Biographies CXIX: The Shogunal Retainers, Part II

Hōjō Tokimasa

¶Hōjō Tokimasa bore the clan name Taira and was styled Shirō. He came from Hōjō in the province of Izu. His line descended from Taira-no-Sadamori, Chinjufu-shōgun, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacification Headquarters. Sadamori's son Koremasa begot Koretoki, Koretoki begot Naokata, and Naokata begot Korekata. For four generations from Koremasa, they held in turn the offices of Governor (kami) and Assistant Governor (suke) (Note: following the Hōjō genealogy and the printed edition of the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Korekata begot the monk Shōhan, and Shōhan begot Tokikata (Note: following the Hōjō genealogy and one version in the printed Sonpi Bunmyaku), who became Assistant Governor of Izu (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku), but was adopted by his great-grandfather Naokata (Note: following the Hōjō genealogy). Tokikata begot Tokiie, who was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower. He was Tokimasa's father (Note: following the Hōjō genealogy and the printed Sonpi Bunmyaku; the rank of Junior Fifth Rank Lower rests on the genealogy. The Teiō Hennenki makes Tokikata the father of Tokimasa, but this is an error). In character Tokimasa was mild and dignified in appearance, but inwardly he concealed deep schemes, and he was skilled at winning men's hearts by artifice (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Masukagami). When Minamoto-no-Yoritomo was exiled to Izu, Tokimasa and Itō Sukechika kept watch over him together (Note: following the variant text of the Heiji Monogatari and the Soga Monogatari). Yoritomo at first took shelter in Sukechika's house, but afterwards escaped and went to Tokimasa (Note: following the Genpei Seisuiki and the Soga Monogatari). Tokimasa's daughter Masako formed a bond with Yoritomo. Tokimasa pretended not to know of it, and instead treated Yoritomo ever more generously (Note: following the Azuma Kagami, the Genpei Seisuiki, and the Soga Monogatari).

¶In the fourth year of Jishō (1180), Minamoto-no-Yorimasa urged Prince Mochihito to send out an edict calling on Yoritomo and the Minamoto of the various provinces to destroy the Taira. Yoritomo summoned Tokimasa and consulted him on strategy (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Genpei Seisuiki). Tokimasa said: "Among the warriors of the eight provinces of Bandō there is not one who has not received favor from the Minamoto. That they are subordinate to the Taira is only because they wished to escape death. Now Taira-no-Hirotsune has been slandered to Fujiwara-no-Tadakiyo, and the Taira are about to summon him and call him to account. If you lure him with soft words, Hirotsune will surely come at once. Chiba Tsunetane and Miura Yoshiaki have strong clans and many soldiers; they are steadfast in good faith, and they will not turn their backs on old favors and become rebels defying the court's command. If these three can be won over, then the warriors of the eight provinces of Bandō, even if they wished to rebel, would be too few and weak to stand alone among you. Once the east has submitted, the northern and western regions will follow. Ōba Kagechika has submitted to the Taira, and his power is steadily growing. Hatakeyama Shigeyoshi and Oyamada Arishige are in the capital in the Taira service, but Shigeyoshi's son Shigetada and Arishige's son Shigenari will surely not come over to the Taira, and in strength of arms neither is inferior to Kagechika. Now that you are raising troops, you should first crush this man." Yoritomo took his words deeply to heart (Note: following the Genpei Seisuiki). Before long Yorimasa was defeated and killed, and Taira-no-Kiyomori sought to annihilate the whole Minamoto line and so cut off future trouble. Yoritomo feared falling victim, and planned to raise his standard before the matter was discovered; he decided first to strike the deputy governor, Taira-no-Kanetaka. Kanetaka had built his residence at Yamaki and relied on the rugged terrain. Yoritomo sent men to examine in secret the strongholds of the mountains and rivers, and summoned Tokimasa to show the troops the roads. He dispatched Sasaki Sadatsuna and his companions with eighty-five riders, with Tokimasa as commander, to attack Kanetaka by night (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Genpei Seisuiki).

