Biographies CXV: The Shōguns' Families, Part II

Nitta Yoshishige

¶Nitta Yoshishige was a grandson of Minamoto-no-Yoshiie, Chinjufu Shōgun, Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North, and the eldest son of Yoshikuni, Shikibu-no-jō, Secretary of Ceremonial. Yoshikuni lived in Nitta District of Kōzuke province, and Yoshishige styled himself Nitta Tarō (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). He was also called Nitta Kanja (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). He was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower and became Ōi-no-suke, Assistant Director of the Bureau of the Palace Kitchens (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). He entered the religious life and changed his name to Jōsai (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Azuma Kagami). At first Yoshikuni took as his wife a daughter of Ashikaga Mototsuna, but he was implicated in an incident, lost his estates, and withdrew to Ashikaga (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). In the Nin'an era (1166-1169), when Ashikaga Toshitsuna fell victim to slander and was deprived of his lands, Taira-no-Shigemori had Yoshishige hold those lands (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. According to the present work, Ashikaga Tarō Fujiwara-no-Toshitsuna was also the father of Tarō Nakatsuna and held the Ashikaga estate in Shimotsuke province. Toshitsuna was implicated in an incident and his land was taken from him, and Shigemori granted Ashikaga to Yoshishige. Toshitsuna made a piteous appeal to Shigemori and in the end obtained its return. From this it would follow that Ashikaga was first granted to Yoshishige and was then granted again to Toshitsuna, and that Yoshishige afterwards moved his residence to Nitta. The details of the affair are not clear. The Genpei Jōsuiki, however, says that Toshitsuna asked to be granted the Nitta estate and was refused; that his son Tadatsuna asked again on the strength of his services in battle and Kiyomori permitted it; but that the grant was withdrawn again the same day. It may be that Yoshikuni first held Nitta, lost his lands when he incurred guilt, and relied on the Ashikaga family; that when Toshitsuna incurred guilt, his Ashikaga lands were granted to Yoshishige; that these were later returned to Toshitsuna, and Nitta was granted to Yoshishige in exchange. When Tadatsuna asked for Nitta, Shigemori had already died, and Kiyomori, because Yoshishige was of the Minamoto line, probably meant to take his lands and give them to Tadatsuna. But as there is no other book to consult, this is added for reference). Afterwards Yoshishige moved his residence again to Nitta. At that time the Ashikaga and the Chichibu were on bad terms, and one side wished to attack the Chichibu (Note: the names of both Ashikaga and Chichibu are missing, but they probably mean Ashikaga Toshitsuna and Chichibu Shigeyoshi). Leading troops, he went to Kogasugi and begged Yoshishige for help. Yoshishige led more than five hundred horsemen to the Tone River and came to the Nagai ford. The enemy had destroyed the boats beforehand, and the army could not cross. Yoshishige said: "A man who has given his word to another, and then hesitates to advance because there are no boats and lets his allies be defeated, how could he ever again have the face to take up the bow and arrow? Better to sink into the great river and make a name by it." Riding their horses abreast, they crossed all together and broke the Chichibu (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki and the Heike Monogatari). When Minamoto-no-Yoritomo raised his standard in Izu, the warriors of the east had not yet gathered; Yoshishige, being a grandson of Yoshiie, cultivated his own prestige and nursed a will to stand independent. Yoritomo sent letters to summon him, but he did not respond; he assembled troops and held Terao castle. When Yoritomo made his seat at Kamakura, the commanders all rallied to him, and Yoritomo therefore sent Adachi Morinaga to summon Yoshishige again. When Yoshishige arrived, Yoritomo would not permit him to enter Kamakura. Yoshishige was greatly alarmed and apologized, saying: "I never harbored any disloyal intention from the beginning. With the whole country in turmoil and strife, the soldiers who follow me kept warning one another, and I could not easily leave my castle. That is why I have been late until today." Morinaga also spoke in his defense on the spot, and Yoritomo dispelled his suspicion and did not blame him. Yoshishige had a daughter who had first married Yoritomo's elder brother Yoshihira and, after Yoshihira's death, lived as a widow. Yoritomo heard that she was of fine appearance and sent letters courting her, but she would not comply. Yoritomo disclosed his wish to Yoshishige, but Yoshishige, knowing that Yoritomo's wife, of the Hōjō clan, was jealous and would not permit it, in the end gave her in marriage to a man named Sotsu Rokurō. Yoritomo grew ever more displeased and from then on kept Yoshishige at a distance. In the second year of Kennin (1202) Yoshishige died (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. The year of his death is missing; the Sonpi Bunmyaku gives his age as sixty-eight, which is mistaken). In the sixteenth year of Keichō (1611), by imperial command, he was posthumously granted the office of Chinjufu Shōgun (Note: following the Tokugawa Keizu). Soon after Yoshishige's death, Yoriie was about to play kemari. His mother, of the Hōjō clan, sent Kudō Yukimitsu to stop him, saying: "Nitta Jōsai was an elder survivor of the Minamoto and a pillar of the warrior houses. It is not yet twenty days since his death, and I fear that indulging in games would draw the censure of the world." Yoriie therefore gave up the kemari (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶His sons were Yoshitoshi, Yoshikane, Yoshinori, Yoshisue, Tsuneyoshi, Yoshimitsu, and Yoshisuke. Yoshitoshi styled himself Nitta Tarō, and Yoshitoshi's son Yoshinari styled himself Satomi Kanja (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Attached to the Taira, he was in Kyoto, but when Yoritomo raised his standard he returned to Kamakura, and Yoritomo was pleased. He was specially charged with service as a close attendant, made Iga-no-kami, Governor of Iga, and granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower. In the first year of Bunryaku (1234) he died. Yoshinari served four shōguns and received very high favor (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Yoshikane became a Kurōdo, Chamberlain, to the Kōkamon-in, and Ōi-no-suke (Note: according to the Azuma Kagami, in the second year of Kangen (1244) Nitta Tarō was in Kyoto on guard duty, claimed illness, and took the tonsure; because he shaved his head on his own without informing the Rokuhara or the captain of the guard, his estates were taken from him. This Tarō is probably Yoshikane's son Yoshifusa, but there is now no way to verify it). His descendant of the sixth generation, Yoshisada, became a leading meritorious figure of the Restoration in the time of Emperor Go-Daigo, and has a separate biography (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Yoshinori styled himself Yamana Saburō; he followed Yoshitsune and struck the Taira at Ichi-no-Tani, and for that achievement was appointed Izu-no-kami, Governor of Izu (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Sonpi Bunmyaku. The statement in the Genpei Jōsuiki that Shida Saburō Senjō Yoshinori was appointed Governor of Izu is probably mistaken. Details are in the biography of Tameyoshi). His descendant of the seventh generation, Tokiuji, appears in the biographies of the Shōguns' retainers. Yoshisue styled himself Tokugawa Shirō. His son Yoriari was appointed Shimotsuke-no-kami, Governor of Shimotsuke. The next, Yoriuji, was called Serada Yashirō and became Mikawa-no-kami, Governor of Mikawa. Tsuneyoshi styled himself Gōdo Gorō, and Yoshimitsu styled himself Nitta Kanja. Yoshisuke was called Koshirō (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

