Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...
, beginning the
Genpei War The was a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo, who appointed himse ...
in 1180. After five years of war, he finally defeated the Taira clan in the
Battle of Dan-no-ura The was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshū. On April 25, 1185 (or March 24, 1185 by the official page of Shimonoseki City), the fleet of the Minamoto clan ...
in 1185. Yoritomo thus established the supremacy of the warrior
samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They ...
caste and the first shogunate ('' bakufu'') at Kamakura, beginning the feudal age in Japan, which lasted until the mid-19th century.


Early life

Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the
Minamoto was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...
(
Seiwa Genji The is a line of the Japanese Minamoto clan that is descended from Emperor Seiwa, which is the most successful and powerful line of the clan. Many of the most famous Minamoto warriors, including Minamoto no Yoshiie, Minamoto no Yoritomo, the f ...
) clan, and his official wife, Yura-Gozen, daughter of
Fujiwara no Suenori Fujiwara no Suenori (藤原 季範, 1090 – December 27, 1155) was a Japanese nobleman and High Priest of Atsuta Shrine during the late Heian period, belonging to the Nanke House of the powerful Fujiwara clan. He was the grandfather of Mina ...
, head of Atsuta Shrine and a member of the illustrious
Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...
. Yoritomo was born in the family villa, on the western side of Atsuta Shrine, in Atsuta,
Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most po ...
,
Owari Province was a province of Japan in the area that today forms the western half of Aichi Prefecture, including the modern city of Nagoya. The province was created in 646. Owari bordered on Mikawa, Mino, and Ise Provinces. Owari and Mino provinces were ...
(present-day Seigan-ji). At that time Yoritomo's grandfather
Minamoto no Tameyoshi was head of the Minamoto clan during his lifetime, and son of Minamoto no Yoshichika, son of Minamoto no Yoshiie. He led the Minamoto in the Hōgen Rebellion. Tameyoshi is also known as . Though he was most famous for his involvement in the H� ...
was the head of the minamoto. His childhood name was Oniwakamaru (鬼武丸). He was a descendant of Emperor Seiwa. In 1156, factional divisions in the court erupted into open warfare within the
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
. The cloistered
Emperor Toba was the 74th Emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 鳥羽天皇 (74)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Toba's reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123. Genealogy Before his ascension to the C ...
and his son Emperor Go-Shirakawa sided with the son of Fujiwara regent Fujiwara no Tadazane, Fujiwara no Tadamichi as well as Taira no Kiyomori (heir of the Taira clan at the time), while Cloistered Emperor Sutoku sided with Tadazane's younger son, Fujiwara no Yorinaga. This is known as the Hōgen Rebellion. The
Minamoto was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...
clan were split. The head of the clan, Tameyoshi, sided with Sutoku. However, his son, Yoshitomo (father of Yoritomo), sided with Toba and Go-Shirakawa, as well as Kiyomori. In the end, the supporters of Go-Shirakawa won the civil war, thus ensuring victory for Yoshitomo and Kiyomori. Sutoku was placed under house arrest, and Yorinaga was fatally wounded in battle. Tameyoshi was executed by the forces of Yoshitomo. Nonetheless, Go-Shirakawa and Kiyomori were ruthless, and Yoshitomo found himself as the head of the
Minamoto was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...
clan, while Yoritomo became the heir. Yoritomo and the
Minamoto was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...
clan descended from the imperial family on his father's side. Nonetheless, in
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...
, the Taira clan, now under the leadership of Kiyomori, and the Minamoto clan, under the leadership of Yoshitomo, began to factionalize again. Four years later, Kiyomori supported Fujiwara no Michinori, also known as Shinzei. However, Yoshitomo supported Fujiwara no Nobuyori. This was known as the Heiji Rebellion. Nonetheless, the
Minamoto was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...
were not well prepared, and the Taira took control of
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...
. Shinzei's mansion was attacked by the Taira; Shinzei escaped, only to be captured and decapitated shortly thereafter. The Taira then
burned Burned or burnt may refer to: * Anything which has undergone combustion * Burned (image), quality of an image transformed with loss of detail in all portions lighter than some limit, and/or those darker than some limit * ''Burnt'' (film), a 2015 ...
the ex-emperor's palace, defeating the Minamoto. Yoshitomo fled the capital but was later betrayed and executed by a retainer. In the aftermath, harsh terms were imposed on the Minamoto and their allies. Only Yoshitomo's three young boys remained alive, so that Kiyomori and the Taira clan were now the undisputed leaders of Japan. Yoritomo, the new head of the Minamoto, was not executed by Kiyomori because of pleas from Kiyomori's stepmother but was exiled. Yoritomo's brothers, Minamoto no Noriyori and
Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a military commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles which toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo conso ...
were also allowed to live. Yoritomo grew up in exile. He married into the
Hōjō clan The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of ''shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this period ...
, led by
Hōjō Tokimasa was a Japanese samurai lord who was the first ''shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hōjō clan. He was ''shikken'' from 1203 until his abdication in 1205, and Protector of Kyoto from 1185 to 1186. Background The H� ...
, marrying Tokimasa's daughter, Hōjō Masako. Meanwhile, he was notified of events in
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...
.