¶There were two roads from Hōjō to Yamaki. It happened to be the festival of the Mishima Shrine. Tokimasa, reaching the great Ushikuwa road, found the traffic unbroken and feared that they would attract notice, and so wished to take the road by Hirugashima. Yoritomo would not hear of it, saying: "At the very start of the undertaking, why should we use a byway? Hirugashima is narrow and inconvenient for horses. Go straight by the main road." (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). After Tokimasa had already set out, Yoritomo called him back and asked: "I mean to stake success or failure on this one stroke. How will you let me know how things go today?" Tokimasa replied: "If we win, we shall set fire and send up smoke; if we are defeated, I shall send a messenger at a gallop to tell you. I beg you to decide quickly." Thereupon Yoritomo detached Sadatsuna and his men to attack separately Tsutsumi Nobutō, Kanetaka's valiant captain, while Tokimasa himself led his sons Munetoki, Yoshitoki and others to attack Kanetaka. Kanetaka resisted with all his strength, and Tokimasa fell back a little. Yoritomo had a man climb a tree to look for smoke, but for a long time none was seen. He therefore sent Sasaki Moritsuna, Katō Kagekado, and Hori Chikaie to aid Tokimasa, and in the end they prevailed and cut Kanetaka down. Tokimasa then followed Yoritomo and fought Ōba Kagechika at Ishibashiyama, where their army was defeated. Yoritomo fled to Doi-yama, and Kagechika pursued him and all but overtook him. Tokimasa and his son turned back and fought, but their strength gave out and they could not follow Yoritomo. Only after nightfall were they at last able to rejoin him (Note: consulting the Azuma Kagami and the Genpei Seisuiki). Yoritomo hid on Mount Hakone to escape the danger posed by the monk Ryōsen, and meant to go on to Doi. He sent Tokimasa by a secret road to Kai, to the Takeda clan. Tokimasa, having come part of the way, reasoned: "After a rout, with no fixed destination, if I do not tell them where the commander is, the Takeda will be suspicious and will not respond." So he went back to Doi, set out by sea from Iwaura toward Awa, and met Miura Yoshizumi and others at sea. Yoritomo arrived soon after. Tokimasa then went again to Kai, obtained twenty thousand picked troops from Takeda Nobuyoshi and others, and joined Yoritomo's forces at the Kise River in Suruga (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶When Yoritomo entered Kamakura and brought Masako from Izu, Tokimasa, being her father, came to be held in still greater regard. Yoritomo had a favored lady, whom he lodged in the house of Fushimi-no-Kanja Hirotsuna (Note: his surname is not handed down) and visited in secret. Tokimasa's wife, of the Maki clan, reported this to Masako. Masako, jealous by nature, at once ordered Munechika, the father of Lady Maki, to drive Hirotsuna out, and had the house pulled down to shame him. Hirotsuna fled with the lady and hid in the house of Ōtawa Yoshihisa, and laid the whole matter before Yoritomo. Yoritomo went to Yoshihisa's house on the pretext of an outing, summoned Munechika, rebuked him to his face, and with his own hand cut off Munechika's topknot. Tokimasa was ashamed, and without informing Yoritomo went home to Hōjō. Yoritomo was angry at Tokimasa's arbitrary departure, but after a time they were reconciled (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶In the first year of Bunji (1185), Yoritomo, intending to attack Yoshitsune, led an army himself as far as the Kise River. Yoshitsune fled. Yoritomo therefore had Tokimasa lead a thousand soldiers (Note: the number of troops follows the Gyokuyō) to guard the capital and search for Yoshitsune, but he could not be taken (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Yoritomo then, on the pretext of suppressing wrongdoers, had Tokimasa petition the court, asking that "protectors (shugo) be established in the provincial governments and stewards (jitō) in the estates, so that wrongdoers may be arrested wherever they are." The court's deliberations found the request difficult (Note: following the Azuma Kagami, the Gyokuyō, and the Hōryaku Kanki). Tokimasa argued and debated repeatedly, and at last obtained permission as requested (Note: following the Genpei Seisuiki). He took charge of the office of steward in seven