Biographies CXX: The Shogunal Retainers, Part III

Sasaki Hideyoshi

¶Sasaki Hideyoshi was called Genzō (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). His ancestry goes back to Imperial Prince Atsumi, who begat Masanobu and was granted the surname Minamoto. Masanobu begat Sangi Sukeyoshi, Consultant. Sukeyoshi, who had once served as Governor of Ōmi, begat Narimori, Hyōgo-no-suke, Assistant Director of the Arsenal Bureau (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku, and also consulting the Sasaki Keizu). Narimori made his home in the Sasaki estate in Ōmi and begat Akitsune. Akitsune begat Tsunekata, Tsunekata begat Suesada, and Suesada begat Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi was called Sasaki Saburō. When Hideyoshi was thirteen, he entered a compact of father and son with Minamoto-no-Tameyoshi, Saemon-no-daijō, Senior Commander of the Left Gate Guards (Note: following the printed edition of the Sonpi Bunmyaku). In the Hōgen disturbance (1156) he followed Yoshitomo and attacked the Shirakawa Palace (Note: following the Hōgen Monogatari). In the Heiji disturbance he attached himself to Minamoto-no-Yoshihira and, together with Kamata Masaie and others, held off the army of Taira-no-Shigemori with sixteen horsemen. Before long Yoshitomo's army was defeated and fled east; the pursuing troops pressed hard, but Hideyoshi fought with all his strength and drove them back (Note: following the Heiji Monogatari). After Yoshitomo's death, Hideyoshi returned to his home country. Unwilling to submit to the Taira, he was at length stripped of his lands, and, leading his sons, set out for Mutsu, intending to rely on Fujiwara-no-Hidehira, who was the husband of his aunt. On the way he passed through Sagami, where Shibuya-no-shōji Taira-no-Shigekuni, admiring his valor, detained him and would not let him go on; he gave him his daughter in marriage and kept him in Shibuya for twenty years. During this time his son Yoshikiyo was born. Earlier, while Minamoto-no-Yoritomo was in exile in Izu, Hideyoshi had sent his sons Sadatsuna and Moritsuna to inquire constantly after his welfare. In the fourth year of Jishō (1180), Prince Mochihito sent out a call to the provinces, summoning them to attack the Taira, but his army was defeated. At that time Ōba Kagechika returned from the capital and secretly invited Hideyoshi to see him. He said: "While I was in the capital I met Fujiwara-no-Tadakiyo, a confidant of the Shōkoku (Taira-no-Kiyomori, Chancellor). Tadakiyo opened a letter and told me of it; it had been sent by Osada Nyūdō. It said that Hōjō Shirō (Tokimasa), Hiki Kamon-no-jō, and others were plotting rebellion, taking as their leader Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, the exile in Izu, and that the matter was no light one. Ever since the Takakura Prince (Prince Mochihito) raised his revolt, the Shōkoku has been intent on bringing the Minamoto of the provinces under control. This letter came just then, and it was impossible not to report it at once to the Shōkoku. You and I are old acquaintances, and so I let slip what I heard. I am told your son is on close terms with Yoritomo. Choose your moment to change your course, and do not be drawn into the calamity." Hideyoshi thanked him and went home, and at once sent Sadatsuna to tell Yoritomo. Yoritomo therefore hastened to raise his standard. Sadatsuna and his younger brothers Tsunetaka, Moritsuna, and Takatsuna were the first to win merit in battle (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). In the third year of Juei (1184), Hirata Ietsugu and others rose in Iga and Ise, acted as the rear guard of the Taira, attacked Ōuchi Koreyoshi, and turned to invade Ōmi. Hideyoshi called out the troops of Kōka district and met them at the Ōhara estate; the two sides, with a river between them, shot arrows at each other. Ietsugu and his men advanced with all their picked troops. Hideyoshi took the lead at the head of his line and gave commands, but was struck by an arrow and fell. He was seventy-three years old. His men, enraged and grieving, crossed the river and fought fiercely. Koreyoshi came to their aid and joined them, and they struck the enemy and put him to flight (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Genpei Jōsuiki). His sons were Sadatsuna, Tsunetaka, Moritsuna, Takatsuna, and Yoshikiyo. Tsunetaka has a separate biography.

