was a

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

and retainer of the

Kamakura Shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no ...

during the late Heian and early

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

. He was a spy for

Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1192 until 1199.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako who acted as regent (''shikken'') after his ...

in the Genpei War, and a warrior against the

Taira clan The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divi ...

. He came to be known for his greed and treachery. He was a prominent eastern warrior and supplied

Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a military 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 which toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo conso ...

with a number of ships after the Battle of Yashima.

Life

Originally from Suruga Province, Kajiwara entered the Genpei War fighting under Ōba Kagechika, against the Minamoto. After the Taira victory at Ishibashiyama in 1181, he was sent to pursue the fleeing Minamoto no Yoritomo. Having discovered him, Kajiwara switched sides, leading his forces in another direction, and turning to Yoritomo's cause. Three years later, Kajiwara would lead the forces of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Yoritomo into battle against their cousin Yoshinaka, and against the Taira. Attached to Yoshitsune's force, Kajiwara reported back to Yoritomo on Yoshitsune's actions, in order to satisfy Yoritomo's suspicion and distrust of his brother. In one particular episode related in ''

The Tale of the Heike is an epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). Heike () refers to the Taira (), ''hei'' being the ''on'yo ...

'', Kajiwara suggests, during the

Battle of Yashima Battle of Yashima (屋島の戦い) was one of the battles of the Genpei War on March 22, 1185 in the Heian period. It occurred in Sanuki Province (Shikoku) which is now Takamatsu, Kagawa. Background Following a long string of defeats, the Tai ...

, that Yoshitsune equip the Minamoto ships with "reverse oars" should they need to retreat quickly. Yoshitsune responds with distaste to Kajiwara's advice, humiliating him by saying such an act would be cowardice. From that point until Yoritomo's death, the resentful Kajiwara did as much as he could to raise tensions between the brothers. His slander led Yoritomo, already suspicious of his younger brother, to eventually accuse Yoshitsune of plotting against the ''

bakufu , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakura ...

'', which then led to his exile and eventual death. Even after this, when the shogunate was successfully and firmly established, Kajiwara still caused tensions at court. He accused Yuki Tomomitsu of plotting against the Shōgun

Minamoto no Yoriie was the second ''shōgun'' (1202–1203) of Japan's Kamakura shogunate, and the first son of first shōgun Yoritomo. His Dharma name was Hokke-in-dono Kingo Da'i Zengo (法華院殿金吾大禅閤). Life Minamoto no Yoriie was born to Hōjō M ...

; a number of members of the court tried to get rid of him, who eventually left for Suruga. The following year (1200), he was defeated and killed in battle along with his son Kagesue.

Genealogy

Kajiwara Heima, a senior retainer of the Aizu domain in the 19th century, claimed descent from Kagetoki. His formal name, Kagetake (景武) shares a character with Kagetoki's name.

References

*''Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan''. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.
Samurai-archives.com
Biography of Kajiwara Kagetoki. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kajiwara, Kagetoki 1200 deaths Samurai Japanese warriors killed in battle People of Heian-period Japan People of Kamakura-period Japan Year of birth uncertain

Life

Genealogy

See also

References