Family

Parents * Father: Minamoto no Yoshitomo (源 義朝, 1123 – 11 February 1160) * Mother:
Yura Gozen Yura may refer to: Place * Yura, Wakayama, a town in Japan * Yura District, a district in Peru * Yura Station, a railway station in Japan Ethnic groups and languages *Yura, or Adnyamathanha, an indigenous group of South Australia *Yura, or E ...
(由良御前, d. 1159), dauhhter of
Fujiwara no Suenori Fujiwara no Suenori (藤原 季範, 1090 – December 27, 1155) was a Japanese nobleman and High Priest of Atsuta Shrine during the late Heian period, belonging to the Nanke House of the powerful Fujiwara clan. He was the grandfather of Mina ...
(藤原 季範) Consorts and issues *Possible Wife: Yaehime (八重姫), daughter of Itō Sukechika (伊東 祐親) **Chizurumaru (千鶴丸), possible first son *Wife: Hōjō Masako (北条 政子, 1156 – August 16, 1225), daughter of
Hōjō Tokimasa was a Japanese samurai lord who was the first ''shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hōjō clan. He was ''shikken'' from 1203 until his abdication in 1205, and Protector of Kyoto from 1185 to 1186. Background The H� ...
(北条 時政) **Ohime (大姫, 1178 – 28 August 1197), Fiance of Minamoto no Yoshitaka (源 義高), first daughter ** Minamoto no Yoriie (Japanese: 源 頼家, 11 September 1182 – 14 August 1204), first son **Lady Mihata (三幡, 1186 – 24 July 1199), second daughter ** Minamoto no Sanetomo (源 実朝, 12 September 1192 – 12 February 1219, r. 1203–1219), third son *Concubine: Kame no Mae (亀の前) *Concubine: Daishin no Tsubone (大進局), daughter of Date Tomomune (伊達朝宗) **Jōgyō (貞暁, 18 March 1186 – 27 May 1231 ), also known as Kamamura Hōin (鎌倉法印), second son


Call to arms and the Genpei War (1180–1185)