Ashikaga Yoshikane

¶Ashikaga Yoshikane styled himself Saburō (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). His father Yoshiyasu was a younger brother of Yoshishige (Note: the Nan-Taiheiki and the Ashikaga Keizu are mistaken in making Yoshikane a son of Minamoto-no-Tametomo). Yoshiyasu served the Retired Emperor Toba as a warrior of the Northern Guard, was appointed Saemon-no-taifu, Senior Secretary of the Left Gate Guards, then Mutsu-no-kami, Governor of Mutsu, and became a Kebiishi, Police Commissioner; he was called Ashikaga Mutsu Hōgan (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku. According to the Azuma Kagami, the one who then held Ashikaga was of the Fujiwara, and it was only after Ashikaga Toshitsuna's death that Yoshikane came to hold all the land of Ashikaga. In that case it is unclear on what grounds Yoshiyasu and his son took the name Ashikaga. Probably, when Yoshikuni lost Nitta, he relied on the Ashikaga through marriage ties, or divided their lands and lived there, and so they too were called Ashikaga. But there is now no way to verify it). In the Hōgen disturbance he guarded the Imperial Palace together with Minamoto-no-Yoshitomo and others. When the forces of the Retired Emperor Sutoku were defeated and the officers and men scattered in all directions, Yoshiyasu captured Taira-no-Iehiro, Uemon-no-jō, Secretary of the Right Gate Guards, together with his four sons, five men in all, and beheaded them at Ōeyama (Note: following the Hōgen Monogatari). For this service he was appointed a Kurōdo, Chamberlain, and was permitted to enter the Imperial Presence (Note: following the Hōgen Monogatari and the Sonpi Bunmyaku). The following year he died (Note: following one account in the printed edition of the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Yoshikane became a Kurōdo, Chamberlain, to the Hachijō-in. His mother was a sister of Minamoto-no-Yoritomo's maternal aunt (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku. According to the present work, there is also an account that makes Yoshikane a maternal cousin of Yoritomo). When Yoritomo raised his standard, Yoshikane followed him together with Yamana Yoshinori and others. In the third year of Juei (1184) he followed Minamoto-no-Noriyori to Tsukushi and attacked the Taira. When they set out, Yoritomo feasted the officers and men who were to accompany the army, and gave Yoshikane a horse (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). In the first year of Bunji (1185), for this service he was appointed Kazusa-no-suke, Assistant Governor of Kazusa (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Genpei Jōsuiki). In the fifth year (1189) he followed Yoritomo in striking Fujiwara-no-Yasuhira and took captive one of Yasuhira's partisans, a certain Kumano Bettō. Soon afterwards he resigned as Kazusa-no-suke and became Tōtōmi-no-kami, Governor of Tōtōmi. The following year (1190) Ōkawa Kanetō, a former retainer of Yasuhira, raised an army. Yoritomo ordered Yoshikane and Oyama Munemasa and others to go to Mutsu and strike him; they fought at Kurihara Ichinosako and defeated him. Kanetō withdrew, held the Koromo River, and drew up his lines. Yoshikane and the others crossed the river at once and engaged him at close quarters, and the enemy troops fled, but they again took up a position on Mount Taumai and made it a stronghold. Yoshikane and the others hurriedly surrounded and attacked it; the slain and captured were very many, and Kanetō was defeated and killed. Yoshikane was appointed Kazusa-no-suke again (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Later he took the tonsure at Tōdai-ji, with the Buddhist name Gishō (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku. According to the present work he entered the religious life in the third month of the sixth year of Kenkyū (1195), but according to the Azuma Kagami, at the Tōdai-ji dedication ceremony of the sixth year of Kenkyū, Yoshikane followed Yoritomo to Kyoto and thereupon became Kazusa-no-suke; for this reason that account is not adopted here. The present work also records that Yoshikane was Jibu-no-tayū, Senior Assistant Minister of Civil Administration, of Junior Fourth Rank Lower, but as there is no way to verify the year and month of his appointment, this too is not adopted). Yoshikane stood more than eight shaku tall, and his physical strength was extraordinary (Note: following the Nan-Taiheiki. The Ashikaga Keizu gives nine shaku two sun). By nature he was gentle and good. Yoritomo, approving of his loyalty, made him son-in-law of Hōjō Tokimasa and treated him with great affection (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). In the first year of Shōji (1199) he died. His sons were Yoshizumi, Yoshisuke, Yoshiuji, and Yoshitane (Note: according to the present work, Yoshitane was in fact a son of Yoshisuke, and because he lost his father in childhood, his grandfather Yoshikane raised him as a son). Yoshizumi styled himself Ashikaga Tarō, was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, and became Tōtōmi-no-kami, Governor of Tōtōmi (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). At first Tokimasa's daughter had married Hatakeyama Shigetada, but after Shigetada died she married Yoshizumi in his stead. Tokimasa gave him all of Shigetada's lands, and from then on he took the name Hatakeyama (Note: following the Hatakeyama Keizu). His descendant of the fifth generation, Kunikiyo, appears in the biographies of the Shōguns' retainers. Yoshisuke styled himself Ashikaga Jirō and became Saehyōe-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Left Gate Guards of the Military Guards. In the Jōkyū disturbance he died in battle at Mount Uji. Yoshitane styled himself Ashikaga Shirō and became Hyōbu-no-shō, Junior Vice-Minister of Military Affairs (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

