Toki Yoritomo - Time・Yoritoo

Japanese: 土岐頼遠 - とき・よりとお

Year of death: Kōei 1/Kōkoku 3.12.1 (1342.12.29)
Year of birth: Unknown. Military commander during the Northern and Southern Court period. Shugo of Mino Province (Gifu Prefecture). Son of Yoritsada. Danjo Shosuke. One of the typical Basara (a popular term at the time meaning flashy, novel, disorderly, etc.) daimyo who emerged in the early Northern and Southern Court period. Known as a veteran warrior who achieved military success under Ashikaga Takauji and Ashikaga Tadayoshi, he was also good at waka poetry, and his works were included in imperial anthologies. In the Battle of Aono-ga-hara in 1338, when the Ashikaga side intercepted Kitabatake Akiie's advance westward in Mino, he fought bravely until only 20 remained out of 1,000 cavalry, and was praised as "Toki Yoritsune alone was famous for being the army of Aono-hara" (Nan-Taiheiki). The following year, after his father died of illness, he succeeded him as Shugo of Mino. Proud of his many military achievements, in September 1342 (Kōei 1/Kōkoku 3), when he encountered the procession of the retired Emperor Kogon at Higuchi Higashinotoin, he committed the outrage of shooting an arrow at the retired Emperor's ox carriage, shouting, "Whether it's an Emperor or a dog, shoot it if it's a dog" (Taiheiki). When he was questioned about his crime, he went to Mino without permission and briefly showed signs of rebellion, but was eventually beheaded. The Taiheiki states, "Toki (Yorito) was originally a drunkard, but recently he had been particularly out of touch with the world."

(Taniguchi Ken's words)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：康永1/興国3.12.1(1342.12.29)
生年：生年不詳
南北朝時代の武将。美濃国(岐阜県)守護。頼貞の子。弾正少弼。南北朝時代初期に輩出した典型的な婆娑羅(派手,新奇,無秩序などの意で当時の流行語)大名のひとり。足利尊氏・直義に従って戦功を積んだ歴戦の勇将として知られる一方,和歌もよくし勅撰集にも入集している。暦応1/延元3(1338)年,北畠顕家の西上を足利方が美濃で迎撃した青野ケ原の戦では,1000騎がわずか20騎になるまで奮戦し,「青野原の軍は土岐頼遠一人高名と聞し也」(『難太平記』)とたたえられた。翌年父の病死後,美濃守護を継承。たびたびの戦功におごり,康永1/興国3(1342)年9月,光厳上皇の行列に樋口東洞院で行き合った際,「院と云か,犬と云か,犬ならば射ておけ」(『太平記』)といって上皇の牛車に矢を射掛ける狼藉を働いた。その罪を問われると無断で美濃に下向,一時,反乱の姿勢をみせたが,結局,斬首された。『太平記』は「土岐(頼遠)は元来酔狂の者なりけるに,このごろ殊に世を世ともせざりければ」と評している。

(谷口研語)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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