Sasaki Sadatsuna

¶Sasaki Sadatsuna was called Tarō (Note: following the printed edition of the Sonpi Bunmyaku). He had taken refuge in Utsunomiya and went back and forth to Shibuya to see his father. Hideyoshi ordered Sadatsuna to go to Izu and report Ōba Kagechika's words to Yoritomo. Yoritomo was delighted and said: "I am about to raise my standard. The matter is already known in the capital, and the Taira will surely have their deputy Taira-no-Kanetaka and Ōba Kagechika strike me down. I mean to forestall them and attack when they are unprepared. I had indeed been thinking of summoning you brothers, and by good fortune you have come just now. Stay here and send for your brothers." (Note: following the Azuma Kagami, and also consulting the Genpei Jōsuiki.) Sadatsuna asked leave to go back once to fetch his armor and to return with his brothers. Yoritomo accordingly appointed a day for them and sent a letter, summoning Shibuya Shigekuni as well. Shigekuni did not come, but Sadatsuna came leading his brothers. By ill fortune the autumn rains were long and the roads were impassable, and they arrived a day later than the appointed time. Yoritomo, mindful that Shigekuni was at that moment in the service of the Taira and fearing the matter would leak, was inwardly full of regret. The next day Sadatsuna arrived with his brothers. Sadatsuna and Tsunetaka rode lean horses, while Moritsuna and Takatsuna followed on foot. Seeing how wearily they had come, Yoritomo deeply praised their loyalty and said: "Because you have arrived, we were spared from attacking the enemy this morning." That night, together with Tsunetaka and Takatsuna, Sadatsuna followed Hōjō Tokimasa and attacked Kanetaka. Yoritomo kept Moritsuna and Katō Kagekado by him for his own guard. Tsutsumi Nobutō, a follower of Kanetaka, was a brave man and lived apart to the north of the Yamaki mansion. Tokimasa sent Sadatsuna, Tsunetaka, and Takatsuna to attack him. Nobutō's retainers shot arrows to hold them off. The Sasaki brothers fought with all their strength and cut Nobutō down; they returned to Tokimasa's camp, joined in the attack on Kanetaka, and overcame him (Note: following the Azuma Kagami. The Nagato text of the Heike Monogatari writes Nobutō as Kaneyuki). When Yoritomo was defeated at the battle of Ishibashiyama, he fled into the Hakone mountains and dismissed his officers and men. Sadatsuna, Moritsuna, and Takatsuna were sheltered in Shigekuni's house (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Genpei Jōsuiki). When Yoritomo attacked Satake Hideyoshi, Sadatsuna followed him and attacked Kanasa Castle; for this and other services he became Saemon-no-shōjō, Junior Lieutenant of the Left Gate Guards, and was appointed jitō, steward, of the Sasaki estate (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶In the early years of Kenkyū (1190-) he became Shugo, Protector, of Ōmi. Previously the annual tribute of the Sasaki estate had been assigned to the Enryakuji's offering fund for its thousand monks, but floods struck and arrears piled up. The monks sent the miyatsukae, shrine attendants, of the Hie Shrine, who bore the sacred mirror and forced their way into Sadatsuna's residence, pressing their demands violently, breaking the gates and walls, insulting the servants, and setting fire to neighboring houses. At that time Sadatsuna was in the capital, and his son Sadashige, in anger, led troops to resist them and wounded two of the attendants. The monks distorted the facts in their complaint, memorializing that "Sadashige set fires, cut the bridges, loosed mounted men to block the road back, and killed and wounded a great many; we ask that Sadashige and his father and brothers be severely punished" (Note: consulting the Gyokukai and the Azuma Kagami). They also appealed to Yoritomo, and in the court's deliberations it was decided to sentence father and son to distant exile and to imprison those who had done the deed. The monks continued to press their suit and came to the palace bearing the Hie portable shrine. In general, successive courts had shown special consideration to the complaints of the Enryakuji. Yoritomo, as a meritorious servant of the founding, tried in every way to shield Sadatsuna, but his strength was insufficient; Sadatsuna was exiled to Satsuma, his son Hirotsuna to Tsushima, and Sadataka to Tosa. Even so the monks were not satisfied and continued to demand that Sadashige be put to death. Having no alternative, they beheaded Sadashige and exposed his head at Karasaki. In the fourth year of Kenkyū (1193), Sadatsuna and the others were pardoned and all returned to Kamakura. Yoritomo again made Sadatsuna Shugo of Ōmi and restored all his lands (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). His sons were Hirotsuna, Sadataka, and Nobutsuna. Hirotsuna and Sadashige's son Hisatsuna have separate biographies.

