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Minamoto no Yoshishige

1114 – 1202

Samurai

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About Minamoto no Yoshishige

Lived 1114 – 1202 (aged 87–88). Minamoto no Yoshishige was a Japanese bushi and military personnel.

was the progenitor of the cadet Nitta branch family of the Minamoto samurai clan, who fought alongside the Minamoto in the Genpei War. He is also known as Nitta Tarō and Nitta Yoshishige.

His father was Minamoto no Yoshikuni and his grandfather Minamoto no Yoshiie.

In 1156, he fought in the Hogen Rebellion with Taira no Kiyomori. He also fought with Kiyomori in the Heiji Rebellion in 1160 along with his younger brother Minamoto no Yoshiyasu. However, he switched sides shortly after the rebellion and fought with the Minamoto in the Genpei War two decades later. He fought in the Battle of Awazu with his brother in 1184, and again in the Battle of Yashima a year later. He died in 1202.

Yoshishige was posthumously awarded the title of Chinjufu-shōgun, or Commander-in-chief of the Defense of the North, in 1611, four centuries after his death, by the second Tokugawa shōgun, Tokugawa Hidetada.

He ordained as a Buddhist monk and received the Dharma name Jōnichi (上西).

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Important facts

Born
1114
Birth century
Occupation
Bushi, military personnel
Nationality

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Minamoto no Yoshishige's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Minamoto no Yoshishige?

samurai

When was Minamoto no Yoshishige born?

Minamoto no Yoshishige was born in 1114.

When did Minamoto no Yoshishige die?

Minamoto no Yoshishige died on 8 February 1202.

What was Minamoto no Yoshishige's occupation?

Minamoto no Yoshishige was a bushi and military personnel.

What nationality was Minamoto no Yoshishige?

Minamoto no Yoshishige was Japanese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Minamoto no Yoshishige

· Wikidata: Q732097

· DBpedia: Minamoto no Yoshishige

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Minamoto no Yoshishige. https://biography.guide/minamoto-no-yoshishige/

MLA: "Minamoto no Yoshishige." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/minamoto-no-yoshishige/.

Chicago: "Minamoto no Yoshishige." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/minamoto-no-yoshishige/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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