Ashikaga Yoshiuji

¶Ashikaga Yoshiuji was the third son of Yoshikane and was called Ashikaga Saburō. His mother was a daughter of Hōjō Tokimasa. Yoshikane made him his heir. He was skilled at waka poetry and became son-in-law of Hōjō Yasutoki. He was appointed a Kurōdo, Chamberlain, and a Kebiishi, Police Commissioner (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). In the first year of Kenryaku (1211), Wada Yoshimori rebelled and hurriedly attacked the shogunal headquarters. Yoshiuji defended it together with the other commanders. Yoshimori's son Yoshihide was fierce and skilled in battle, and Yoshiuji met him at Mandokoro Bridge. Yoshihide advanced and seized the sleeve of Yoshiuji's armor, but Yoshiuji spurred his horse and leaped over the moat; the armor sleeve was torn off, yet neither man nor horse fell. People praised the two as men of martial valor. Yoshiuji in the end attacked and killed Yoshimori together with the other commanders (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Sonpi Bunmyaku). In the Jōkyū disturbance, Yoshiuji assisted Hōjō Yasutoki and led troops from the Tōkaidō toward Kyoto (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Jōkyūki). The imperial army drew up its lines across the Owari River (Note: following the Jōkyūki). Yasutoki dispatched the commanders in separate directions; when Yoshiuji headed for Ikeze, the imperial army fled on hearing only the rumor. Yasutoki, intending to go to Uji, reached Mount Kuriko. The day had already ended, but Yoshiuji secretly advanced to Uji together with Miura Yasumura and fought a great battle on the bridge, though the fortunes of the fight were against them. In the middle of the night Yoshiuji sent a messenger to report to Yasutoki, saying: "We had meant to await the dawn for the battle, but the stout fellows under my banner, eager to be in the van, advanced through the night, and the dead and wounded have become very many." Yasutoki hurried to Uji to rescue them, but without success, and in the end ordered the fighting stopped (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. The Jōkyūki differs slightly from this, but it is not adopted here). The next day the officers and men tried to cross the river, but the water, after rain, had greatly risen, and those who were drowned could not be counted. Yoshiuji crossed on a raft; a certain Bitō had torn down people's houses to make the rafts, and the commanders followed and advanced, and the imperial army was utterly defeated. In the first year of Gennin (1224), for this service he received holdings in Mimasaka, Niino, and other places. Fujiwara-no-Yoritsune often held private banquets with him and favored him especially, going so far as to give him a seat in his own residence. He held in turn the governorships of Musashi and Mutsu, rose to Sama-no-kami, Director of the Left Stables, and advanced to Senior Fourth Rank Lower (Note: the Sonpi Bunmyaku has one account giving Senior Fifth Rank Lower). In the Ninji era (1240-1243) he shaved his head and changed his name to Shōgi. For his services in the disturbance of Miura Yasumura, he also took over the lands of the late Kazusa-no-gon-no-suke, Provisional Assistant Governor of Kazusa, Taira-no-Hidetane (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. The Ninji-era entry follows the Sonpi Bunmyaku). In the sixth year of Kenchō (1254) he died (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Sonpi Bunmyaku). He was sixty-six years old.

¶His sons were Yasuuji, Yoshitsugu, and Nagauji (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Yasuuji was a maternal grandson of Hōjō Yasutoki; he was appointed Tango-no-kami, Governor of Tango, was transferred to Kunai-no-shō, Junior Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household (Note: following the Azuma Kagami), and became a Kebiishi, Police Commissioner (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). In the third year of Kenchō (1251) he shaved his head and became a monk (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). In the seventh year of Bun'ei (1270) he died and was called Hiraishi-dono (Note: Hiraishi-dono follows one account in the printed edition). His descendant of the fourth generation, Takauji, appears in the biographies of the Shōguns, and Takatsune appears in the biographies of the Shōguns' retainers. Yoshitsugu styled himself Ashikaga Sama Shirō; he once crossed to the Yuan and, after returning home, became a monk (Note: concerning Yoshitsugu's crossing to the Yuan, the present work does not give the circumstances. According to the Yuan Shi, in the eighth year of Bun'ei the Shugosho sent twenty-six men to Yanjing to ask for an audience with the Yuan emperor, and he was probably one of them. But there is now no way to verify it). Yoshitsugu's great-grandson Kira Sadaie became Shuri-no-daibu, Master of the Office of Palace Repairs. Sadaie's son Mitsuie became Nakatsukasa-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of the Center, and both of them administered Mutsu. Nagauji styled himself Ashikaga Gorō (Note: following the Azuma Kagami) and was also called Kira Tarō. He was Junior Fifth Rank Lower, Kazusa-no-suke, and a Kebiishi, Police Commissioner (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku. One account in the present work says that Nagauji was a son of Hata-uji). His great-grandson Imagawa Norikuni appears in the biographies of the Shōguns' retainers.

Yasuda Yoshisada

¶Yasuda Yoshisada styled himself Saburō. He was a grandson of Minamoto-no-Yoshimitsu, Gyōbu-no-shō, Junior Assistant Minister of Justice, and a son of Yasuda Kanja Yoshikiyo (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Urabe-bon Takeda Keizu. The Sonpi Bunmyaku makes him a grandson of Yoshikiyo and a son of Kiyomitsu). Yoshikiyo was implicated in an incident and exiled to Kai, and Yoshisada and his brothers held the various estates of Kai (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). When Minamoto-no-Yoritomo raised his standard, Yoshisada heard of it and set out to aid him together with Kudō Kagemitsu and others, but on the road he met the troops of Matano Kagehisa and others, and met them in battle and put them to flight. At that time Yoritomo had sent Hōjō Tokimasa to Kai to gather the various Minamoto. Yoshisada went to Suruga together with Takeda Nobuyoshi and others and fought Tachibana Tōmochi. When Taira-no-Koremori came to attack and reached Yoritomo's camp on the Kise River, Koremori was defeated. Yoritomo had Yoshisada guard Tōtōmi, to be ready against the Taira. In the first year of Yōwa (1181) Yoshisada heard that the Taira commanders had led troops as far as Owari, and sent urgent word to Kamakura. Yoritomo sent Wada Yoshimori, Okabe Tadatsuna, Kanō Chikamitsu, Usami Sukeshige, and others to hold Hamamatsu together with Yoshisada. Yoshisada wished to build a stronghold at Hashimoto and imposed labor levies on the local people. Asaba Shōji Munenobu and Sagara Saburō took this lightly and would not obey the order; moreover, since many of their kin were attached to the Taira, Yoshisada suspected them, and he sent Mutō Gorō to Kamakura to tell of it and to ask that they be punished promptly. Yoritomo, finding it hard to believe on a single report alone, did not heed him. Mutō Gorō said: "Yoshisada has already denounced their crimes and informed the shogunal headquarters, and this is known to everyone. But if the headquarters leaves it aside and does not inquire, Yoshisada's prestige will gradually be diminished. If my words prove empty of truth, then cut me down some day afterwards and make the falsehood plain." Yoritomo thereupon hurriedly took the lands of the two men and gave them to Yoshisada, and also sent a letter saying: "If Munenobu and the others can later justify themselves, I will then punish you." Soon Munenobu humbly apologized, and Yoshisada too interceded on his behalf. Yoritomo, considering that Munenobu's clan was flourishing and had stored up many soldiers and able men, and wishing to put them to his own use, returned to him some part of his holdings in the estate. In the second year of Juei (1183) Yoshisada was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower and became Tōtōmi-no-kami, Governor of Tōtōmi. The following year he joined Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune in attacking Ichi-no-Tani and took the heads of Taira-no-Tsunemasa, former Tajima-no-kami, Governor of Tajima, and Taira-no-Moromori, Bitchū-no-kami, Governor of Bitchū (Note: the present work holds that the head of Noto-no-kami Noritsune was among these as well, but that is not adopted here. See the biography of Noritsune for details). In the Bunji era (1185-1190) the Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa ordered Yoshisada to repair the Inari shrine. As this matter made little progress, the Retired Emperor was displeased and demoted Yoshisada to Shimōsa-no-kami, Governor of Shimōsa. Yoshisada was distressed at this and asked Yoritomo to explain the circumstances on his behalf. Yoritomo had Yoshisada deliver a memorial to Fujiwara-no-Tsunefusa, Gon-Chūnagon, Provisional Middle Counsellor, protesting his innocence, and himself sent an envoy to petition for him. But the Retired Emperor did not listen. In the second year of Kenkyū (1191) he was appointed Tōtōmi-no-kami again, and his rank was raised by one step. In the fourth year (1193), when Yoritomo had completed the Yakushi Hall of Eifuku-ji and men and women gathered to see it, Yoshisada's son Yoshisuke secretly threw a love letter to a lady-in-waiting of the shogunal household. A concubine of Kajiwara Kagesue found it and told Kagesue's father Kagetoki, and so it came to light. Yoritomo was enraged, had Yoshisuke seized and beheaded, and Yoshisada, implicated, was dismissed from the post of jitō of the Asaba estate, and his resentment grew ever deeper. The next year (1194) Yoritomo heard of his plot of rebellion and killed him. Yoshisuke had been Junior Fifth Rank Lower and Echigo-no-kami, Governor of Echigo (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Yoshisada had a younger brother, Yoshitō.

