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39-580: Note: Each degree of indentation indicates a father-son relationship. Minamoto no Yorinobu , the founder of the Kawachi Genji, was the third son of Minamoto no Mitsunaka , who put down the Taira no Tadatsune Rebellion and established his power in the Kanto region, and during the time of his son Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and Yoriyoshi's son Minamoto no Yoshiie (Hachiman Taro Yoshiie), they brought some of

78-666: A National Treasure of Japan and is preserved in the Tsuboi Hachimangu Shrine in Hakibino, Osaka Prefecture. It is also at times referred to as the “Blade of Tenkoumaru”. It is a blade forged by the swordsmith Yasutsuna from the Hōki Province, who was active during the Heian period; the same swordsmith well-known for forging the famous Doujigiri Yasutsuna. According to the picture scroll “Kawachi Meisho Zue”, Tenkoumaru

117-464: A number of others. As a result of his dramatic prowess in battle, he earned the name Hachiman taro , referring to him as the "son of Hachiman", the god of war. The following year, Yoshiie took several followers of the Abe, who he had taken as captives, as attendants. Over twenty years later, Yoshiie was the chief commander in another important conflict of the Heian period. Beginning in 1083, he battled

156-477: A son of Emperor Seiwa , through a junior line. In 1050, Abe no Yoritoki wave the post of Chinjufu-shōgun , as the Abe clan had for many generations. Effectively, however, Yoritoki commanded the entire region, denying the official Governor any true power. As a result, Yoshiie's father was appointed both chinjufu shōgun and governor, and Yoshiie traveled north with him to resolve the situation. The campaign against

195-409: Is also sometimes written or known as “Genta ga Ubuginu”, “Kuwantaka Ubuginu”, “Armour of Guwatsuta”, and “Armour of Maruta”. It is said that Minamoto-no-Yoriyoshi, who served Koichijo-in faithfully, had witnessed the birth of his son Minamoto-no-Yoshiie and was notably overjoyed at his birth, eventually passing the armour down to him. It is said that the deities Amaterasu and Hachiman were depicted on

234-549: Is particularly known for being a favorite of the Regent Fujiwara no Michinaga , and for suppressing a revolt by Taira no Tadatsune , vice-governor of Kazusa Province . He had originally refused, for personal reasons, but eventually assented to taking on the charge of defeating Tadatsune, after being made Governor of Kai. While making preparations to attack, Tadatsune surrendered, offering no resistance in 1031. In putting an end to this rebellion, Yorinobu not only furthered

273-478: Is said to be a “sister sword” of Doujigiri, meaning that the two blades were forged from the same iron. The origin of the Tenkoumaru is described in volume four of the archive “History of Hakibino City”. The archive describes a former owner of the Tenkoumaru, who lost the sword whilst escaping to the foot of Mount Kongo. After several years of searching, the sword was never found until another man had discovered

312-503: Is said to have been passed down from Tada Mitsunaka to Minamoto no Yorinobu and Minamoto no Yoshiie as a treasured sword of the Genji clan. His Dharma name was Renshin (蓮心). He died on June 1, 1048. Minamoto no Yoshiie Minamoto no Yoshiie (源 義家; 1039 – 4 August 1106), also known as Hachimantarō Yoshiie (八幡太郎義家) and his title Most Valorous Warrior in the Land (天下第一武勇之士),

351-482: Is the most formidable.” This poem is proof that Minamoto no Yoshiie was especially feared among the Genji clan because of his brutal demeanor and strength. As sung in the Ryōjin Hishō , Hachimantarō — or Minamoto no Yoshiie — was known for his exceptional skills as a warrior and was highly regarded as a hero of the Heian period. By other countless famous figures from Minamoto no Yoritomo to Tokugawa Ieyasu , Yoshiie

390-556: The Kiyohara family , who had fought alongside him and his father against the Abe, but who had since proven themselves poor rulers of the northern provinces. Named Governor of Mutsu province in 1083, Yoshiie took it upon himself, without orders from the Imperial Court, to bring some peace and order to the region. A series of disputes between Kiyohara no Masahira, Kiyohara no Narihira, and Kiyohara no Iehira over leadership of