provinces, but soon resigned it. Previously, provincial governors and estate proprietors had privately appointed many kinsmen and retainers of the Taira as stewards. Tokimasa examined their registers and submitted them to the court, and Yoritomo, on this basis, divided among his retainers who had won military merit the posts of protector and steward (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). The decline of the court's authority truly began from this (Note: following the Jinnō Shōtōki and the Masukagami). At this time the orphans of the Taira lived hidden among the common people, the remnants of their followers lay concealed in mountains and fields, and many courtiers, gentry, and commoners were close to Yoshitsune (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Genpei Seisuiki). Moreover, in the aftermath of the wars, bandits ran rampant. Tokimasa remained in the capital for more than a year, and the business of government was extremely heavy, but he dealt with it quickly and without hindrance; his measures all fitted Yoritomo's intentions, the capital remained at peace, and his ability became the talk of the town. When he was about to return, the Lord of Kamakura (Yoritomo) was reluctant to part with him and ordered him to recommend his successor himself. Tokimasa, understanding Yoritomo's wishes, recommended his cousin Tokisada, who guarded the capital and likewise won great renown (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶When Yoritomo died, Yoriie succeeded to his position. Tokimasa was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, and was appointed Governor of Tōtōmi (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Shōgun Shikken Shidai); as Chief of the Administrative Office (Mandokoro Bettō) he directed military affairs. Yoriie was dissolute and given to pleasure without restraint, and all knew that he lacked the capacity to carry on his family's undertaking. Tokimasa made no effort to admonish him and only kept silent to protect himself. When Yoriie fell gravely ill, Masako divided the posts of protector of the Kantō and the Kansai and gave them to Yoriie's son Ichiman and to his younger brother Senman respectively. Hiki Yoshikazu, Ichiman's maternal grandfather, plotted to destroy the Hōjō, but the matter leaked out. Tokimasa had just returned to his residence at Nagoe to hold a Buddhist service, and Masako sent a man to inform him of the emergency. Tokimasa drew in his horse's reins and pondered, then went directly to Ōe-no-Hiromoto to take counsel, saying: "In recent years Yoshikazu has trampled on others, relying on his power, as all the world knows. Now, taking advantage of the shogun's illness, he means to raise an insurrection under a false command. I wish to put him to death before the plot comes to light. What do you think?" Hiromoto replied: "Whether to kill him is for you to decide." Tokimasa's mind was made up. Reaching the front of the Egara Shrine, he said to Amano Tōkage and Nitta Tadatsune: "Yoshikazu harbors disloyal intentions. We shall put him to death today, and I need the two of you to act." Tōkage said: "What can that old fellow do? If we summon him and kill him, one man's strength will be enough." They then called Hiromoto in again to consult, and secretly settled the plan. Tokimasa himself put on armor to be ready, stationed two skilled archers inside a small gate, and had Tōkage and Tadatsune lie in wait at the southwest doorway. When preparations were complete, he invited Yoshikazu on the pretext of the Buddhist service. When Yoshikazu came, Tōkage and Tadatsune seized and killed him. Yoshikazu's son Munekazu took Ichiman and shut himself up in the Ko-gosho. Tokimasa sent his son Yoshitoki to lead the generals and attack them; the whole clan was wiped out, and Ichiman was killed with them. All who were related to Yoshikazu by marriage or friendship were punished. When Yoriie recovered somewhat and heard of this, he ordered Wada Yoshimori and Tadatsune to put Tokimasa to death. Yoshimori secretly revealed the plan to Tokimasa. Tokimasa consulted Masako, confined Yoriie in the Shuzenji temple in Izu, and brought Senman into his own house and set him up as successor. This was Sanetomo (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). The following year Yoriie was murdered in Izu (Note: following the Hōryaku Kanki).