Yasuda Yoshitō

¶Yasuda Yoshitō styled himself Asari Yoichi (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. The Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Heike Monogatari give Yoshinari, and the Genpei Jōsuiki gives Tōtada). At the battle of Dan-no-ura, Wada Yoshimori shot at Taira-no-Tomomori's ship and struck it, and, across a distance of more than two hundred paces, waved his hand and called out: "Try shooting it back!" Tomomori ordered Nii Chikakiyo to shoot. His arrow grazed Yoshimori's helmet and veered off, and went on to strike Yoshitsune's ship. Chikakiyo too waved his hand and demanded that the arrow be returned, mocking Yoshimori. Yoshitsune chose from among his men and had Yoshitō shoot. Yoshitō looked at Chikakiyo's arrow and said: "The shaft is weak and short, not fit for use. Allow me to use my own." With a single shot he pierced Chikakiyo's chest, and the arrow even flew some five tan beyond him over the sea, so that the whole army was greatly astonished (Note: the Genpei Jōsuiki and the Heike Monogatari have been consulted together). In the Kennin era (1201-1204), when Jō Sukemori raised a rebellion, his aunt Hangaku was strong and skilled with the bow. When Sukemori was defeated, Hangaku was taken captive. Yoshitō petitioned Minamoto-no-Yoriie to be given her as his wife. Yoriie wondered at this, since she was ugly in appearance and moreover fierce. Yoshitō apologized and said: "I have no other intention. I only admire Hangaku's martial courage and wish to marry her, to have her bear valiant sons, and to put them at the service of the state." Yoriie laughed and permitted it. Yoshitō returned with her to Kai (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). His son Tomoyoshi styled himself Tarō (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). In the Karoku era (1225-1227) there were bandits at the Shirakawa barrier, who gave out that they were Wakamiya Bettō Kōgyō, gathered a following, and raised a disturbance. Tomoyoshi, together with Yūki Tomohiro, attacked and put them down, and sent their heads to Kamakura (Note: the Azuma Kagami has omissions here).

Hiraga Yoshinobu

¶Hiraga Yoshinobu was also sometimes called Ōuchi Shirō. He was a grandson of Minamoto-no-Yoshimitsu, Gyōbu-no-shō, Junior Assistant Minister of Justice. His father, named Moriyoshi, styled himself Hiraga Kanja and became Sahyōe-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Left Gate Guards of the Military Guards (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). In the Heiji disturbance Yoshinobu followed Minamoto-no-Yoshitomo in attacking Rokuhara, but Yoshitomo was routed and the Taira pursued him. Yoshinobu turned back and fought to hold off the enemy. Yoshitomo looked at those about him and said: "Even among the soldiers who hold my horse's whip, there are none who are not stalwart. This man is a talent to be regretted; all of you must join your strength to help him." Sasaki Hideyoshi, Sudō Toshimichi, and others pressed forward and fought with fury, and Yoshitomo was able to escape in the opening. Advancing to Seta, they found it inconvenient to move in a large body, and dismissed their followers one by one. Only Yoshinobu remained, and together with Kamata Masakiyo and others, braving wind and snow and enduring many hardships, he came to the post-station of Aohaka in Mino and took shelter in the house of the headwoman, Ōi. Yoshitomo sent his sons out to the various provinces to raise troops, and ordered Yoshinobu to return to his native place and raise an army. Yoshinobu agreed and asked: "Where is my lord headed?" Yoshitomo said: "I mean to go to Owari, rely on Osada Tadamune, obtain his military funds, and set out for the eastern provinces." Yoshinobu said: "Tadamune's house is rich in resources, but by nature he is a man who bends with the times and seeks profit. How could he shelter my lord?" Yoshitomo did not take his words. Yoshinobu took the occasion to take his leave and depart. Yoshitomo came to Owari and was in the end killed by Tadamune (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari). When Yoritomo destroyed the Taira, he first recorded the former services of Yoshinobu and others, petitioned the court, and had him appointed Musashi-no-kami, Governor of Musashi, rising to Junior Fifth Rank Upper (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. The Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy have been consulted together). Yoshinobu had a good reputation during his tenure and won the great goodwill of the people. Yoritomo praised him in a letter and had the words "Those who later become provincial governors should take Yoshinobu as their model" displayed on the wall of his office. Thereafter the governance of provincial governors all followed this example (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). On the day Yoshinobu left his post, there was none among the people who did not long for him (Note: following the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy). His sons were Koreyoshi, Takanobu, Tomonobu, Tomomasa, and Kagehira. Takanobu styled himself Musashi Ōjirō, Tomonobu styled himself Ono Kanja, and Kagehira styled himself Kobayakawa Jirō and became a Hyōe-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Military Guards (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