429-509: The Abe clan and had already established his reputation as a ferocious warrior, garnering him the sobriquet Hachiman Taro Yoshiie, or "Yoshiie, first son of Hachiman (the God of War)." On this particular day, the troops in their armor were suffering from the oppressive heat. With no immediate water source in sight, Yoshiie, praying to Kannon (the Goddess of Mercy), shot an arrow into the air. Tracing

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468-515: The Abe clan lasted twelve years. Yoshiie fought alongside his father in almost every battle, including the Battle of Kawasaki and the Siege of Kuriyagawa . Abe no Yoritoki died in 1057, but his son Abe no Sadato took up command of his father's forces. But in 1062, Yoshiie defeated and kill Sadato, winning the war a year later. Yoshiie returned to Kyoto in early 1063 with the heads of Abe no Sadato and

507-468: The Court's goals and his own reputation, but he created an opening for Minamoto influence in the eastern portions of the country. In a statement to Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine, it was stated that the reason they were able to put down the rebellion so successfully was due to the blessing of inheriting the blood of Hachiman Daibosatsu and Emperor Ojin . The story of the capture of Tadatsune while Yorinobu

546-479: The Governor of Mutsu Province, the Abe clan held a grand feast to celebrate Yoriyoshi’s promotion, which is where Hanahime met Yoshiie and eventually formed a close relationship with him. Yoshiie and Hanahime’s relationship later reached a point where they regularly sent letters to each other, and Hanahime once received a letter from Yoshiie saying, “I will welcome you to the capital as my wife”, but their relationship

585-767: The Heiji War. They later rose back up to defeat the Taira clan in the Genpei War. While taking advantage of the value of the Kawachi-Genji branch, Minamoto no Yoritomo won the Genpei War, opened the Kamakura shogunate, and was appointed as Seii Taishogun. Minamoto no Yorinobu Minamoto no Yorinobu ( 源 頼信 , December 21, 968 – June 1, 1048) was a samurai commander and member of the powerful Minamoto clan . Along with his brother Yorimitsu , Yorinobu served

624-609: The Kanto samurai under their control during the Former Nine Years' War and the Later Three Years' War, and during the time of Yoshiie, he came to be regarded as the head of the samurai family. Just as Yoritomo, Yoriie, and Sanetomo are called the "Three Generations of Kamakura," Yorinobu, Yoriyoshi, and Yoshiie are also called the "Three Generations of Kawachi Genji. Along with this, among the Bando samurai (mostly

663-601: The Strike of a Bow"), an impromptu poetry competition held on horseback between Yoshiie and his enemy Abe Sadato during a chase, and an interpretation of the erratic behavior of a flock of birds to uncover an ambush during the Battle of Kanazawa...." "On a hot day in the spring of 1057, Minamoto no Yoshiie (1039-1106), then barely sixteen years old, was leading his troops into a battle against Abe Sadato. Yoshiie had only months before joined his fathers forces in their efforts to subdue

702-464: The Taira clan) in the eastern country, samurai who became the family of Kawachi-Genji were born. Yoriyoshi married the daughter of Taira no Naokata and inherited the direct power of the Bando-Heishi clan (and Kamakura). Due to the military exploits that followed other samurai and contained the great war, the legitimate stream of Kawachi-Genji came to be regarded as the leading samurai "the leader of

741-460: The Tenkoumaru buried beneath the mountain soil after having witnessed a “shining light from beneath the soil”. Through unknown means, the Tenkoumaru eventually ended up in the possession of Minamoto no Mitsunaka , who passed the sword down to his son, Minamoto no Yorinobu, with it again being passed down to Minamoto no Yoshiie as one of the treasured swords of the Minamoto clan. On October 14, 1935,