Sasaki Nobutsuna

¶Sasaki Nobutsuna was appointed Sakonoe-no-shōgen, Lieutenant of the Left Palace Guards (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Kantō Hyōjōden), and was transferred to Uemon-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Right Gate Guards (Note: following the Kantō Hyōjōden and the Sasaki Keizu). In the third year of Jōkyū (1221) he followed Hōjō Yasutoki to Uji. Just then heavy rain fell and the river rose suddenly; the imperial army (the court's forces) removed the bridge and stretched stout ropes along the riverbed, intending to bar the eastern army (the shogunate's forces). Yasutoki wished to press all his armies forward at once and decide the battle while the momentum lay with him, but he first drew his forces together and withdrew, and sent Shibata Kaneyoshi to reconnoiter. Kaneyoshi found a shallow place, returned, and reported. Yasutoki then resolved to let Kaneyoshi and Kasuga Sadayuki cross first. Nobutsuna, standing by, heard this, followed Kaneyoshi, and asked where the place was. Kaneyoshi did not answer and rode on. Nobutsuna spurred his horse after him, but Kaneyoshi's horse shied from the water and would not advance. Nobutsuna drew his sword, cut through the ropes, pressed on, and in the end was first across (Note: consulting the Azuma Kagami and the Jōkyū-ki). He was transferred to Saemon-no-shōjō, Junior Lieutenant of the Left Gate Guards, and became Kebiishi, Police Commissioner, and Governor of Ōmi. For this service he was appointed Shugo of Ōmi (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Kantō Hyōjōden), and at the same time held the post of jitō in several places. He was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper and became a member of the Hyōjōshū, Council of State. He shaved his head, took the Buddhist name Koke (Note: following the Azuma Kagami, the Kantō Hyōjōden, and the Sasaki Keizu), and withdrew to Mount Kōya (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Kantō Hyōjōden). He died in the third year of Ninji (1242) (Note: following the Sasaki Keizu; the Kantō Hyōjōden gives the second year of Ninji (1241)).