Hiraga Koreyoshi

¶Hiraga Koreyoshi styled himself Ōuchi Kanja (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Sonpi Bunmyaku). He became shugo, Protector, of Iga (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). In the third year of Juei (1184), when the Taira went west to the sea, Taira-no-Ietsugu gathered troops (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki) and attacked the seat of the protector. Koreyoshi's officers and men defended it but could not prevail, and there were many dead and wounded (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Ietsugu then led his troops into Ōmi and attacked and killed Sasaki Hideyoshi. Koreyoshi pursued him and cut down Ietsugu together with Tomita Ietsuke, Taira-no-Ieyoshi, Ie-kiyo, and others, obtaining more than ninety heads. Kanehira and the others, sons of Taira-no-Nobukane, fled to Kyoto, and the remnants were all pacified (Note: the Azuma Kagami and the Genpei Jōsuiki have been consulted together). Koreyoshi sent news of the victory to Kamakura and himself described his achievement and sought a reward. Yoritomo was displeased and rebuked him by letter, saying: "Your achievement in pacifying the rebel band was indeed swift. But to speak of rewards is not something to be said. In general, protectors are placed in provinces to guard against emergencies. That you were defeated by the bandits was surely because you neglected your guard in ordinary times and failed in your duty as protector. Rewards and punishments are within my authority; how can one seek them for oneself?" In the end he gave no reward. Later Koreyoshi followed Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune in striking the Taira in the western seas, and for that achievement was appointed Sagami-no-kami, Governor of Sagami (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). He held in turn the governorships of Suruga and Musashi, was appointed Shuri-no-gon-no-daibu, Provisional Master of the Office of Palace Repairs, was permitted to enter the Retired Emperor's palace, and rose to Senior Fourth Rank Lower (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). His son Korenobu has a separate biography.

Hiraga Tomomasa

¶Hiraga Tomomasa was appointed Musashi-no-kami, Governor of Musashi, and Uemon-no-gon-no-suke, Provisional Assistant Judge of the Right Gate Guards (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy. The Azuma Kagami sometimes gives the name as Tomomasa written with different characters). He rose to Senior Fifth Rank Upper and became son-in-law of Hōjō Tokimasa (Note: following the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy and the Hōryaku Kanki). In the third year of Kennin (1203), by Sanetomo's order, he took charge of guarding Kyoto (Note: the Teiō Hennenki gives the first year of Shōji (1199)). He also ordered the housemen of the western provinces to come up to Kyoto in rotation and placed them under Tomomasa's command. In the first year of Genkyū (1204), Taira-no-Motonori, Taira-no-Moritoki, and others raised troops in Iga and Ise and attacked the protector, Sudō Tsunetoshi. Tsunetoshi fled. The enemy plundered the two provinces, seized the Suzuka barrier, blocked the road over Mount Happū, and, holding the steep ground, strengthened their defenses. Sanetomo had Tomomasa lead troops to strike them. As the Suzuka road was blocked, Tomomasa entered Ise by way of the Mino road, struck Motonori at Tomita, and killed him. Advancing to Ano, he broke the stronghold of Oka Sadashige. Pressing on to Taki, he struck Shōda Sukefusa and put him to flight, and took Kawada, Gyōbu-no-tayū, Senior Assistant Minister of Justice, captive. He then went on to Iga and attacked Moritoki at the stronghold of Rokkayama, and took it in a few days. The ringleader of their band, Wakana Gorō, roamed about Ise and had built several strongholds. Tomomasa turned his army back to Ise again, fought one battle after another and destroyed them all, and cut down Gorō at Ono in Seki; the two provinces were at last pacified, and news of the victory was sent to Kamakura. Sanetomo praised Tomomasa's achievement and appointed him protector of Ise. While Tomomasa was in Kyoto, he was drinking with Hatakeyama Shigetada's son Shigeyasu, and they quarreled over some matter (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Tomomasa was enraged and bore a grudge, and spoke ill of him to his wife's mother, Lady Maki. Lady Maki was arrogant and fierce in temper and had long harbored evil designs, and she plotted with Tokimasa and killed Shigetada and his son. She further planned to assassinate Sanetomo and set Tomomasa up as shogun. The plot came to light, and Tokimasa and his wife Lady Maki were confined at Hōjō in Izu (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. The Hōryaku Kanki has been consulted together). Hōjō Yoshitoki and the others then consulted and had the officers and men in Kyoto strike Tomomasa. At that moment Tomomasa was playing go at the palace of the Retired Emperor Go-Toba; when his attendant came to give urgent word, Tomomasa showed no sign of haste, sat straight again, and put the stones back in their box. Then he calmly addressed the Retired Emperor, saying: "A messenger from the Kantō has arrived and is about to put your servant to death. The matter is pressing, and your servant has no way to escape. I beg leave to withdraw." He then left the palace and went back to his own residence. Soon Gotō Motokiyo, Sasaki Hirotsuna, and others came with troops and surrounded it. Tomomasa was defeated and fled toward Matsuzaka, but lost his life on the way (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. According to the Meigetsuki, Tomomasa was at that time in the night-watch quarters looking at pictures with other warriors of the Northern Guard; an attendant came and whispered to him in secret and left, and Tomomasa sat straight again as before. It is not known which account is correct).

