Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa (鎌倉権五郎景政) (born 1069) was a samurai descended from the

Taira clan The was one of the four most important Japanese clans, clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period, Heian period of History of Japan, Japanese history – the others being the Minamoto clan, Minamoto, the Fujiwara clan, Fuji ...

, who fought for the

Minamoto clan was a Aristocracy (class), noble surname bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the Imperial House of Japan, imperial family who were excluded from the List of emperors of Japan, line of succession and demoted into the ranks of Nobili ...

in the

Gosannen War The Gosannen War (後三年合戦, ''gosannen kassen''), also known as the Later Three-Year War, was fought in the late 1080s in Japan's Mutsu Province on the island of Honshū. History The Gosannen War was part of a long struggle for power ...

of Japan's

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

. He is famous for having continued to fight after losing an eye in battle during that war. This was in 1085,The Japanese Wikipedia gives Kagemasa's birth as 1069, which would make him 16 in 1085. According to Stephen Turnbull, the siege of Kanezawa, where Kagemasa lost his eye, took place in 1086–89. Meanwhile, Frederic gives the battle as 1091. Thus, it is difficult to know any of these dates for certain. when Kagemasa was sixteen years of age. The progenitor of the Nagao and Kagawa clans, Kagemasa is also claimed as an ancestor by Ōba Kagechika, a famous figure of the

Genpei War The was a national civil war between the Taira clan, Taira and Minamoto clan, Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yori ...

(1180–1185). The family name "Kamakura" comes from his family's residence in the city of

Kamakura , officially , is a city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 people per km2 over the tota ...

(in today's

Kanagawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

), where his father was a powerful official. The exact identity of his father is unclear, but most scholars cite either Taira no Kagenari or Taira no Kagetōri as likely names. Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa is the hero of the

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

play ''

Shibaraku is a play in the Kabuki repertoire, and one of the celebrated '' Kabuki Jūhachiban'' ("Eighteen Great Plays"). The play is noted for its flamboyantly dramatic costumes and makeup (''kumadori'').{{citation needed, date=May 2017 Originally stag ...

'', one of the most widely recognized of all kabuki roles and one most associated with the form among those with only a cursory knowledge of the form. Kagemasa is represented in the play with bold red and white face makeup, and a massive costume with huge sleeves, often bearing the crest of the actor

Ichikawa Danjūrō is a stage name taken on by a series of Kabuki actors of the Ichikawa family. Most of these were blood relatives, though some were adopted into the family. It is a famous and important name, and receiving it is an honor. There are a number of r ...

Notes

References

*Much of this article's content comes from the Japanese-language Wikipedia article. *Frederic, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 1069 births Year of death unknown 11th-century Japanese people Kabuki characters Taira clan {{samurai-stub