¶At the time of this upheaval, everyone was filled with alarm, but Tokimasa addressed and reassured the officers and men, and men's hearts settled as before. Thus Tokimasa's authority and power had no rival in the realm, and the other generals no longer dared to treat him as an equal (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Tokimasa's children had different mothers; Lady Maki was the last wife he had taken, and was treacherous and arrogant. Tokimasa doted on her and feared her, and accepted everything she said. Hiraga Tomomasa and Hatakeyama Shigetada were both sons-in-law of Tokimasa, but Shigetada's wife was not a child of Lady Maki (Note: following the Hōryaku Kanki). Shigetada's son Shigeyasu quarreled with Tomomasa, and Tomomasa slandered him to Lady Maki. Lady Maki seized the occasion to cast suspicion of rebellion on Shigetada and his son and demanded that they be killed. Tokimasa sent soldiers who killed Shigeyasu, and then sent generals who killed Shigetada at the Futamata River. People thought they had been wrongly condemned (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Lady Maki, since Tomomasa was also a branch of the Minamoto, pressed Tokimasa to kill Sanetomo and set up Tomomasa, and secretly gathered soldiers. Masako had Miura Yoshimura, Yūki Tomomitsu and others bring Sanetomo out and move him to Yoshitoki's house. By Yoshimura's stratagem, soldiers were led out under a false command of Sanetomo, in the form of an attack to kill Tokimasa; Tokimasa was forced to shave his head, and was banished to Hōjō together with Lady Maki (Note: following the Azuma Kagami; the Gukanshō was also consulted. According to the Hōryaku Kanki, however, Lady Maki conspired with Tokimasa to invite Sanetomo into a private chamber and murder him in the bath; when the plot leaked, Masako called Yoshitoki and told him of the emergency, and Yoshitoki himself hurried to Tokimasa's house and carried Sanetomo home in his arms. Sanetomo remained doubtful and uneasy in his heart, so Yoshitoki told him the whole truth of the affair and was ordered to put Tokimasa to death at once, but Yoshitoki outwardly gave out that he had killed him, and confined him in Izu together with Lady Maki. This differs somewhat from the main text). In the third year of Kenpō (1215), Tokimasa developed a swelling and died, at the age of seventy-eight (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Hōjō genealogy). His Buddhist name was Myōsei (Note: following the Hōjō genealogy). He was known as Jōfukuji (Note: following the Shōgun Shikken Shidai and the Kamakura Shōgun Keizu Bassui. The Hōjō genealogy says he was known as Ganjōjuin. According to the Azuma Kagami, when Yoritomo attacked Fujiwara-no-Yasuhira, Tokimasa built a Buddhist hall at Hōjō in Izu, named it Ganjōjuin, and prayed there for Yoritomo's victory. After the pacification of Ōshū, when ground was dug to build a villa for Yoritomo beside that shrine, an old plaque was unearthed on which was written "Ganjōjuin." Tokimasa repaired it and made it the plaque of the shrine. By this account Ganjōjuin was established for Yoritomo and was not Tokimasa's own residence, so it is not adopted here. Furthermore, according to the Taiheiki, Tokimasa once visited the shrine of the goddess Benzaiten at Enoshima and prayed for the prosperity of his descendants for a term of seven days. On the night of the completion of the vow, a woman of beautiful appearance appeared and told Tokimasa: "In your former life you were a monk on Mount Hakone. You copied the Lotus Sutra in thirty-six copies and deposited them at sacred sites in the sixty-six provinces. By this merit you have been born again in this world, and your descendants will hold the real power of the country for generation after generation. But if their conduct departs from the Way, they will not last seven generations." When she had finished speaking she changed into a dragon and entered the sea, leaving behind three great scales. Tokimasa adopted these as his banner device, and ever since, his descendants have handed down the form of three scales as the family crest. This tale is fanciful, but it is appended here).

¶He had sons Munetoki, Yoshitoki, Tokifusa, and Masanori. Munetoki followed Yoritomo and was killed in battle at Ishibashiyama (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Hōjō genealogy). Yoshitoki and Tokifusa each have separate biographies. Masanori was a son of Lady Maki and was dearly loved (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). He was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, and became Assistant Master of the Left Stables (Sama-no-gon-no-suke), but died young (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Hōjō genealogy). He had eleven daughters, of whom the eldest was Masako. After Yoritomo's death, Masako moved the court and the provinces at will, and even deposed and set up shoguns. That the Hōjō monopolized power truly began from this. Details are given in the Biographies of Women (Note: from the words "monopolized" on, the general sense of various books has been taken). The other daughters all married courtiers and generals. The prosperity of the family had no equal (Note: following the Hōjō genealogy).

