Minamoto no Tametomo - For the sake of the Minamoto

Japanese: 源為朝 - みなもとのためとも

Year of death: Jisho 1.3.6? (1177.4.6)
Year of birth: 1139
A military commander in the late Heian period. The eighth son of Tameyoshi. His mother was a prostitute from Eguchi, Settsu Province (Osaka City). The younger brother of Yoshitomo. His date of death is according to the Sonpi Bunmyaku, but there are various theories. He was said to have been brave from an early age and excelled in the art of archery. At the age of 13, he incurred the displeasure of his father Tameyoshi and was banished to Chinzei (Kyushu), where he was called Chinzei Hachiro. He lived in Bungo Province and married Aso Tadakage, and expanded his influence throughout Kyushu, calling himself the Sotsuihoushi of Chinzei. In 1154, he was summoned by the Imperial Court but did not respond, and as a result, his father Tameyoshi was dismissed from his position as Kebiishi. When Tametomo learned of this, he led his troops to Kyoto. In 1156, he followed Tameyoshi in the Hogen Rebellion and fought bravely on the side of the retired Emperor Sutoku. According to the "Hogen Monogatari," Tametomo advised the retired emperor to launch a night attack on Takamatsu Palace in the Imperial Palace, but was opposed by Fujiwara no Yorinaga and was not accepted, so he fortified the west gate of Shirakawa Palace. There is a famous story about how he faced his brother Yoshitomo, who was attacking, and deliberately did not shoot Yoshitomo, but instead demonstrated his archery skills to frighten the government forces. After his defeat, he fled to Omi in an attempt to make a comeback, and after his father Tameyoshi's execution, he hid near Sakata in Omi Province, but was captured by Minamoto no Shigesada. After an investigation by the nobles, he was spared the death penalty due to his excellent archery skills and was exiled to Izu Oshima. After exile, he expanded his influence over the neighboring islands, and in 1170, he was pursued by Izu no Suke Kudo Shigemitsu and is said to have committed suicide. There are many legends about Tametomo, including one about him escaping to Hachijojima without committing suicide, and another about him going to Ryukyu and becoming the ancestor of the Ryukyu kings. The early modern work "Tsubaki no Setsu Yumiharizuki" written by Takizawa Bakin is also based on the Tametomo legend.

(Izumi Sawano)

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

Japanese:

没年：治承1.3.6?(1177.4.6)
生年：保延5(1139)
平安後期の武将。為義の8男。母は摂津国江口(大阪市)の遊女。義朝の弟。没年月日は『尊卑分脈』によるが諸説がある。幼少より勇猛で,弓の芸に優れていたという。13歳のとき,父為義の不興を買い,鎮西(九州)に追放され,鎮西八郎と称す。豊後国に住し,阿蘇忠景の婿となり,九州各地に勢力を張って自ら鎮西の惣追捕使を称した。久寿1(1154)年,朝廷より召喚されたが応じず,そのため父為義は検非違使を解官された。為朝はそれを知り,手勢を率いて上洛。保元1(1156)年,保元の乱で為義に従い,崇徳上皇方で奮戦した。『保元物語』によれば,内裏高松殿に夜討ちをかけるよう上皇に進言したが,藤原頼長の反対に遭い容れられず,白河殿西門を固めた。攻め寄せた兄義朝と相まみえ,わざと義朝を射殺さず,その弓の技量を示して官軍を恐れさせた話は有名である。敗北後,再起をかけて近江に逃れ,父為義の処刑後も近江国坂田の辺に隠れていたが,源重定に捕らえられた。公卿詮議の結果,その優れた射芸により死罪を免れ,伊豆大島へ流された。配流後は近隣諸島を従えて勢力を張り,嘉応2(1170)年,伊豆介工藤茂光の追討を受け,自害したともいう。為朝に関する伝説は多く,自害せず逃れて八丈島に渡った話や琉球へ渡り琉球王の祖となった話などがある。近世,滝沢馬琴が著した『椿説弓張月』も為朝伝説をもとにしたものである。

(澤野泉)

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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