780-480: The Tenkoumaru was designated as a National Treasure of Japan. The length of the blade itself is 76.8 cm, the degree of curvature is about 2.5 cm, and the tang (part of the blade where the hilt would be affixed) is 20 cm. He was gifted the swords Higekiri and Hizamaru the Seiwa Genji heirlooms. Genta ga Ubukinu is a suit of armour that is said to have been used and extensively passed down the Minamoto clan. It

819-400: The arrow to where it landed, Yoshiie used his bow to dig into the earth, releasing an unknown spring of water. Refreshed and strengthened by the waters from this divine spring, Yoshiie and his forces went on to win a major victory over the Abe. The Tenkoumaru (天光丸) is a Japanese sword (particularly, a long-bladed tachi) that is said to have been made during the Heian period. It is designated as

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858-525: The chest plate, and wisteria flowers were displayed on its sleeves. During the Heiji Rebellion, Minamoto-no-Yoritomo donned the Genta ga Ubukinu. At the time, he was around twelve years old. The daughter of Abe no Sadato was a woman named Hanahime who was known to be a stubborn, beautiful woman who excelled in martial arts and wanted to end the war as soon as possible. When Minamoto no Yoriyoshi became

897-504: The clan had turned to violence. There emerged a series of battles and skirmishes between Yoshiie's forces and those of the various Kiyohara sub-factions. Everything came to a head in 1087, at the Kanazawa stockade. Yoshiie, along with his younger brother, Minamoto no Yoshimitsu and Fujiwara no Kiyohira , assaulted the position held by Kiyohara no Iehira and his uncle Kiyohara no Takahira. After many months of failed starts and skirmishes,

936-498: The court in Kyoto, or those who controlled it, and the establishment of the shōgunate in Kamakura, barely a hundred years later, in 1192, under Minamoto Yoritomo. Yet, despite his accomplishments as a warrior and general, he is largely remembered for events that are largely apocryphal in nature, embellished over time to give an even deeper luster to his undeniably impressive record: the episode at Yuhajino no Izumi ("The Spring Revealed by

975-504: The eastern provinces and for the mainstreaming of the Minamoto clan as a warrior family. His eldest son, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi, married Taira no Naokata's daughter and inherited the power of the direct line of the Bando Taira clan who gave birth to his famous grandson Minamoto no Yoshiie . He was a part of Michinaga’s Four Heavenly Kings along with Fujiwara no Yasumasa, Taira no Korehira and Taira no Muneyori. The tachi Tenkomaru(天光丸)

1014-402: The imperial court frequently called Yoshiie and his Minamoto warriors into service to subdue rebels and quiet unruly segments of the country. It was partially based on the gains made by Yoshiie during his career that the Minamoto clan established themselves as one of the pre-eminent military clans in the realm, positioning themselves for the ultimate wresting of political power from the emperor and

1053-500: The kanji character 家). Some also say he may have claimed Minamoto lineage due to how high of a regard he held Yoshiie. The relationship between Yoshiie and his vassals, particularly during the Later Three Year War, developed into the basic principle of “loyalty and reward” that rose to prevalence in the Kamakura shogunate, during Minamoto no Yoritomo’s time. For example, a samurai’s vassals would promise their loyalty to

1092-505: The later generations of the Minamoto clan. Yoshiie is noted in Japanese history as one of its most brilliant warriors. Nobles of the day referred to him as "The Samurai of The Greatest Bravery Under Heaven." Courageous in battle, he is also remembered as an accomplished poet and a motivating leader. As the Heian period drew to a close, and the stability that had marked this phase of Japanese history became increasingly fractured and strained,

1131-730: The regents of the Fujiwara clan , taking the violent measures the Fujiwara were themselves unable to take. He held the title, passed down from his father, of Chinjufu-shōgun , Commander-in-chief of the Defense of the North. He served as Governor of Ise , Shinano, Sagami, Mutsu and Kai Provinces , and was the progenitor of the Kawachi Genji . Yorinobu was born on December 21, 968, the son of Minamoto no Mitsunaka (912–997). Yorinobu