Oyama Tomomasa

¶Oyama Tomomasa was styled Koshirō. He was a man of Shimotsuke province and a descendant of Fujiwara-no-Hidesato. Hidesato was made Governor of Shimotsuke for his merit in defeating Taira-no-Masakado (Note: consulting the Azuma Kagami and the Sonpi Bunmyaku). His great-grandfather Yukitaka became Assistant Governor of Shimotsuke and begot Yukimasa. Yukimasa begot Masamitsu, who was styled Oyama Shirō and became Senior Secretary (Daijō) of Shimotsuke. Masamitsu begot Tomomasa (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Tomomasa was of the same clan as Ashikaga Tadatsuna, but both were local magnates who vied with each other for power. When Prince Mochihito sent out his edict to destroy the Taira, Tomomasa wished to respond to it and told Tadatsuna, but Tadatsuna would not listen. Shida Yoshihiro planned to attack Yoritomo and entered Shimotsuke with an army, enticing Tomomasa and Tadatsuna; Tadatsuna agreed, but Tomomasa resolved instead to strike Yoshihiro. At that time his father Masamitsu was on guard duty in Kyoto, and the force left to hold the home territory was thin, so Tomomasa at first feigned to accept Yoshihiro's overtures. When Yoshihiro came and they conferred on strategy, Tomomasa secretly led his troops out to the Nogi Shrine and drew them up there, setting an ambush in the thick woods and waiting. When Yoshihiro passed in front of the shrine, the ambushers rose, climbed into the trees, and shouted aloud; the sound shook the valleys, and Yoshihiro could not judge how many there were. Yoshihiro's army fell into great confusion, and Tomomasa seized the moment to attack with fury and inflicted heavy casualties. Yoshihiro loosed an arrow that struck Tomomasa, who fell from his horse and was nearly killed, but just then his younger brother Munemasa came with reinforcements from Kamakura and fought hard to rescue him. Yoshihiro withdrew to the southwest of the shrine and drew up his ranks, but Tomomasa and Munemasa joined forces and struck him. Just then a violent wind arose and clouds of dust blinded the eyes, so that Yoshihiro's men could not fight again and at last scattered. Shimokōbe Yukihira seized the ford at Kōya in Koga and cut off the retreat, and routed them further. Ashikaga Aritsuna and others also struck them at Kozutsumi on the plain of Kotesashi. Yoshihiro fled to Shinano, and Tomomasa then sent Munemasa to Kamakura to report the victory. After Yoritomo's rise, from the lands of those who had sided with Yoshihiro, Tomomasa was granted the stewardship of Murata-no-shimo-no-shō in Hitachi, and a special letter was bestowed on him in praise of his merit (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶In the third year of Juei (1184) he followed Minamoto-no-Noriyori and fought the Taira at Ichi-no-Tani, and then continued with the army as far as the western seas. Provisions ran short in the army, and many officers and men longed to return to the east. Only Tomomasa and Munemasa, together with Chiba Tsunetane and others, endured the hardships and attacked and fought with spirit. Yoritomo sent down letters in his own hand in praise of them. Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune recommended Tomomasa for Hyōe-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Middle Palace Guards. In the Bunji era (1185-1190) he took part in the campaign against Fujiwara-no-Yasuhira, and when Yasuhira fled, Tomomasa went in search of him as far as Monomigaoka, but Yasuhira had already gone. Tomomasa and his companions fought the troops Yasuhira had left behind and wiped them out. Earlier, when Yoritomo took the field, he had encamped at Kotabashi in Shimotsuke. Tomomitsu presented a horse, and a retainer stood beside him. When Masamitsu asked the man's name, Yoritomo answered: "This is the matchless warrior of our realm, Kumagai Naoie," and praised his feats in battle highly. Masamitsu laughed and said: "To give up one's own life in the service of one's lord is only what a warrior should do. What is so remarkable about him? He has no soldiers following him, so he fights alone, and that is why the world praises him. We of the house of Masamitsu always send out our followers to exert themselves. That is how we differ from him." And turning to Tomomasa and the others, he said: "On this campaign, you should fight alone, win merit, and gain a name as matchless warriors." Tomomasa and the others, hearing this, were roused and fought with all their strength, and their soldiers also did their utmost. On the day of the triumphal return, Masamitsu's retainers who had won merit were granted banners, bows, and arrows to honor their service. The following year he accompanied Yoritomo up to Kyoto, and when the officers and men of exceptional merit were selected for appointments, Tomomasa was made Uemon-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Right Gate Guards (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Soon after he became Saemon-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Left Gate Guards (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Oyama family genealogy) and Kebiishi, Police Commissioner (Note: following the Oyama family genealogy and the Sonpi Bunmyaku), and he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, and became Governor of Shimotsuke (Note: following the Azuma Kagami, the Oyama family genealogy, and the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

