Minamoto no Yoritomo
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Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate and of Japan, ruling from 1192 until 1199, also the first ruling shogun in the history of Japan. He was the husband of Hōjō Masako who acted as regent (shikken) after his death.
Gate of Seigan-ji in Nagoya, the site of the former family villa and his birthplace
Minamoto no Yoritomo scroll painting, late 14th century
An ukiyo-e by Yoshitoshi depicting Yoritomo and his retainers releasing cranes to mourn for the war dead in the Mutsu and Dewa Conquest.
Taira clan
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The Taira (平) was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period of Japanese history – the others being the Minamoto, the Fujiwara, and the Tachibana. The clan is divided into four major groups, named after the emperors they descended from: Kanmu Heishi, Ninmyō Heishi, Montoku Heishi, and Kōkō Heishi, the most influential of which was the Kanmu Heishi line.