Takeda Nobuyoshi

¶Takeda Nobuyoshi was a great-grandson of Minamoto-no-Yoshimitsu, Gyōbu-no-shō, Junior Assistant Minister of Justice. Yoshimitsu's son Yoshikiyo styled himself Gyōbu Saburō and was also called Takeda Kanja (Note: according to the Takeda Keizu, Yoshimitsu chose Yoshikiyo from among his sons to be his successor, and so gave him the armor and banner that his elder brother Yoshiie had used on his eastern campaign. This is the so-called Tatenashi. The Hōgen Monogatari lists eight famed suits of Minamoto armor as handed down in the main house through the generations, but Tatenashi is not counted among them. A variant text of the Heiji Monogatari also says that when Minamoto-no-Yoshitomo made his base at the Daidairi he wore the Tatenashi armor. The accounts of the three books do not agree with the genealogy, but they are added for reference). Yoshikiyo begot Kiyomitsu, who styled himself Takeda Genta. His complexion was extremely dark, so people called him Kuro Genta. Nobuyoshi was his eldest son, and his childhood name was Ryūkōmaru. When he was only thirteen, the elder of the clan, Tameyoshi, performed his capping and gave him his adult name Nobuyoshi, and he styled himself Tarō (Note: following the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy). In the fourth year of Jishō (1180), Minamoto-no-Yukiie carried Prince Mochihito's command to instruct the various Minamoto of the Kantō, and when he reached Kai he persuaded Nobuyoshi (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki). Nobuyoshi heard that Minamoto-no-Yoritomo had been defeated at Ishibashiyama and set out to aid him. At that time most of the forces on the Taira side were in Shinano. Nobuyoshi first went to Shinano and attacked Ōtagiri castle of a certain Suga Kanja. Suga Kanja, hearing only rumors, was afraid, and set fire to the place himself and took his own life; Nobuyoshi withdrew to Mount Hemi in Kai and encamped. Yoritomo sent Hōjō Tokimasa to bring word, proposing that they join strength and combine plans to strike the Taira together. Nobuyoshi led troops to Ishiraku, and Tsuchiya Munetō too received the message and brought the Takeda and the other Minamoto of Kai together at the Kise River. Nobuyoshi advanced into Suruga together with Yasuda Yoshisada, Hemi Mitsunaga, and others, captured the deputy governor Tachibana Tōmochi, killed a certain Osada and his son, and at last joined Yoritomo at the Kise River with twenty thousand troops (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). At that time Taira-no-Koremori led troops and drew up his lines at Takahashi, and Nobuyoshi sent him a letter to provoke him and enrage him (Note: following the Gyokukai. The Genpei Jōsuiki attributes this to Yasuda Yoshisada). Soon Koremori, Tadanori, and the others advanced to the west of the Fuji River, and in the middle of the night Nobuyoshi secretly slipped out by a side road and struck the rear of the enemy camp. The enemy troops, startled by the sound of waterfowl taking wing, supposed that a great host of the other side had arrived, fell into confusion and alarm, and fled back to Kyoto. Yoritomo ordered Nobuyoshi to guard Suruga. After a while a rumor spread in Kyoto that "the Retired Emperor has issued an edict commanding Nobuyoshi to strike Yoritomo." Nobuyoshi was then in Suruga, and Yoritomo summoned him and questioned him. Nobuyoshi explained: "I have never received any edict. Even had there been an edict, would I obey it? That last year, going into battle, I braved danger and trod on the ground of death, you yourself know well. My descendants will never harbor any disloyal intention." So saying, he presented a written oath to make it clear. Yoritomo's mind was thereby set at ease (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Soon afterwards he followed Noriyori in striking the Taira (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki). Later he was kept at a distance because of the affair of his son Tadayori. In the second year of Bunji (1186) he died, at the age of fifty-nine (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶His sons were Ariyoshi, Tadayori, Kanenobu, and Nobumitsu. Ariyoshi became Saehyōe-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Left Gate Guards of the Military Guards (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku. According to the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy, Ariyoshi was the fourth son and styled himself Yoshida Shirō. It also says that Nobuyoshi's eldest son Tadayoshi styled himself Yonekura Yatarō, but the printed edition of the Sonpi Bunmyaku also says that Ariyoshi styled himself Takeda Shirō; neither agrees with the present work). When Yoritomo once visited the Tsurugaoka shrine, he ordered Ariyoshi to carry his sword, but Ariyoshi showed reluctance. Yoritomo said in anger: "Did you not formerly carry the sword for the Komatsu Naifu (Taira-no-Shigemori)? Was that not a disgrace to the Minamoto? I stand to you as kin and as a superior, so what do you mean by refusing?" He had Oyama Tomomitsu take the duty in his place. Ariyoshi, abashed, went into hiding. In the first year of Shōji (1199), Kajiwara Kagetoki plotted to petition the court to set Ariyoshi up as shogun, and secretly communicated with Ariyoshi by letter, agreeing that they would go up to Kyoto together, summon the warriors of Chinzei, and raise troops. Ariyoshi consented. Nobumitsu heard of it and, fearing it, attacked Ariyoshi's house. Ariyoshi noticed and fled. Nobumitsu entered the house and searched it, obtained Kagetoki's letter, and presented it to Yoriie (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. The Hōryaku Kanki has been consulted together). Tadayori styled himself Ichijō Jirō and at first followed his father and often won distinction in battle (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). When they struck Yoshinaka, he advanced to the Awazu shore together with his younger brother Kanenobu. At that time Yoshinaka was in a bad position and was trying to flee. Tadayori and Kanenobu took the vanguard, urged their troops on, and fought fiercely. Yoshinaka was at last defeated and killed (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki. The Heike Monogatari has been consulted together). Afterwards, relying on his merit, he became arrogant, and Yoritomo hated him. One day he summoned Tadayori into the shogunal headquarters, prepared wine and food on a grand scale, and ordered Kudō Suketsune to "pretend to offer the wine vessel and cut him down." Suketsune, fearing his ferocity, changed color. Oyamada Arishige rose from his seat and said: "This is a task for an old man." He took the wine vessel himself. Arishige's two sons Inage Shigenari and Hangaya Shigetomo carried the cups and the side dishes before Tadayori. Arishige looked back at his two sons and said: "In general, one who serves a meal ties up the hems of his hakama; that is the proper form." Tying up means gathering the hakama up to the knees and binding it. The two followed his words. Amano Tōkage had separately received Yoritomo's order, and stepped straight forward and cut Tadayori down. Tadayori's retainers Shinpeita, Mutō Yoichi, Yamamura Kotarō, and others brandished their swords and pressed straight toward the upper seat, and fought desperately with the warriors of the headquarters. Shigenari, Shigetomo, Tōkage, Yūki Tomomitsu, and others struck them down (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Kanenobu styled himself Itagaki Saburō and belonged to Minamoto-no-Noriyori, winning distinction in the western campaign (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki and the Heike Monogatari). Later he was granted the posts of jitō in several places. Within his domain there was a land belonging to the kitchen of the Grand Empress Dowager's household. In carrying out his duties Kanenobu acted unlawfully and was therefore exiled to Oki (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. The Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy has been consulted together). His descendants have lived in Kai for generations (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