¶His sons were Shigetsuna, Takanobu, Yasutsuna, and Ujinobu (Note: following the Sasaki Keizu). At the battle of the Uji River Shigetsuna was fifteen years old; he clung to the tail of his father's horse and swam, crossed the river to the sandbar in midstream, and, at his father's command, went as a messenger to Hōjō Yasutoki's army, going back and forth to carry orders; the men of the time praised his courage (Note: consulting the Azuma Kagami and the Jōkyū-ki). Takanobu was appointed Saemon-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Left Gate Guards. In the first year of Katei (1235) he oversaw the repair of the Seta Bridge and levied laborers from Takashima district. Within the district there lived, mixed among the others, jinin, shrine servants of the Hie Shrine, and the monks of the Enryakuji had newly enrolled several more as such. When the levy was made, those newly enrolled petitioned for exemption from public service, but Takanobu's officials would not hear them, and matters went so far that they quarreled angrily with the shrine servants. The monks of the Enryakuji therefore bore the Hie portable shrine into the capital and lodged a complaint. The court's deliberations decided to exile Takanobu to Bungo (Note: following the Azuma Kagami; Bungo follows the Hyakurenshō). Yasutsuna was appointed Saemon-no-jō, made Kebiishi and Shugo of Ōmi, and became Governor of Iki (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the printed edition of the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Once, when he was on night duty at the shogunate together with Shibuya Takeshige, Yasutsuna addressed Takeshige as "Ōmyō," a great lord. Takeshige took offense, thinking he was being mocked, and said: "I am not now among the great lords, but Shibuya-no-shōji, the founder of my house, truly stood in their ranks. When your great-grandfather was a wanderer, he once received food and clothing from my house. Now that his descendant has become a great lord, how can you carry yourself so proudly and look down on others?" Yasutsuna said: "Not long ago, when the Minamoto declined, the warriors of the Kantō all gave their loyalty to the Taira and followed them. Even your ancestor the Shōji could not stand alone. My great-grandfather alone refused to bend his principles; he left the Sasaki estate that had come down through the generations and, leading his sons, took up temporary lodging in Sagami. The Shōji gave a daughter in marriage to my great-grandfather and became his father-in-law, so he did not fail to treat him as a man of standing. Moreover, when the Right Curtain (Yoritomo) began his great enterprise, he and his sons performed exceptional deeds. Five brothers were appointed Shugo of seventeen provinces and given the office of Kebiishi. Given that, how could the old wandering days be so often a cause for shame?" Takeshige was left without a word. Yasutsuna was treated with intimacy and trust by the Hōjō, and his son Yoritsuna held his coming-of-age ceremony in the residence of Hōjō Tokiyori. The leading men of the shogunate gathered to perform the rites. Ujinobu was appointed Saemon-no-jō and transferred to Governor of Tsushima (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). His great-grandson Takauji has a separate biography. The descendants of Yasutsuna and Ujinobu continued, and in successive generations reached the posts of provincial governor and palace guard officer (Note: following the Sasaki Keizu and the printed edition of the Sonpi Bunmyaku). Sadatsuna's younger brother was Moritsuna.