1170-636: The samurai family". Some of the Kawachi-Genji also began to settle in North Kanto (Mr. Nitta, Kozuke Province, Mr. Ashikaga, Shimotsuke Province, Mr. Satake, Hitachi Province, etc.). However, immediately after that, Kawachi Genji's relationship with the Emperor and the aristocracy deteriorated. It was overwhelmed by the Ise-Heishi clan who connected with the Emperor, and fell after the Hogen War and

1209-399: The samurai, whilst the samurai would personally reward them for their loyalty. This allowed the Kawachi Genji to easily gain the loyalty of lower-level samurais without directly requiring authority comparable to that of the Imperial Court. By implementing and passing down the “loyalty and reward” principle, Minamoto no Yoshiie’s legacy as the ideal military commander continued to live on through

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1248-454: The stockade was set aflame, and both Takahira and Iehira were killed. The Minamoto forces suffered great losses as well. But it is said that Yoshiie was an especially skilled leader, keeping morale up and preserving a degree of discipline among the warriors. He and his younger brother Minamoto no Yoshitsuna were imperial guards for Emperor Shirakawa forming the Hokumen no Bushi. At 1098 he

1287-615: Was a Minamoto clan samurai of the late Heian period , and Chinjufu-shōgun (Commander-in-chief of the defense of the North). The first son of Minamoto no Yoriyoshi , he proved himself in battle with the Abe clan in the Zenkunen War ( Former Nine Years' War ) and the Kiyohara clan in the Gosannen War (Later Three Years' War). Subsequently, he became something of a paragon of samurai skill and bravery. Oe no Masafusa

1326-497: Was celebrated in Japanese literature and folklore for centuries after his death. Yoshiie "would go on to be admired by his contemporaries as the greatest warrior." Emperor Goshirakawa compiled the Ryojin Hishō, a collection of short stories and poems that were well-known during his time. One poem in the collection says: “In the deep mountains where all the birds live, there lives the Minamoto clan. Of all of them, Hachimantarō

1365-490: Was considered to be the model of an ideal military commander. Ashikaga Takauji , the first and founding shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, had reportedly considered Yoshiie to be of a “world-renowned” military commander and revered him as such. Tokugawa Ieyasu, born Matsudaira Takechiyo, had later changed his name to Ieyasu for the reason being it shared a kanji character with Yoshiie’s name (both Ieyasu and Yoshiie’s names share

1404-484: Was his teacher for the art of war. He was the third generation leader of the Kawachi Genji . In legends he is thought to be the son or avatar of Hachiman , and after his death, Yoshiie was elevated to Kami status, renamed “Hachimantaro”, lit. “son of Hachiman”, the Shinto god of war, and was made by the Minamoto clan into their Patron Ancestral Kami. Yoshiie was also a great-great-great-grandson of Prince Sadasumi,

1443-482: Was invited to the Imperial Palace which was a high honor at the time. In 1106, Yoshiie’s son Yoshichika disapproved the government and started a revolt which was put down in by Taira general Masamori, father of Taira no Tadamori . That same year he died. Despite his early death, Yoshiie was remembered by many as a skilled warrior and a respected leader. He was revered as a patron saint of the warrior class and

1482-535: Was sadly torn apart due to the Former Nine Years’ War. After the Abe family was defeated, Hanahime and Yoshiie fled to Dewa and traversed the Ishikari mountain range. Hanahime set up camp on one of the mountains near a river, and with the help of monks and soldiers, she fought against the Abe clan alongside the Minamoto, but her struggle was futile and she was eventually overpowered. Hanahime threw herself off

1521-528: Was the Governor of Kai, and other stories while he was the governor of Kōzuke Province and Hitachi Province , appear in the Konjaku Monogatarishū (vol. 25, sec. 9 and 11). After this rebellion, the warriors of Bando (the Taira clan, the Fujiwara clan of the Hidesato lineage, etc.) began to form vassal relationships with the Kawachi Genji, laying the foundation for their later domination of

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