In 1180
Prince Mochihito (died June 1180), also known as the Takakura Prince, and as Minamoto no Mochimitsu (源 以光), was a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan. He is noted for his role in starting the Genpei War. Believing that Taira no Kiyomori was causing suffe ...
, a son of Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa, made a national call to arms of the Minamoto clan all over Japan to rebel against the Taira. Yoritomo took part in this, especially after tensions escalated between the Taira and Minamoto after the death of
Minamoto no Yorimasa (1106 – 20 June 1180) was a prominent Japanese poet whose works appeared in various anthologies. He served eight different emperors in his long career, holding posts such as ''hyōgo no kami'' (head of the arsenal). He was also a warrior, le ...
and
Prince Mochihito (died June 1180), also known as the Takakura Prince, and as Minamoto no Mochimitsu (源 以光), was a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan. He is noted for his role in starting the Genpei War. Believing that Taira no Kiyomori was causing suffe ...
himself. Yoritomo established himself as the rightful heir of the
Minamoto was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...
clan and set up a capital in
Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...
to the east. Not all Minamoto thought of Yoritomo as rightful heir, however. His uncle, Minamoto no Yukiie, and his cousin Minamoto no Yoshinaka, conspired against him. In September 1180, Yoritomo was defeated at the
Battle of Ishibashiyama The was the first in which Minamoto no Yoritomo, who became ''shōgun'' less than a decade later, was commander of the Minamoto forces. The battle was fought on September 14, 1180, in the southwest of present-day Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, ...
, his first major battle, when
Ōba Kagechika (died 1180), also known as Ōba Saburō Kagechika, was a samurai of Japan's Heian period. The third son of Oba Kageyoshi, he fought alongside his father, against the Minamoto Clan, in the Hōgen Rebellion of 1156. Facing off against Minamoto ...
led a rapid night attack. After his defeat in Mt. Ishibashiyama, Minamoto no Yoritomo fled into the Hakone mountains, stayed in Yugawara, then escaped from
Manazuru is a town located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 6,949 and a population density of 1000 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geography Located in the southeast of Mount Hakone, the consist ...
-Iwa to Awa (south of present-day Chiba). Yoritomo spent the next six months raising a new army. Taira no Kiyomori died in 1181 and the Taira clan was now led by Taira no Munemori. Munemori took a much more aggressive policy against the Minamoto and attacked Minamoto bases from
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...
in the
Genpei War The was a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo, who appointed himse ...
. Nonetheless, Yoritomo was well protected in
Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...
. His brothers
Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a military commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles which toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo conso ...
and Minamoto no Noriyori defeated the Taira in several battles, but they could not stop Minamoto no Yoshinaka, Yoritomo's rival, from entering
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...
in 1183 and chasing the Taira south. The Taira took Emperor Antoku with them. In 1184, the Minamoto replaced Antoku with
Emperor Go-Toba was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198. This 12th-century sovereign was named after Emperor Toba, and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; a ...
as the new emperor. From 1181 to 1184, a de facto truce with the Taira-dominated court allowed Yoritomo the time to build an administration of his own, centered on his military headquarters in Kamakura. In the end he triumphed over his rival cousins, who sought to steal control of the clan from him, and over the Taira, who suffered a terrible defeat at the
Battle of Dan-no-ura The was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshū. On April 25, 1185 (or March 24, 1185 by the official page of Shimonoseki City), the fleet of the Minamoto clan ...
in 1185. Yoritomo thus established the supremacy of the warrior
samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They ...
caste Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultur ...
and the first '' bakufu'' (shogunate) at Kamakura, beginning the feudal age in Japan which lasted until the mid-19th century.


Later years and death

In December 1185, Go-Shirakawa granted Yoritomo the authority to collect the commissariat tax (the ''hyoro-mai'' or levy contribution of rice) and to appoint stewards (''jito'') and constables (''shugo''). Thus the Throne "handed to the leader of the military class effective jurisdiction in matters of land tenure and the income derived from agriculture". In the summer of 1189, Yoritomo invaded and subjugated
Mutsu Province was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori Prefectures and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture. Mutsu Province is also known as or . The term is often used to refer to the co ...
and Dewa Province. In December 1190 Yoritomo took up residence in his Rokuhara mansion at the capital, the former headquarters of the Taira clan. Upon the death of Go-Shirakawa in the spring of 1192, Go-Toba commissioned Yoritomo ''Sei-i Tai Shōgun'' (Generalissimo). Thus a feudal state was now organized in
Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...
while
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...
was relegated to the role of "national ceremony and ritual". Yoritomo gathered his '' gokenin'' in May 1193 and arranged a grand hunting event,
Fuji no Makigari Fuji no Makigari (富士の巻狩り) was a grand hunting event arranged by shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo from June to July 1193, centering around the foot of Mount Fuji. 700,000 participated in the event, including a large number of the shogun's ''g ...
. On May 16, Yoritomo's 12-year-old son Yoriie shot a deer for the first time. Hunting was stopped and a festival was held in the evening. Yoritomo rejoiced in his son's achievement and sent a messenger to his wife Masako, but Masako sent the messenger back, saying that a military commander's son being able to shoot a deer is nothing to celebrate. The
Revenge of the Soga Brothers The Revenge of the Soga Brothers (曾我兄弟の仇討ち, ''Soga kyōdai no adauchi'') was a vengeance incident on June 28, 1193, during the Fuji no Makigari hunting event arranged by shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo. The Soga brothers, Soga Sukenar ...
took place on May 28 of the same year at the Fuji no Makigari hunting event. The brothers Soga Sukenari and
Soga Tokimune Soga Tokimune (Japanese: 曾我時致, 1174 - June 29, 1193) was a Japanese samurai in the early Kamakura period. He and his brother Soga Sukenari are known for being the perpetrators of the Revenge of the Soga Brothers incident. He is a central ...
murdered the killer of their father,
Kudō Suketsune Kudō Suketsune (Japanese: 工藤 祐経; 1147 – June 28, 1193) was a samurai and ''gokenin'' in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. He is known for having been assassinated during the Revenge of the Soga Brothers incident. Life Suketsu ...
. The brothers managed to kill 10 other participants until
Nitta Tadatsune Nitta Tadatsune (仁田 忠常, 1167 – October 12, 1203) was a samurai lord and retainer of the Kamakura shogunate in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. He served as a close retainer to shoguns Minamoto no Yoritomo and Yoriie. He is kno ...
killed Sukenari. Then, Tokimune raided Yoritomo's mansion attempting to attack Yoritomo, but was finally taken down by Gosho no Gorōmaru, thus saving Yoritomo from a possible
assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
attempt and ending the massacre. After this, Yoritomo took Tokimune in for questioning and had him executed later. Yoritomo was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1199 and left his home. He received the
Buddhist name A Dharma name or Dhamma name is a new name acquired during both lay and monastic Buddhist initiation rituals in Mahayana Buddhism and monastic ordination in Theravada Buddhism (where it is more proper to call it Dhamma or Sangha name). The nam ...
Bukōshōgendaizenmon (武皇嘯厚大禅門). He died two days later at the age of 52.