Sasaki Moritsuna

¶Sasaki Moritsuna was called Saburō. At sixteen he had an audience with Minamoto-no-Yoritomo at his place of exile. Yoritomo ordered Adachi Morinaga to serve as the sponsor who placed the cap at his coming-of-age (Note: following the Sasaki Keizu). He served with merit from the very beginning of Yoritomo's rising. In the third year of Juei (1184), when Minamoto-no-Noriyori was campaigning against the Taira in the western seas, Taira-no-Yukimori held Kojima in Bizen. Hearing this, Noriyori abandoned his ships and came to Fujito, but the enemy repeatedly raised fans to taunt him, and Noriyori's army, blocked by the water, could not cross. Moritsuna searched out a fisherman and asked about the shallows. The fisherman answered: "On nights of the waxing moon there is a ford to the east; on nights of the waning moon it lies to the west." So at night they crossed together, secretly set up markers, and returned (Note: the various texts of the Heike Monogatari say that Moritsuna, fearing the fisherman would tell others where the ford lay, killed him to silence him). The next day the enemy taunted them again. Moritsuna, with several horsemen, spurred his horse into the sea. Noriyori, fearing he would drown, sent a man to stop him, but Moritsuna pretended not to hear and pressed on; the other armies followed him across, and they broke Yukimori and put him to flight (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki. This book and the Heike Monogatari both place this battle in the ninth month. But according to the Azuma Kagami, Noriyori reached Aki in the tenth month, and this battle is dated to the twelfth month though nothing is said there of Noriyori. Moreover, according to Yoritomo's letter to Noriyori in the first month of the following year, Moritsuna was not under Noriyori's command. This book says Moritsuna attacked Kojima as a member of Noriyori's force, which is probably an error. But there is no other text to consult, so for the moment this book is followed). Yoritomo praised him in a letter in his own hand, saying: "From ancient times there have been men who crossed rivers in disorder, but I have never heard of one who crossed the sea on horseback. It is truly a feat rare in the world" (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). For this he was granted Kojima (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki). For repeated services he was appointed Saemon-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Left Gate Guards, was made Shugo of Iyo, and received lands in Echigo. When Yoritomo died, he shaved his head and took the Buddhist name Sainen. When Yoriie succeeded, his favor waned somewhat, and, implicated in a certain affair, he was stripped of his lands (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶In the first year of Kennin (1201), Jō Sukemori of Echigo rose in revolt; troops of Sado and Echigo were sent against him but could not defeat him. In the shogunate's deliberations it was said that "the commanders are not suited to the task." Yoriie ordered Moritsuna to attack him. At that time Moritsuna was at Isobe in Kōzuke; when the order arrived he happened to be outside his gate, and he mounted at once and set out with his whip flying. His men, with no time to put on their gear, hurried after him in confusion, remonstrating with him over his rashness. Moritsuna said: "I have heard that in the Tengyō years, when Taira-no-Masakado rose in revolt, Uji-no-Minbukyō (Fujiwara-no-Tadafumi) was made commander of the punitive force; the edict reached him as he sat at a meal, and he threw down his chopsticks, went to the palace, and received the sword of office. He did not even return home but went straight to the eastern provinces. This is precisely what a warrior prizes." He therefore pressed on day and night and in three days reached Tossaka in Echigo. He sent envoys to try to persuade them, but they would not listen. He then led the troops of Echigo, Sado, and Shinano and surrounded the castle. Moritsuna's son Moritsue, a Hyōe-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Military Guards, tried to be first to attack, and Unno Yukiuji contended with him for the lead, but Moritsue's follower took (Yukiuji's) bridle and held him back. Seizing a gap, Moritsue attacked first, and Yukiuji followed. The castle's troops fought to the death, and Moritsue and Yukiuji were both wounded. Sukemori's aunt Hangaku was strong and skilled with the bow, but Fujisawa Kiyochika shot her through the thigh and at last captured her. Sukemori fled in defeat, and the castle fell (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶His sons were Nobuzane and Moritsue. Nobuzane was called Kaji Tarō. Once, when his father Moritsuna was playing sugoroku, backgammon, with Yoritomo, Nobuzane, then fifteen, stood by and watched. Kudō Suketsune came later, lifted Nobuzane in his arms and moved him aside, and sat down in his place. Nobuzane's face changed color; he stood up and threw a stone that struck Suketsune on the forehead. Blood flowed and stained his clothing, and Nobuzane ran off and no one knew where he had gone. Yoritomo was angry and ordered Moritsuna to search for him, but he could not be found. Moritsuna apologized, saying: "I sever the bond of father and son with him forever and will give him no place to stand." Yoritomo said: "Go to Suketsune and apologize." Moritsuna said: "Suketsune and I have no grudge or enmity to begin with. To bend my knee before my fellows now over a child's doing is not what a warrior wishes. I beg that the Curtain (Yoritomo), out of generosity, intercede and soothe Suketsune's feelings." Yoritomo thought this reasonable and sent a messenger to convey his wishes to Suketsune, saying: "The root of the matter was my own fault. It was a child's doing and was of no account to begin with. Besides, Moritsuna can hardly be to blame." Thus the matter was settled. Nobuzane shaved his head and took the Buddhist name Sainin. Later he was pardoned and served the shogunate. In the Jōkyū campaign (1221) he followed Hōjō Tomotoki and entered the capital by the Hokurikudō. The troops of Sangi Fujiwara-no-Nobunari and Kawawake Ienori held Ganmonzan in the Kaji estate of Echigo, but Nobuzane defeated them. Hayashi, Ishiguro, and others, seeing his momentum, surrendered (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). Moritsuna's younger brother was Takatsuna.

