Minamoto no Noriyori

1156 (age 37)

Beginning in 1184, four years into the war, he was sent out from Kamakura by Yoritomo, and made his way to the Taira strongholds of Shikoku. Noriyori helped defeat the wayward Minamoto no Yoshinaka at the Second Battle of the Uji and the Awazu, before moving on to play a central role in the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani. The Taira were pushed back, and the war fell into a lull for about six months, during which Noriyori returned to Kyoto. Noriyori was sent out once more in September 1184, to secure the provinces of the Chūgoku region, and then to move on into Kyūshū. He played a major role in the Battle of Kojima. However, attempting to push further, he ran into difficulties of a lack of supplies, and the fact that the Inland Sea was controlled by his enemies. Noriyori finally managed to get rice, other supplies, and a handful of war junks from a magnate in Suo Province. He moved on into Kyūshū, as planned, and remained there, playing no role in the decisive Battle of Dan-no-ura. After the Genpei War was over, Noriyori returned to Kamakura, where he was rewarded by Yoritomo for his services. However, there was now a feud for dominance of the clan between Yoritomo and Yoshitsune. A rumor spread that Yoritomo was killed. Yoritomo"s wife Hōjō Masako worried about it, but Noriyori assured her that even in Yoritomo"s absence, he would be there for her and for the clan. These words caused a doubt of Yoritomo, and Noriyori was confined to Izu Province. In 1193, Yoritomo had Noriyori killed on charges of conspiracy.

Minamoto no Noriyori

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源範頼

samurai

Background

The sixth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo.

Career

Beginning in 1184, four years into the war, he was sent out from Kamakura by Yoritomo, and made his way to the Taira strongholds of Shikoku. Noriyori helped defeat the wayward Minamoto no Yoshinaka at the Second Battle of the Uji and the Awazu, before moving on to play a central role in the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani. The Taira were pushed back, and the war fell into a lull for about six months, during which Noriyori returned to Kyoto.

Noriyori was sent out once more in September

1184, to secure the provinces of the Chūgoku region, and then to move on into Kyūshū. He played a major role in the Battle of Kojima.

However, attempting to push further, he ran into difficulties of a lack of supplies, and the fact that the Inland Sea was controlled by his enemies. Noriyori finally managed to get rice, other supplies, and a handful of war junks from a magnate in Suo Province.

He moved on into Kyūshū, as planned, and remained there, playing no role in the decisive Battle of Dan-no-ura.

After the Genpei War was over, Noriyori returned to Kamakura, where he was rewarded by Yoritomo for his services. However, there was now a feud for dominance of the clan between Yoritomo and Yoshitsune. A rumor spread that Yoritomo was killed.

Yoritomo"s wife Hōjō Masako worried about it, but Noriyori assured her that even in Yoritomo"s absence, he would be there for her and for the clan.

These words caused a doubt of Yoritomo, and Noriyori was confined to Izu Province. In 1193, Yoritomo had Noriyori killed on charges of conspiracy.

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