, also known as Minamoto no Raikō, was a Japanese

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

of the

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 ...

, who served the regents of the

Fujiwara clan The was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

along with his brother Yorinobu, taking the violent measures the Fujiwara were themselves unable to take. He is one of the earliest

Minamoto 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."...the Minamoto (1192-1333)". ''Warrior Rule in Jap ...

of historical note for his military exploits, and is known for quelling the bandits of Ōeyama. His loyal service earned him the governorships of

Izu Province was a province of Japan in the area now part of Shizuoka Prefecture and Tokyo. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Izu''" in . Izu bordered on Sagami and Suruga Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . The mainland portion of Izu Prov ...

, Kozuke and a number of others in turn, as well as a number of other high government positions. Yorimitsu served as commander of a regiment of the Imperial Guard, and as a secretary in the Ministry of War. When his father Minamoto no Mitsunaka died, he inherited Settsu Province. Yorimitsu is usually accompanied by his four legendary retainers, known as the Shitennō (The Four Heavenly Kings). They were Watanabe no Tsuna, Sakata no Kintoki,

Urabe no Suetake was a samurai of the Heian period (794 – 1185) in the service of Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948 – 1021), a regent of the Fujiwara clan. Suetake was formally known as , and also appears in literature as and . Suetake assisted Yorimitsu ...

, and Usui Sadamitsu.

Legends

Yorimitsu is featured in a number of legends and tales, including the

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

of Kintarō (Golden Boy a.k.a. Sakata no Kintoki), the legend of Shuten Dōji, and the legend of

Tsuchigumo is a historical Japanese derogatory term for renegade local clans, primarily during the Asuka, Nara, and early Heian periods, and also the name for a race of spider-like in Japanese folklore. Alternative names for the historical groups include , ...

. The ''

tachi A is a type of sabre-like traditionally made Japanese sword (''nihonto'') worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. ''Tachi'' and '' uchigatana'' ("''katana''") generally differ in length, degree of curvature, and how they were worn when she ...

'' (long sword) 'Dōjigiri' owned by

Tokyo National Museum The or TNM is an art museum in Ueno Park in the Taitō wards of Tokyo, ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the four museums operated by the , is considered the oldest national museum and the largest art museum in Japan. The museum collects, prese ...

and selected as a National Treasure and '' Tenka-Goken'' ("Five Swords under Heaven"), and 'Onikirimaru' owned by Tada Shrine, have a legend that Yorimitsu beheaded Shuten Dōji. Also, three swords of the same name, 'Hizamaru' owned by Daikaku-ji Temple, Hakone Shrine and an individual, have a legend that Yorimitsu beat off Tsuchigumo. The Karatsu Kunchi

festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

in Karatsu City,

Saga Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of roughly 780,000 and has a geographic area of . Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasaki Prefect ...

, features a large float inspired by the

helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protecti ...

of Minamoto, being partially devoured by the

oni An ( ) is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. They are believed to live in caves or deep in the mountains or in hell. Oni are known for their superhuman strength and have been associated with powers like th ...

Shuten Douji

File:NDL-DC 1310286-Tsukioka Yoshitoshi-頼光四天王大江山鬼神退治之図-元治1-cmb.jpg, An

ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock printing, woodblock prints and Nikuhitsu-ga, paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes ...

by Yoshitoshi depicting Minamoto no Yorimitsu's retainers, Watanabe no Tsuna,

, Usui Sadamitsu, and Sakata no Kintoki and aristocrat Fujiwara no Yasumasa fighting

Shuten-dōji Shuten-dōji (, also sometimes called , or ) is a mythical ''oni'' or demon leader of Japan, who according to legend was killed by the hero Minamoto no Yorimitsu, Minamoto no Raikō. Although decapitated, the demon's detached head still took a bi ...

on Ōeyama. File:土蜘蛛退治図鐔 Tsuba with design of Minamoto no Yorimitsu confronting the Tsuchigumo.jpg, Two

tsuba Japanese sword mountings are the various housings and associated fittings (''Commons:Tosogu (Japanese sword fittings), tosogu'') that hold the blade of a Japanese sword when it is being worn or stored. refers to the ornate mountings of a Japane ...