¶In the first year of Shōji (1199) he became protector of Harima. In the early years of Kennin (1201-) he served on guard duty in Kyoto. When the Retired Emperor made a progress, Tomomasa accompanied it. Just then Jō Nagamochi of Echigo plotted rebellion and surrounded Tomomasa's lodging with soldiers, but Tomomasa's retainers drove them off. Soon afterward he withdrew to Kamakura and lived there. When Hiki Yoshikazu plotted to destroy the Hōjō, Tomomasa, together with his two younger brothers and Hatakeyama Shigetada and others, struck him down and put the matter to rest. When someone slandered Utsunomiya Yoritsuna as plotting rebellion, Sanetomo specially ordered Tomomasa to lead troops to put him to death. Tomomasa said: "Yoritsuna and I are linked by marriage, but one ought to set aside private feelings and follow public duty. If Yoritsuna were to resist, I could not but exert myself fully. Yet to take this mission on myself alone is truly more than I can bear. I venture to decline." And he secretly sent a letter to Yoritsuna explaining the circumstances. Yoritsuna on this account offered an apology and was able to escape punishment. At the time of the Jōkyū disturbance (1221), Tomomasa remained in Kamakura as an elder retainer, took part in military councils, and directed the assignment of troops (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). In the first year of Ryakunin (1238) he died, at the age of eighty-four. He had shaved his head before this and his Buddhist name was Shōsai (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Oyama family genealogy. The tonsure is recorded in the Azuma Kagami. One version of the genealogy says that he died in the first year of Kangi (1229) at the age of forty-three, but this is an error). His son Tomonaga became Saemon-no-jō. In the Jōkyū disturbance he advanced along the Tōsandō together with Takeda Nobumitsu, fought the imperial army at Ōido in Owari with merit, and attacked on to Kyoto (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). His younger brothers were Munemasa and Tomomitsu.

Oyama Munemasa (Naganuma)

¶Naganuma Munemasa held the village of Naganuma in Shimotsuke, and from this took Naganuma as his clan name (Note: the Sonpi Bunmyaku writes the character "naga" as "naka"). He was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, and was made Governor of Awaji (Note: following the Yūki family genealogy and the Azuma Kagami Supplement). He followed Minamoto-no-Noriyori in attacking the Taira and won merit. In the early years of Kenpō (1213-), someone reported that "the monk Jūkei, a son of Hatakeyama Shigetada, is holed up on Mount Nikkō and plotting rebellion." Minamoto-no-Sanetomo sent Munemasa to seize him. Munemasa cut off his head and presented it. Sanetomo sent a man to rebuke Munemasa, saying: "Earlier Shigetada lost his life for a crime he did not commit. It was truly pitiable. Now, even if Jūkei had a plot of rebellion, he was only a single monk, and what could he have done? When I sent you, I had intended from the first to have him examined and then decide on the measures to be taken later. And yet you have cut him down on your own authority. Was this not far too rash?" Munemasa glared with angry eyes and said: "The traces of his rebellion were already clear and there was no room for doubt. Had I taken him alive and brought him, perhaps his ladies-in-waiting and the like would have pleaded for his life, and the shogun might have yielded to them and spared him. That is why I cut him down first and then presented him. Moreover, the late shogun (Yoritomo) once approved of my merit in battle and meant to give me some special reward, but I firmly declined his command and instead asked to be granted a hikime arrow, and begged that I might police the lawless in the fifteen provinces of the Tōkaidō. The shogun, who had always valued military preparedness, at last agreed to hear me. Today's action too is not without reason. I observe privately that the shogun's (Sanetomo's) conduct of late has been such that he does not study military