Minamoto no Yoritomo's paternal grandfather, Minamoto no Tameyoshi, led the esteemed Minamoto clan, while his maternal grandfather, a member of the renowned Fujiwara clan, served as the chief priest at Atsuta Shrine, the second most revered Shinto Shrine in Japan after the Great Shrine of Ise. Yoritomo's mother had returned to her hometown, now Nagoya, and Yoritomo was born in Atsuta (Nagoya) on May 9, 1147, at the location where the Seigan-ji Temple stands today.
In 1156, the Hogen Disturbance, a brief civil war, erupted over a dispute within the Imperial Court, divided between two branches led by the former Emperor Toba, supported by influential Fujiwara clan members and Taira no Kiyomori, and Toba's eldest son, the former Emperor Sutoku, backed by other Fujiwara clan members and hereditary Imperial regents.
After the conflict, Yoritomo's father assumed leadership of the Minamoto clan, and due to Yoritomo's mixed Minamoto and Fujiwara lineage, he became the heir, receiving his initial court title. The two rival families clashed again in the Heiji Disturbance, resulting in the Minamoto's defeat. With the Taira now dominant in Japan, the Minamoto faced execution or exile. Yoritomo, however, was spared. In 1179, he married into the Hojo clan, which supported his petition to reclaim leadership of the Minamoto clan, challenging the Taira's authority. Over the subsequent years, he gradually built a power base and witnessed the Taira's decisive defeat at the naval Battle of Dan-no-Ura in 1185. This victory granted him the freedom to establish a government in Kamakura in 1192, where he ruled until his accidental death at the age of 51 on February 9, 1199, following a fall from his horse the previous day.
See also
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Uesugi Kagetora
Uesugi Kagetora (1552 – April 19, 1579) was the seventh son of Hojo Ujiyasu and was originally known as Hojo Saburo. He was adopted by Uesugi Kenshin and intended to be Kenshin's heir. However, in 1578, he was attacked in his Otate Castle by Uesugi Kagekatsu, his brother-in-law, and was ultimately defeated. Kagetora committed suicide the following year at Samegao Castle.
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Hojo Ujinao
Hojo Ujinao (1562 – December 19, 1591) was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku period and the last leader of the Later Hojo clan. An important figure in Azuchi-Momoyama politics, he lost his entire domain following the Siege of Odawara (1590). Despite this, he survived, and his family continued as minor daimyo during the Edo period.
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Takeda Katsuyori
Takeda Katsuyori (1546 – April 3, 1582) was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, renowned as the head of the Takeda clan and successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was also the son-in-law of Hojo Ujiyasu. Katsuyori was born to Shingen and the daughter of Suwa Yorishige, known posthumously as Suwa-goryonin and by her real name, Koihime. His children included Takeda Nobukatsu and Takeda Katsuchika.
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Yasuke
Yasuke, an African page, arrived in Japan in 1579 as the attendant of the Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. Before the arrival of the Englishman William Adams, it is thought that Yasuke was possibly the inaugural non-Japanese samurai, arriving about twenty years earlier.
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Yamanami Keisuke
Yamanami Keisuke, the second in command of the Shinsengumi, a special police force during the late Edo period, shocked many when he performed seppuku on March 20, 1865, at the age of 32.
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Yamamoto Kansuke
Yamamoto Kansuke, renowned as a samurai strategist and one of Takeda Shingen's esteemed 24 Generals, hailed from the Mikawa region, known for breeding formidable warriors. Despite physical challenges—blindness in one eye, lameness in one leg, and a malformed hand—Kansuke embarked on a warrior's pilgrimage in his twenties. Traveling across the land, he honed his skills in strategy, tactics, castle construction, and warfare, engaging in various swordsmanship schools and forms.
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Yamaga Soko
Yamaga Soko was a multifaceted figure in Japanese history, renowned as a strategist, philosopher, and scholar. Later in life, he became a ronin, leaving a significant mark on the understanding of the Tokugawa period samurai.
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William Adams - Miura Anjin
William Adams, also known as Miura Anjin, holds the distinction of being one of the few non-Japanese individuals granted samurai status. Born in Gillingham, Kent, England in 1564, Adams embarked on a remarkable journey that led him to become an influential figure in Japanese history.
