Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles that toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo consolidate power. He is considered one of the greatest and the most popular warriors of his era, and one of the most famous samurai in the history of Japan. Yoshitsune perished after being betrayed by the son of a trusted ally.
Portrait of Yoshitsune in the Chusonji collection
The fight between Ushiwakamaru and the bandit chief Kumasaka Chohan in 1174. Yoshitsune was only 15 when he defeated the notorious bandit leader. Ukiyo-e printed by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. Warriors Trembling with Courage .
Yoshitsune and Benkei defending themselves in their boat during a storm created by the ghosts of conquered Taira warriors. Made by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Statue of Yoshitsune in Mimosusogawa Park, Shimonoseki, near the site of the Battle of Dan-no-ura
Minamoto (源) was a noble surname bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility since 814. Several noble lines were bestowed the surname, the most notable of which was the Seiwa Genji, whose descendants established the Kamakura and Ashikaga shogunates following the Heian era. The Minamoto was one of the four great clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period in Japanese history—the other three were the Fujiwara, the Taira, and the Tachibana.
Seiryō-ji, a temple in Kyoto, was once a villa of Minamoto no Tōru (d. 895), a prominent member of the Saga Genji
Emperor Saga (786 – 842)
Minamoto no Makoto (810 – 868)
Kabuto attached with Mon (emblem) of Minamoto clan (sasa-rindou)