affairs, but only indulges in waka poetry and kemari, favors women, and neglects his officers and men. All the lands that have been confiscated are given to his favorite ladies; the village of Hangaya Shigetomo has been given to the Lady of Gojō, and the village of Nakayama Shigemasa to the Lady of Shimōsa. How can this be called proper government?" His manner of speech was fiercely argumentative. Sanetomo was angry, and Munemasa remained in confinement at home for over a month, until his elder brother Tomomasa apologized on his behalf and he was at last pardoned (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). In the second year of Enō (1240) he died, at the age of seventy-nine (Note: following the Azuma Kagami Supplement). Munemasa had long boasted of his own valor and prided himself that there was no one in the clan who could equal him. When his younger brother Tomomitsu was slandered, his peers jointly signed a petition impeaching Kajiwara Kagetoki and pleading Tomomitsu's innocence, and although Munemasa joined them, he feared later calamity and refused to affix his seal to the signatures. The men of that time thought this very shameful (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

Oyama Tomomitsu (Yūki)

¶Yūki Tomomitsu was styled Oyama Shichirō (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Because he held the village of Yūki in Shimōsa, he was also called Yūki (Note: following the Yūki family genealogy). His mother was of the Hatta clan and had been Minamoto-no-Yoritomo's wet nurse (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Yūki family genealogy). When Yoritomo raised his army, she took the boy and presented herself at the Sumida post-station, and begged that he be allowed to serve close at hand. Yoritomo himself performed the coming-of-age ceremony, gave him the name Munetomo, and added him among his close retainers (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Later the name was changed to the present one, Tomomitsu (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Yūki family genealogy). At the time of Shida Yoshihiro's rising, Yoritomo made a pilgrimage to the Tsurugaoka shrine. When he had finished his worship and asked, "How will this matter turn out?", Tomomitsu, who stood beside him holding the sword, answered at once: "The enemy has already been destroyed by my elder brother." Yoritomo turned to him in delight and said: "You did not think this up yourself. The spirit of the god must have possessed you. If it is true, I will reward you richly." On that day, sure enough, word of Tomomasa's victory arrived. Yoritomo then divided the lands of those who had sided with Yoshihiro and gave a share to Tomomitsu. Tomomitsu was then fifteen years old. From this Yoritomo's favor to him grew still greater. As he grew up he became skilled at archery and horsemanship, and Yoritomo selected from among his intimate and trustworthy men those skilled in the martial arts to guard his sleeping quarters; Tomomitsu was chosen as one of them and always accompanied him when he went out. In the Bunji era, when he followed Yoritomo in attacking Fujiwara-no-Yasuhira, Yasuhira sent troops to guard Mount Atsukashi; Tomomitsu sought to attack first, and secretly came to the foot of the mountain, where together with Hatakeyama Shigetada and others he was the first to cross blades with the enemy. The main army pressed on in his wake, and the enemy soldiers fled. Advancing farther to attack their fortress, Tomomitsu and his comrades fought to the death. As the issue was not decided, Tomomitsu and Utsunomiya Tomotsuna chose seven brave men in advance, sent them secretly around behind the enemy under cover of night, and had them climb a high hill, raise a shout, and shoot arrows in rapid succession. The enemy, believing they were caught between two large armies, were thrown into confusion and collapsed in great disorder. Tomomitsu pursued and cut down their deputy commander, Kongō Hidetsuna. Yoritomo once summoned the Minamoto kinsmen, the generals of Chiba and Miura, Tomomasa, Tomomitsu and others, and himself holding his son Sanetomo in his arms, entrusted him to them, saying: "This child is one I love deeply. I want you all to join forces and help and support him." When Yoritomo died, Tomomitsu, deeply moved by this exceptional treatment, could not bear to serve the shogunate afresh, and wished to take the tonsure to pray for his lord's repose in the afterlife, but because Yoritomo had entrusted the future to him, he had been unable to do so. One day, in the midst of a gathering, he let slip a little of his feelings, and the words "A loyal retainer does not serve two lords" came out. Kajiwara Kagetoki slandered him for this, and Yoriie, deceived