Appearance and personality

According to ''
The Tale of Heiji is a Japanese war epic (''gunki monogatari'') detailing the events of the Heiji Rebellion of 1159–1160, in which samurai clan head Minamoto no Yoshitomo attacked and besieged Kyoto, as part of an Imperial succession dispute, in which he was opp ...
,'' Yoritomo was "more adult-like than others of his age", and the figure of a young warrior Yoritomo appears in the picture scroll of ''The Tale of Heiji''. '' Genpei Jōsuiki'' describes Yoritomo saying "his face is large and appearance is beautiful." The imperial messenger Nakahara no Yasusada, who met Yoritomo in
Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...
in August 1183, said that "he is short and his face is large, his appearance is graceful and language is civilized." Kujō no Kanezane writes in his diary ''Tamaha'' that "Yoritomo's body is of rigorous power, and his fierce nature is accompanied with a clear distinction and firm resolution of the judgement of right and wrong." Yoritomo practiced '' shudō'' with Yoshinao, a member of the Imperial Guard. Historian Hideo Kuroda organized and examined the portraits and statues of Minamoto no Yoritomo and has concluded as follows. When comparing the statues of Minamoto no Yoritomo in Higashihirozo and
Hōjō Tokiyori Hōjō Tokiyori (, June 29, 1227 – December 24, 1263) was the fifth shikken (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. Early life He was born to warrior monk Hōjō Tokiuji and a daughter of Adachi Kagemori. Rule Tokiyori became shikken f ...
in Kenchō-ji, from the facial expression to size, they are almost identical, and there is evidence that the '' kariginu'' was remodeled into a '' sokutai'', the formal dress of the shogun, by adding a ''hirao'' and ''sekitai.'' Kuroda argues that the statue was originally a statue of Hōjō Tokiyori sculpted in Kamakura in the 14th century, but after the original statue of Yoritomo was lost, an altered statue of Tokiyori was used as a replacement. On the other hand, he considers the inscription on the statue of Minamoto no Yoritomo in Kai Province, Zenkō-ji to be the name of the repairer instead of the name of the sculptor, and that it was made at the request of Hōjō Masako in the first quarter of the 13th century. Thus, Kuroda concludes that this statue is the only accurate depiction of Minamoto no Yoritomo.


