Koshigoe letter

This letter is said to have been written by Minamoto no Yoshitsune. In March 1185 (Bun'ji 1), Yoshitsune annihilated the Taira clan at Dannoura and returned to Koshigoe in Sagami (within Kamakura City) accompanied by Munemori and his son as prisoners, but incurred the displeasure of his brother Yoritomo and was not allowed to enter Kamakura. So on May 24th of the same year, Yoshitsune is said to have written a letter from Koshigoe to Oe no Hiromoto, a senior vassal of the shogunate, asking him to intercede for Yoritomo. The full text is published in the Azuma Kagami, but there are doubts about its authenticity. In the end, his request was not granted and he returned to Kyoto in vain.

[Eiji Nitta]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

源義経(よしつね)が書いたと伝えられる書状。義経は1185年（文治1）3月、平氏を壇ノ浦に滅ぼし、宗盛(むねもり)父子を俘虜(ふりょ)として伴い相模(さがみ)の腰越（鎌倉市内）まで帰ってきたが、兄頼朝(よりとも)の不興を買って鎌倉に入るのを許されなかった。そこで同年5月24日、腰越から幕府の重臣大江広元(おおえのひろもと)にあてて、頼朝へのとりなしを頼んで書いたと伝えられる。全文は『吾妻鏡(あづまかがみ)』に載せられているが、真偽については疑問がもたれている。結局、願いはいれられず、むなしく京都に引き返した。

［新田英治］

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