Takeda Nobumitsu

¶Takeda Nobumitsu's childhood name was Kōjumaru, and because he was born at Isawa in Kai province he styled himself Isawa Gorō (Note: following the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy. The Azuma Kagami writes Isawa with different characters, but the reading is the same). When Minamoto-no-Yoritomo raised his standard, he followed his father to Suruga. When he reached Hatta, he met Tachibana Tōmochi and others leading troops to attack Kai. The mountain road was narrow and steep and the thing happened unexpectedly, so advance and retreat were very difficult. Nobumitsu led Katō Kagekado and others and fought in the very front, and in the end broke them. He took Tōmochi captive and killed a certain Osada and his son (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). In the third year of Juei (1184) he belonged to Minamoto-no-Noriyori and struck Yoshinaka (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki), and afterwards attacked the Taira at Ichi-no-Tani (Note: following the Yasaka-bon Heike Monogatari). Nobumitsu was singularly favored by Yoritomo and always served at his side. His three elder brothers all lost their lands because of offenses, and only Nobumitsu succeeded to the main line of the Takeda (Note: following the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy) and became jitō of Kataue in Suruga. When Yoriie became shogun, the monk Zenjō rebelled and fled to Suruga. Nobumitsu captured him and sent him to Kamakura. In the Kenpō era (1213-1219), when Wada Yoshimori raised a rebellion, Nobumitsu fought him and won distinction, and for this had his holdings increased. In the Jōkyū disturbance he led fifty thousand troops together with the other commanders and attacked Kyoto by the Tōsandō. As they were about to set out, his retainers all remonstrated, saying: "Today falls precisely on an inauspicious day of ten deaths and one life. We beg you to postpone your departure." Nobumitsu did not heed them and said: "'Ten deaths and one life' means that many die and few return. To forget one's house on going into battle is the habit of a warrior. Why must it be shunned?" And he rallied his men and set out. When he reached Ichihara, the Retired Emperor sent envoys three times to urge Nobumitsu and Ogasawara Nagakiyo to submit. Nobumitsu consulted Nagakiyo, cut down two of the envoys, and released one, saying: "Go back and report this." Soon the imperial army was guarding the Owari River. Nobumitsu called his son Nobumasa and said: "On the field of battle even father and son have no leisure to look after one another, still less kinsmen. Cross secretly at Ōido and win the first merit. Do not tell the others of the clan." Nobumasa first had men skilled at swimming sound the depth of the river, and had them set markers where the crossing should be made, and then led his troops forward. The imperial army shot arrows like rain and brought down several men in succession. Nobumasa did not flinch, but crossed the river and fought fiercely. Nobumitsu watched this from afar, admired his courage, and shouted encouragement. Nobumasa pressed on all the more, and together with his elder brother Nobutada and his younger brothers Nobunaga, Nobutaka, and others, landed and broke the imperial army. When the camp at Ōido had already collapsed, the eastern forces came swarming up, and the imperial army, unable to hold, fled back to Kyoto. Nobumitsu and the others advanced and attacked Kugose together with Adachi Kagemori, and at last took Kyoto (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Jōkyūki). For this service he was appointed shugo, Protector, of Aki (Note: following the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy in the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Nobumitsu shaved his head and changed his name to Kōren, and was known in the world as Izu Nyūdō (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). He trained in the arts of the bow and horse and was versed in the forms of kasagake, inuoumono, and yabusame; the world called Nobumitsu, Ogasawara Nagakiyo, Unno Yukiuji, and Mochizuki Shigetaka together the Four Heavenly Kings of Archery and Horsemanship (Note: following the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy). Later he disputed a boundary of land with Yukiuji without settlement and appealed to Kamakura, and the judgment was that Nobumitsu was in the wrong. At that time a rumor arose that "Nobumitsu is secretly plotting to remove Hōjō Yasutoki." Nobumitsu was afraid and submitted a written oath that he had no disloyal intention (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). In the second year of Hōji (1248) he died, at the age of eighty-seven. Nobumitsu had once taught archery to Hōjō Tokiyori, and their relations were very close. For this reason Tokiyori built a temple in the Ichikawa estate in Kai (Note: following the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy).

¶His sons were Tomonobu, Nobutada, Nobumasa, Nobunaga, and Nobutaka. Tomonobu styled himself Tarō and was skilled with the bow. Nobutada was called Aku Saburō in the world (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). At the time of Yoshimori's rebellion he galloped to the shogunal headquarters with his father. When Nobumitsu met Asahina Yoshihide on Wakamiya Ōji and they were about to grapple, Nobutada stepped forward and confronted him. Yoshihide, struck by his filial devotion and courage, let go and went away. Later Nobutada went against his father's wishes, and Nobumitsu in anger appealed to the shogunal headquarters, seeking to sever the bond of father and son. Yasutoki interceded, but Nobumitsu would not listen. One day, while Nobumitsu was in attendance before Yasutoki, Nobutada sent a messenger to appeal, saying: "Nobutada has never been remiss in filial duty. Why have I now incurred blame? At the time of the Kenpō and Jōkyū campaigns, I trod the ground of death in my father's place, as you yourself know well. Even if my father is unkind and seeks to punish me, why will you not intercede for me in the least?" Yasutoki pleaded earnestly, but Nobumitsu in the end would not listen, and looking at Nobutada, said: "What you say is not false, and I have not forgotten it. But your conduct runs against reason. Now I cut off affection in the name of righteousness; reflect on yourself." Nobutada left in tears (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Nobumasa styled himself Kogorō and, as the child of a daughter of Minamoto-no-Yoshihira, was favored by Yoritomo. Nobumitsu too loved him and made him his heir. He rose to Senior Fourth Rank Lower, Gyōbu-no-tayū, Senior Assistant Minister of Justice, and Daizen-no-daibu, Master of the Palace Table Office (Note: following the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy). Nobunaga styled himself Ichijō Rokurō and was skilled in archery and horsemanship, and his descendants transmitted his methods (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