Sasaki Takatsuna

¶Sasaki Takatsuna was called Shirō. He was brave and full of stratagems, and lived in Higashi-Yoshida in the capital, relying on his aunt. When he had grown somewhat older he thought of entering the service of the Taira, but sighed and said: "My father entered a compact of father and son with the Rokujō Hangan (Minamoto-no-Tameyoshi); in the eyes of the world we are as close as flesh and blood. How could I serve the house of my enemy?" When he heard that Yoritomo had raised his standard, he took leave of his aunt and set out to join him, but he had no means of obtaining a horse and went on foot, wearing leggings and straw sandals. When he came to the Yasu River in Ōmi it was not yet dawn and there was no one on the road. A farmer happened to pass leading a horse; Takatsuna borrowed it, mounted, crossed the river, and rode straight on. The owner of the horse was about to cry out, and Takatsuna, ashamed to bear the name of a thief, killed the owner and left; at last he had his audience with Yoritomo in Izu. When Yoritomo was defeated at the battle of Ishibashiyama and fled to Sugiyama, the road was steep and he could not go on. Ōba Kagechika was close behind and about to overtake him, and Yoritomo made to shoot at him. Takatsuna said: "Your followers are still here. Why should my lord rashly seek battle? Flee quickly. I will borrow my lord's name and face the enemy." He took bow and arrows, named himself Yoritomo, and cried out: "Warriors of the east, you who have served the Minamoto for generations, how discourteous of you to press upon us on horseback!" He then shot the enemy's horse, which fell and blocked the road. While the enemy tried to clear it away, Yoritomo seized the moment to escape. Takatsuna, fighting hard alongside Sadatsuna, crossed blades several times and at last drove the enemy off and caught up with Yoritomo. Yoritomo praised him warmly (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki).

