Minamoto no Yoshitomo

Minamoto no Yoshitomo (1123 –1160) was a leader in the Hōgen Rebellion and in the Heiji Rebellion. He fathered Minamoto no Yoritomo, who became shogun and founded the Kamakura shogunate. Under Yoshitomo’s leadership the Minamoto began to rival the Taira as the most powerful force in Japan.

Yoshitomo was the first son of Minamoto no Tameyoshi who headed the Kawachi-Genji (of the Minamoto clan) and who was the grandson of Minamoto no Yoshiie. Tameyoshi achieved high rank and served in the kibiishi (police) section of the Emonfu (Headquarters of the Outer Palace Guards.)

Yoshitomo’s mother was a daughter of Fujiwara no Tadakiyo, a busho (military commander), who was a kinshin (trusted vassal of the cloistered Emperor Shirakawa). Fujiwara no Tadakiyo was closely aligned with the Taira.

Yoshitomo was born in Kyoto and spent his early childhood there. He was sent to Togoku in the Kanto region under the Kazusa clan. From Togoku, away from Tameyoshi, Yoshitomo began to expand his power base by subjugation and alliances. One of his most important alliances was with Minamoto no Yoshikuni, his granduncle, and Yoshikuni’s son, Minamoto no Yoshiyasu (also known as Yoshiyasu Ashikaga). Through this alliance Yoshitomo gained the favor of Emperor Toba and Fujiwara no Tadamichi (who was regent and kampaku to several emperors).

It has been theorized that Yoshitomo was sent to Togoku because his father, Tameyoshi, had disinherited him. Tameyoshi later sent Yoshitomo’s younger brother, Minamoto no Yoshikata, to check Yoshitomo’s aggrandizement of power giving further credence to the theory of bad blood between Yoshitomo and Tameyoshi. To keep this within the family, Yoshitomo sent his oldest boy, Minamoto no Yoshihira, to take care of Yoshikata. Yoshihira was successful, killing his uncle.

Hōgen Rebellion

Yoshitomo’s alliances and disputes with his father, Tameyoshi, came to a head after the deaths of the emperors Toba and Konoe in the Hōgen Rebellion. Yoshitomo joined forces with Taira no Kiyomori supporting Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Fujiwara no Tadamichi. Minamoto no Tameyoshi supported the retired Emperor Sutoku and Fujiwara no Yorinaga. Tameyoshi’s allies lost and the defeat cost him his head. Yoshimoto’s and his allies were victorious and victory brought Yoshitomo as the new head of the Kawachi-Gengi. The Hōgen Rebellion left the Minamoto and the Taira as the two most powerful clans in Japan.

Yoshitomo received the appointment as sama no kami (Captain of Samaryo, Left Division of Bureau of Horses), a very important post for a samurai. What happened next has caused historical debate. Yoshitomo has been recorded as being bitter towards Taira no Kiyomori because Kiyomori was elevated to a higher position than Yoshitomo and because, despite his pleas of clemency, his father and younger brother were executed. However, Kiyomori, prior to the Hōgen rebellion already held very high positions and it was the imperial court, not Kiyomori, who ordered the execution of his family. Kiyomori also had family members executed who had been deemed rebels. Another view thinks it was more likely that Yoshitomo’s future actions were dictated by his alliance with Fujiwara no Nobuyori, who had a feud with Fujiwara no Michinori, also called Shinzei.

Nobuyori was the Musashi no kami (feudal lord of Musashi Province) at a time when Yoshitomo was expanding into the southern Kanto area. Nobuyori might have had a role in Yoshitomo receiving the title of Jugoinoge and kokushu of Shimotsuke Province.

Heiji Rebellion

In 1159, while Taira no Kiyomori was out of Kyoto, Yoshitomo and Fujiwara no Nobuyori arrested Go-Shirakawa and killed Fujiwara no Michinori (Shinzei). Initially, Nobuyori did well because he had joined factions loyal to the Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Emperor Nijo to defeat Fujiwara no Michinori. After killing Michinori, there was no need for the alliance and Nobuyori’s faction came to odds with Emperor Nijo’s faction that included powerful leaders such as Minamoto no Mitsuyasu. Taira no Kiyomori, who had returned to Kyoto claiming to desire an alliance with Nobuyori, sheltered the fleeing Emperor Nijo in his Rokuhara residence. Emperor Go-Shirakawa escaped to Ninna-ji Temple. With the imperial forces concentrated under Taira no Kiyomori, Yoshitomo and Fujiwara no Nobuyori became rebels whose forces were shrinking.

Taira no Kiyomori and his forces defeated those of Yoshitomo and Fujiwara no Nobuyori. Afterwards Yoshitomo and his children and retainers attempted to return to Togoku. During the retreat, they were often attacked and many died. His son Yoritomo became separated and was captured.

The Heiji Rebellion had tragic consequences for Yoshitomo. During the retreat through the snow covered mountains, his son, Minamoto no Tomonaga, could not keep up with the group because of his wounds. Yoshitomo honored Tomonaga’s request to be killed to prevent his capture. Yoshitomo sought refuge in the residence of Osada Tadamune. Osada Tadamune was the father in law of Yoshitomo’s trusted retainer, Masakiyo Kamata. However, times being what they were, Osada Tadamune and his son, Kagemune, murdered Yoshitomo while Yoshitomo was taking a bath. Yoshitomo’s last words were “If only I had at least a wooden sword.” Osada then murdered his son in law, Masakiyo Kamata, whose wife and daughter of Tadamune committed suicide afterwards. Tadamune presented Yoshitomo’s head to Taira no Kiyomori who rewarded him with the appointment of governor of Iki Province. Later Tadamune complained about the reward stating that he deserved the position of sama no kami, showing him not only as treacherous but also as ungrateful.

Minamoto no Yoshihira, the eldest son of Yoshitomo, attempted to avenge his father’s death by assassinating Taira no Kiyomori. He was betrayed and lost his head, which was displayed prominently in Kyoto.

Taira no Kiyomori spared the lives of Yoshitomo’s young sons, Mareyoshi, Yoritomo, Noriyori, and Yoshitsune, sending them to exile. As the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished. Later Yoritomo, Noriyori, and Yoshitsune would unite to defeat the Taira in the Genpei War.

The three sons of Yoshitomo would eventually defeat the Taira. Yoritomo became shogun and began the Kamakura shogunate. To set things right, he also had the traitor Tadamune executed, avenging his father.

To learn more please go to Late Heian or Fujiwara Era: Rise of the Warrior Class