by it, sought to put Tomomitsu to death. The Lady of Awa secretly told Tomomitsu of this, and Tomomitsu, greatly alarmed, went to Miura Yoshimura and took counsel with him. Yoshimura then led his colleagues, and together with Tomomitsu they jointly signed a petition impeaching Kagetoki and pleading Tomomitsu's innocence. Kagetoki in the end was found guilty, and Tomomitsu was able to escape the danger. At the rising of Wada Yoshimori, Tomomitsu, together with Sasaki Yoshikiyo and others, drew up his line at Ōkura and held off the attack, and Yoshimori was unable to break through and withdrew (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶In the first year of Kangi (1229) he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, and became Assistant Governor of Kōzuke (Note: following the Kantō Hyōjōden and the Yūki family genealogy). In the early years of Kattei (1235-) he became a member of the Council of State (Hyōjōshū), but soon resigned, and also gave up the office of Assistant Governor of Kōzuke. He shaved his head, took the Buddhist name Nichia (Note: following the Kantō Hyōjōden and the Yūki family genealogy), and withdrew to Shimōsa to live in seclusion. At the time of the disturbance of Miura Yasumura, he sent out troops and aided the shogunate. Later he went to Kamakura and met Hōjō Tokiyori, and when the conversation turned to this affair he spoke of his old friendship with Yoshimura, shed tears out of grief and regret, and added: "Had I been in Kamakura, I would not have let Yasumura be driven into such straits." Tokiyori praised his loyalty and sincerity. When it came to deliberating on the merits of the officers and men, all said it was not fitting to reward Tomomitsu. Tokiyori said: "Tomomitsu's slip of the tongue shows rather his loyal and unvarnished nature. If we now fail to reward a meritorious retainer because of a trifling suspicion, I fear it would harm the conduct of government," and he granted him the estate of Kogarasu. In the sixth year of Kenchō (1254) he died, at the age of eighty-seven (Note: following the Azuma Kagami, the Kantō Hyōjōden, and the Yūki family genealogy). He was known as Shōmyōji (Note: following the Yūki family genealogy). Once, when he accompanied Yoritomo and stopped at Tōdaiji, the monks got into a quarrel with the guard soldiers over some matter; Kajiwara Kagetoki tried to calm them, but his manner was overbearing and the monks grew angrier and made an uproar. Yoritomo then sent Tomomitsu, who knelt respectfully and observed every courtesy, and explained the right of the matter with precision, so that the monks quieted down and the affair was settled (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶His sons were Tomohiro, Tomonori, Tokimitsu, Shigemitsu, and Tomomura (Note: following the Yūki family genealogy). Tomohiro was styled Shichirō, was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, and held successively the posts of Kebiishi, Saemon-no-jō, and Assistant Governor of Kōzuke (Note: following the Yūki family genealogy and the Azuma Kagami). He became Provisional Junior Assistant Minister of the Treasury (Ōkura-no-gon-no-shōyū) and was advanced to Senior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). In the Jōkyū disturbance he advanced along the Hokurikudō together with Hōjō Tomotoki and fought at Hannyano in Etchū with merit. The following year, when the shogun Fujiwara-no-Yoritsune selected troops to be directly attached to the shogunate, Tomohiro was among them (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). In the Karoku era (1225-1227), a man who falsely claimed to be the monk Kōgyō raised a disturbance at Shirakawa in Mutsu, and Tomohiro, together with Asari Tomoyoshi, struck and put it down (Note: following the lost portions of the Azuma Kagami). Tomonori was styled Hirakata Shirō and Tokimitsu was styled Samukawa Shirō; both became Saemon-no-jō. Shigemitsu was styled Yamakawa Gorō (Note: following the Yūki family genealogy and the Sonpi Bunmyaku), and likewise became Saemon-no-jō and was appointed Kebiishi (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Tomomura was styled Tsunato Jūrō (Note: following the Yūki family genealogy and the Sonpi Bunmyaku) and was made Governor of Awa (Note: following the Yūki family genealogy). Tomomura was a master archer. Once, when he went up to Kyoto with Yoritsune and visited the residence of the Kampaku Michiie, a caged bird happened to escape into a tree in the garden. Yoritsune had Tomomura shoot it. Tomomura filed off the head of a kaburaya whistling arrow and loosed it and hit the bird, but the bird fitted into the kabura and was unharmed, and all who saw it marveled and praised him (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).