(Sword guard) depicting Yorimitsu trying to cut a

tsuchigumo is a historical Japanese derogatory term for renegade local clans, primarily during the Asuka, Nara, and early Heian periods, and also the name for a race of spider-like in Japanese folklore. Alternative names for the historical groups include , ...

with a

named 'Hizamaru'. made by Unnno Yoshimori I (left), Gochiku Sadakatsu (right).

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the list of largest art museums, 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 painting ...

. File:Yoshitsuya Minamoto no Yorimitsu.jpg, "A Strange Account of the Destruction of the Bandits by the Elite Four" (Yorimitsu, Watanabe no Tsuna, Urabe no Suetake, and Fujiwara no Yasumasa.), Yomihon book by

Utagawa Toyokuni , also often referred to as Toyokuni I, to distinguish him from the Utagawa school, members of his school who took over his ''gō'' (art-name) after he died, was a great master of ukiyo-e, known in particular for his kabuki actor prints. He was ...

and Takizawa Bakin. File:NDL-DC 1302756-Tsukioka Yoshitoshi-芳年武者无類阪田公時・源頼光-明治19-crd.jpg, An ukiyo-e by Yoshitoshi depicting Minamoto no Yorimitsu and Kintarō, 1886, ''Warriors Trembling with Courage''.

Family

Source: *Mother: Daughter of Minamoto no Suguru *Father: Minamoto no Mitsunaka *Wife:Daughter of Fujiwara no Motohira **1st son : Minamoto no Yorikuni *Wife:Daughter of Taira no Koretaka **2nd son : Minamoto no Yoriie *Wife:Daughter of Yoshishige no Tamemasa **3rd son:Minamoto no Yorimoto **4th son: Eiju **5th son:Minamoto no Yoriaki **daughter:Fujiwara no Michitsuna's wife

Poetry

Yorimitsu wrote a

renga ''Renga'' (, ''linked poem'') is a genre of Japanese collaborative poetry in which alternating stanzas, or ''ku (''句), of 5-7-5 and 7-7 morae (sound units, not to be confused with syllables) per line are linked in succession by multiple poets ...

with his wife, which appears in the

Kin'yō Wakashū The , sometimes abbreviated as ''Kin'yōshū'', is the fifth Japanese imperial anthology of waka whose two drafts were finished in 1124 and 1127. It was compiled at the behest of the Retired Emperor Shirakawa, by Minamoto no Shunrai (~1055–1 ...

(nos.703-704):
''tade karu fune no suguru narikeri''
''asa madaki kararo no oto no kikoyuru wa''
This translates as:
a boat harvesting smartweed is passing by
I thought I heard someone rowing smartly before dawn

In popular culture

*Appears in the video game '' Nioh 2'' as a female yokai hunter. She is voiced by

Yūko Kaida is a Japanese actress and Voice acting in Japan, voice actress who is affiliated with Ken Production. Her most known roles include Shimei Ryomou in ''Ikki Tousen'', Tsukuyo in Gin Tama, ''Gintama'', Chasca in Genshin Impact, Kyō Takamimori in ...

. *Appears as a summonable character in the mobile game in '' Fate/Grand Order''. She is voiced by Haruka Tomatsu. *Appears as the protagonist in the Otogi game series. *Appears as the ancestor of the Minamoto clan in the manga and anime series

Toilet-bound Hanako-kun is a Japanese manga series written by Iro and illustrated by Aida, which results in their conjoined name 'AidaIro'. It has been serialized in Square Enix's magazine '' Monthly GFantasy'' since 2014. It has been collected in 23 ''tankōbon ...

. *Appears as a character in the RPG game Onmyoji.

Notes

References