Legacy

In the words of George Bailey Sansom, "Yoritomo was a truly great man … his foresight was remarkable, but so was his practical good sense in setting up machinery to match his own expanding power." Yoritomo's wife's family, the Hōjō, took control after his death at
Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...
, maintaining power over the shogunate until 1333, under the title of ''
shikken The was a titular post held by a member of the Hōjō clan, officially a regent of the shogunate, from 1199 to 1333, during the Kamakura period, and so he was head of the ''bakufu'' (shogunate). It was part of the era referred to as . During ro ...
'' (regent to the ''shōgun''). One of his brothers-in-law was
Ashikaga Yoshikane was a Japanese samurai military commander, feudal lord in the late Heian and early Kamakura period of Japan's history.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Ashikaga Yoshikane" in ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, ...
.Nussbaum, "Ashikaga Yoshikane" at The '' stone pagoda'' traditionally believed to be his
grave A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grav ...
is still maintained today, adjacent to Shirahata Shrine, a short distance from the spot believed to be the site of the so-called
Ōkura Bakufu (also called is the name given in Japan to the first government of the shōgun Minamoto no Yoritomo. The name is that of the location in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, where Yoritomo's palace used to stand. Ōkura is defined as the area between t ...
, his shogunate's administrative-governmental offices.


Cultural references

He appears as a hero unit in '' Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings'', and as a hero unit in '' Total War: Shogun 2''. A character named "Yoritomo" appears in Book 6: "The Lords of the Rising Sun" in the Fabled Lands adventure gamebook series, where Yoritomo is the self-proclaimed ''shōgun'' and on the verge of war with "Lord Kiyomori". He appears as the final boss in Genpei Toma Den, an arcade game created by
Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiun ...
in which the player character is
Taira no Kagekiyo Taira no Kagekiyo (平 景清) (died 1196), also known as Kazusa no Shichirō (上総 七郎), was a samurai of the Taira clan who took part in the Genpei War of Japan, against the Minamoto clan. The son by birth of Fujiwara no Tadakiyo. His ...
, another Japanese historical figure. He also appears as a prominent character in the 2021 anime series The Heike Story.


Eras of Yoritomo's ''bakufu''

The years in which Yoritomo was ''shōgun'' are more specifically identified by more than one era name or '' nengō''. * '' Kenkyū'' (1190–1199) * ''
Shōji A is a door, window or room divider used in traditional Japanese architecture, consisting of translucent (or transparent) sheets on a lattice frame. Where light transmission is not needed, the similar but opaque ''fusuma'' is used (oshiire/ ...
'' (1199–1201)


See also

*
Seiwa Genji The is a line of the Japanese Minamoto clan that is descended from Emperor Seiwa, which is the most successful and powerful line of the clan. Many of the most famous Minamoto warriors, including Minamoto no Yoshiie, Minamoto no Yoritomo, the f ...
* Eiji Yoshikawa, historical fiction writer *
Battle of Hojuji A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...


Notes


References

* Mass, Jeffrey P. (1999). ''Yoritomo and the Founding of the First Bakufu: the Origins of Dual Government in Japan''. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
OCLC 41712279
* Nagahara Keiji 永原慶二. ''Minamoto no Yoritomo'' 源頼朝. Tokyo: Iwanami-shoten, 1995. * Naramoto Tatsuya 奈良本辰也, et al. ''Minamoto no Yoritomo'' 源頼朝. Tokyo: Shisakusha, 1972. * Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia''.
Cambridge:
Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...
.
OCLC 58053128
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''
Nihon Ōdai Ichiran , ', is a 17th-century chronicle of the serial reigns of Japanese emperors with brief notes about some of the noteworthy events or other happenings. According to the 1871 edition of the '' American Cyclopaedia'', the 1834 French translation of ...
''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon''.
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
OCLC 5850691
* Yamaji Aizan 山路愛山. ''Minamoto no Yoritomo: jidai daihyō Nihon eiyūden'' 源頼朝: 時代代表日本英雄伝. Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1987. * Yoshikawa, Eiji. (1989) ''Yoshikawa Eiji Rekishi Jidai Bunko'' (''Eiji Yoshikawa's Historical Fiction''), Vols. 41–42: ''Minamoto Yoritomo'' (源頼朝). Tokyo: Kodansha.


External links


Ōmachi
by the Kamakura Citizen's Net, accessed on September 30, 2008

(include "Seigan-ji Temple" Birthplace of Minamoto-no Yoritomo) {{DEFAULTSORT:Minamoto no, Yoritomo 1147 births 1199 deaths 12th-century Japanese people 12th-century shōguns Kamakura shōguns Samurai People from Nagoya People of Heian-period Japan People of the Genpei War People of Kamakura-period Japan Kamakura period Buddhist clergy Minamoto clan City founders Deified Japanese people