Ogasawara Nagakiyo

¶Ogasawara Nagakiyo was a great-great-grandson of Minamoto-no-Yoshimitsu, Gyōbu-no-shō, Junior Assistant Minister of Justice, and the second son of Tōmitsu, Shinano-no-kami, Governor of Shinano (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). He was born at Ogasawara in Kai province (Note: following the Yoshimitsu-ryū genealogy. The genealogy also says that Tōmitsu took a daughter of Wada Yoshimori as his wife and begot Nagakiyo. But according to the Azuma Kagami, Nagakiyo was attached to the Taira and was in Kyoto, and on hearing the news of Yoritomo's rising returned to Kai and met Yoritomo at the Kise River. Now, counting from the first year of Kenpō (1213), when Yoshimori died at sixty-seven, Yoshimori would have been thirty-four in the fourth year of Jishō (1180). The career and age of Nagakiyo, his maternal grandson, cannot possibly agree with this. Moreover, according to the genealogy Nagakiyo died in the third year of Ninji (1242) at the age of eighty-one, which would make him fourteen years younger than Yoshimori, and the error is all the more plain. For this reason that account is not adopted here). He styled himself Kagami Jirō and became Sakyō-no-daibu, Master of the Eastern Capital Office, and Governor of Sagami and of Shinano (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). When Yoritomo raised his standard, all the Minamoto of Kai gathered at the Kise River in Suruga. Before this, Nagakiyo, together with his elder brother Akiyama Mitsutomo, had been in Kyoto attached to Taira-no-Tomomori, and had asked leave to go home on the ground of his mother's illness, but was refused. He petitioned again through Takahashi Moritsuna and was at last permitted, and was further told: "Now that warfare is frequent, return quickly." Nagakiyo reached Kai and at length had an audience with Yoritomo at the Kise River. Soon Yoritomo ordered his younger brother Noriyori to strike Minamoto-no-Yoshinaka, and Nagakiyo took the field with his father and won distinction (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki). He followed in the end in attacking the Taira. While they were in the western seas, Yoritomo sent Noriyori a letter ordering him to treat him generously. Later he struck Fujiwara-no-Yasuhira in Mutsu (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). In the Jōkyū disturbance he led troops together with Takeda Nobumitsu and others by the Tōsandō and broke the imperial army (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Jōkyūki). For this service he became shugo, Protector, of Awa (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). In the third year of Ninji (1242) he died, at the age of eighty-one. Nagakiyo was versed in mounted archery, and it was handed down as a model to later generations (Note: following the Ogasawara Keizu). His sons were Nagatsune, Tokinaga, and Yukinaga. Nagatsune styled himself Yatarō, was closely favored and valued by Yoriie, and always served at his side. He was also on close terms with Hiki Yoshikazu. When Yoshikazu was defeated, he was implicated and confined (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). His son Nagafusa became protector of Awa, and his descendants are in Awa. Nagatada became Shinano-no-kami, Governor of Shinano, and his descendants are in Shinano. Tokinaga styled himself Banno Rokurō. His son Tokinao and grandson Nagayasu both became Dewa-no-kami, Governor of Dewa. Nagayasu was killed together with his younger brother Yasunao, implicated in the affair of Adachi Yasumori. Yukinaga styled himself Ōi Jūrō, and his son Yasutsuna became shugodai, Deputy Protector, of Mino (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

Satake Hideyoshi

¶Satake Hideyoshi was a great-great-grandson of Minamoto-no-Yoshimitsu, Gyōbu-no-shō, Junior Assistant Minister of Justice. Yoshimitsu once served as Hitachi-no-suke, Assistant Governor of Hitachi, and his son Yoshinari took as his wife a daughter of Taira-no-Kiyomoto, a powerful local family of Hitachi (Note: the clan name of Kiyomoto follows the Satake Keizu), and begot Masayoshi. Masayoshi first made his residence in the village of Satake, and his descendants therefore took Satake as their clan name. Masayoshi begot Takayoshi, and Hideyoshi was Takayoshi's eldest son (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku. His residence at Satake follows the genealogy). When Yoritomo raised his standard, Takayoshi was attached to the Taira and was in Kyoto, and Hideyoshi and his uncle Yoshimasa (Note: that he was an uncle follows the Sonpi Bunmyaku. On looking at the Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Satake Keizu, Yoshimasa (Masayoshi) had a son Tadayoshi but no Yoshimasa; as the year and month of Tadayoshi's killing agree with the present account, they were probably one and the same man who changed his name) each held great military strength, and their power extended beyond the borders of the province. When Yoritomo was about to pursue the Taira with Taira-no-Koremori, Chiba Tsunetane, Miura Yoshizumi, and others, there were those who feared that Yoshimasa would become a seed of calamity and urged Yoritomo to remove him. Yoritomo led troops to Hitachi, and Tsunetane and Yoshizumi plotted with Doi Sanehira and others and had Taira-no-Hirotsune persuade Yoshimasa. Yoshimasa complied. Hideyoshi, because his father was attached to the Taira, was unwilling to submit to Yoritomo, and withdrew and shut himself up on Mount Kanasa. Yoritomo used Hirotsune to lure Yoshimasa out and killed him at Ōya Bridge. He then had Shimokōbe Yukihira, Wada Yoshimori, and Sanehira, with several thousand troops, attack Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi built strongholds on the strategic ground, strengthened his ramparts, and defended them. The Kamakura troops vied in attacking but could not take it. Sanehira sent a man to report to Yoritomo: "The castle of Kanasa is steep in terrain, and its troops too are picked men. It is hard to take by force, and it would be well to break it by stratagem." Yoritomo thereupon used Hirotsune's plan and lured Hideyoshi's uncle Kurōdo Yoshihiro with the promise of gain (Note: the name Yoshihiro follows the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Yoshihiro secretly guided Hirotsune's troops behind the castle and had them shout "Attack!" at the top of their voices, and the sound resounded through the mountains and valleys. Hideyoshi, thrown into confusion, could not defend, and at last fled and shut himself up at Hanazono. Yoritomo divided the Oku seven districts that Hideyoshi had held, together with Ōta, Kasuda, and other places, and gave all of them as rewards to his officers and men, and summoned and received in audience a dozen or so of Yoshimasa's men whom Hirotsune and Yoshimori had captured. Only a man named Iwase Daitarō wept without ceasing. Yoritomo wondered at this and asked the reason, and Iwase said: "I think of my lord's undeserved calamity, and cannot bear the pain of it." Yoritomo said: "If you think of your lord, why do you not die in his cause?" Iwase said: "When the General put my lord to death, we his retainers could not follow him. That I have borne the shame of staying alive until today is because I hoped one day to see the General and to say something to him. The General's proper task is to strike the Taira; to put his own kin to death is surely not a good policy. If the General truly wishes to destroy his enemies, he should join strength with the brave men of the realm. Yet if instead he puts his kin to death, with whom will the General destroy his enemies? And whom will he have guard his descendants? The warriors who now submit to the General merely fear his power; they do not submit from the heart. I fear that this will bring reproach from later ages. I beg the General to consider it with the greatest care." Yoritomo fell silent. Hirotsune feared that Iwase harbored disloyal intentions and asked that he be put to death, but Yoritomo forgave him and did not blame him. Hideyoshi was thereby able to escape punishment. When Yoritomo struck Fujiwara-no-Yasuhira, Hideyoshi led troops and joined him at Utsunomiya. Yoritomo, seeing that the white banner he raised was no different from his own, gave him a fan with a moon painted on it, to serve as his banner mark (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Once, when the court summoned Yoritomo to come to court, Yoritomo, fearing that Takayoshi would follow behind him and strike, declined and did not go to the audience. So great was the military strength of that clan that Yoritomo feared and held back before it (Note: following the Gyokukai). Hideyoshi died in the first year of Karoku (1225), at the age of seventy-five (Note: following the Satake Keizu). His son Shigeyoshi was born and became Hitachi-no-suke, Assistant Governor of Hitachi. Shigeyoshi's great-great-grandson Sadayoshi attached himself to Ashikaga Takauji and was appointed Kazusa-no-suke, Assistant Governor of Kazusa, and Tōtōmi-no-gon-no-kami, Provisional Governor of Tōtōmi (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku. His attachment to Takauji follows the Taiheiki).