¶In the third year of Juei (1184) he took part in the defeat of Minamoto-no-Yoshinaka in the capital. Yoritomo possessed two fine horses, Ikezuki and Surusumi. Ikezuki was the fleetest of all, and Yoritomo's younger brother Noriyori and his favorite retainer Kajiwara Kagesue both coveted it, but Yoritomo, grudging it, would not give it, and gave Surusumi to Kagesue. When Takatsuna came from Ōmi and had his audience, Yoritomo greeted him, saying: "I thought you would go straight to the capital; I did not expect you to come here." Takatsuna answered: "One who goes into battle does not expect to return alive. While I was still living I wished to see you once, to receive your instructions in person, and to ride about with all my strength. I left my home and arrived here in three days, but my horse is already worn out, so I thought to ask an acquaintance for a horse. But everyone is busy with their own preparations, and in the end I could not borrow one. So although my comrades have all set out, I alone have not yet been able to depart." Yoritomo said: "Hearing that a great army is coming, Yoshinaka has torn down the two bridges at Uji and Seta to block my army. Can you lead the vanguard?" Takatsuna answered: "I was born and raised in Ōmi, and I have long known the depth and breadth of the Uji River. To lead the vanguard is precisely my task." Yoritomo then gave him Ikezuki and said: "This is a horse I love deeply, but now I give it to you in particular. A little while ago Kamo-no-kanja (Noriyori) and Kajiwara Kagesue both asked for it, and I did not give it. Bear in mind the meaning of that." Takatsuna was overjoyed, bowed, and said: "If the general hears that I have died in battle while the enemy is still undefeated, then I have been beaten to the front by another. If he hears that I am alive, let him know that I have been able to fulfil the words he spoke just now." He hurried on day and night, and on reaching Ukishimagahara dismounted and had several grooms lead the horse. Seeing this, Kagesue was angry and stood in the road waiting for him, intending to stab him. Takatsuna caught sight of him from afar and whispered to the mounted man who followed him: "Kagesue could not get Ikezuki, and so means to vent his anger on me. The words the general spoke a little while ago were probably for this reason. To die together over a horse would be not only useless but shameful. I will soothe him with gentle words. But how things will go is hard to foresee, so be ready in secret." Before he had finished speaking, Kagesue indeed asked: "Were you given Ikezuki?" With a mild face Takatsuna said: "I came from Ōmi by chance, and since my horse was sick and I had no other, I thought only to borrow one from your stables. But I hear that Surusumi has already been granted to you, and that Ikezuki, though you and Lord Kamo repeatedly asked for it, was not given. If even you could not get it, how could a man like me have been granted it? So I merely coaxed a groom and borrowed it quietly. If I am blamed for it later, I hope you will speak up for me." Kagesue believed this to be true, his heart softened, and together they came to Uji. Yoshinaka had sent his generals Nei-no-Yukichika and Tate-no-Chikatada to defend it. They had torn down the bridge, laid deer-horn stakes (abatis) on the riverbed, and stretched ropes to snare horses' legs. Takatsuna's men Kashima and Hajime, both skilled swimmers, dived to the bottom and secretly cleared these away. But the thaw had swollen the water, and the generals could not yet cross. Takatsuna and Kagesue, alone on horseback, set out directly from Kojimagasaki, plunged into the river, and raced each other. Kagesue pulled ahead of Takatsuna. Takatsuna said: "Your horse's girth is loose." Kagesue said, "So it is," and tightened it. In that moment Takatsuna cut across the current and shouted his claim to the vanguard in a great voice. The men of Hatakeyama, Ashikaga, and Miura crossed one after another, and Yukichika and Chikatada were routed. Pursuing the fleeing enemy, they entered the capital and fought Yoshinaka at Rokujō-gawara and defeated him. He followed Yoshitsune and had an audience with the Cloistered Emperor (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki). For repeated services he became Governor of seven provinces including Bizen and Aki (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki and the Sasaki Keizu), and was appointed Saemon-no-jō (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶Earlier, when Yoritomo fled to Sugiyama, he had said to Takatsuna: "That I did not die today is truly due to your strength. If I come to command the whole realm, I will surely share half of it with you." When Yoshinaka was defeated he said again: "When matters are settled I will surely keep my earlier promise." By this time Takatsuna thought his reward meager and resented it (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki). He shaved his head and entered Mount Kōya. In the Kennin years (1201-1204), when the monks of the Enryakuji took up positions on Kanekoyama and offered battle, Tsunetaka and Moritsuna received an imperial command to attack them. Takatsuna's son Shigetsuna went with them. As he was about to set out, Takatsuna heard of it and went to visit his two elder brothers and spoke to them of strategy. He then stared at Shigetsuna and for a long while said nothing. His two elder brothers, standing by, repeatedly praised Shigetsuna's fine build. Takatsuna said: "That is not it. Armor should be light and bows should be short, so as to be suited to moving about. The mountain heights and Sakamoto are ground for infantry. Now Shigetsuna wears heavy armor and carries a large bow; though his equipment matches his build, can he escape death with it?" Shigetsuna was indeed defeated and killed (Note: following the Azuma Kagami).

¶Takatsuna's younger brother Yoshikiyo was called Gorō and lived at Ōba in Sagami (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). He took a younger sister of Ōba Kagechika as his wife (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki) and relied on his maternal grandfather Shibuya Shigekuni (Note: following the Azuma Kagami). At the battle of Ishibashiyama he belonged to Kagechika's army and attacked Yoritomo. When Yoritomo hid in Sugiyama, Yoshikiyo pursued him together with Kagechika. His elder brother Takatsuna rebuked him, saying: "Our father entered a compact of father and son with the Rokujō Hangan, and in the eyes of the world we stand close to the Minamoto. You alone have left your father and brothers to serve the enemy army. How can you have no shame?" Yoshikiyo did not answer (Note: consulting the Azuma Kagami and the Genpei Jōsuiki). Later he was captured and confined in Moritsuna's house, but was released for the sake of his father and brothers. He served the shogunate (Note: following the Azuma Kagami) and became Governor of Oki (Note: following the Azuma Kagami and the Sonpi Bunmyaku). His great-great-grandson Enya Takasada has a separate biography.