Ogata no Saburo Koreyoshi
Encyclopedia
, nicknamed , is a Japan
ese nobleman, warrior
who played a major role in the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate
. His full name is .
The "Tales of Genji" establish that Ogata commanded the largest armies on Kyūshū
.
According to the Okuninushi no Mikoto line of Shinto
legends, Saburo's great-great-grandfather was Daida, and thus Saburo was decended from a snake god.
It is said that Daida's mother was visited each night by her lover. One night, she pinned a needle attached to a reel of thread on his kimono
. The next day, she followed the thread to a cave. She heard mighty roars from within and called out to her lover, but he replied that his appearance was too frightening for her to behold. She remained persistent. Then, a great snake appeared with the needle attached to its throat. As soon as she laid her eyes on the snake, she and her companions scattered in terror. The following night, she gave birth to a son, Daida, who was raised by her grandfather in Bungo province
(now Oita prefecture
).
The snake was thus the symbol of the Ogata clan under Ogata no Saburo Koreyoshi.
The Ogata clan's leader was originally a retainer of Taira no Shigemori
. When the wars between the Taira and Minamoto
began, Ogata no Saburo Koreyoshi switched sides after the Minamoto
killed his rival Kikuchi Jiro
, and his armies played the key role in securing Minamoto no Yoritomo's
control of Japan
by expelling the Taira from Kyūshū
. It was Saburo who secured Prince Antoku
and lead the main battle against the Taira at Dan-no-ura
. He also helped to build the once famous Oka Castle for the first established Shogun of Japan.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese nobleman, warrior
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
who played a major role in the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate
Kamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
. His full name is .
The "Tales of Genji" establish that Ogata commanded the largest armies on Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
.
According to the Okuninushi no Mikoto line of Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
legends, Saburo's great-great-grandfather was Daida, and thus Saburo was decended from a snake god.
It is said that Daida's mother was visited each night by her lover. One night, she pinned a needle attached to a reel of thread on his kimono
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
. The next day, she followed the thread to a cave. She heard mighty roars from within and called out to her lover, but he replied that his appearance was too frightening for her to behold. She remained persistent. Then, a great snake appeared with the needle attached to its throat. As soon as she laid her eyes on the snake, she and her companions scattered in terror. The following night, she gave birth to a son, Daida, who was raised by her grandfather in Bungo province
Bungo Province
was a province of Japan in eastern Kyūshū in the area of Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Buzen Province. Bungo bordered Buzen, Hyūga, Higo, Chikugo, and Chikuzen Provinces.-History:...
(now Oita prefecture
Oita Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island. The prefectural capital is the city of Ōita.- History :Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: Tsukushi-no-kuni 筑紫国, Hi-no-kuni 肥国, and Toyo no kuni...
).
The snake was thus the symbol of the Ogata clan under Ogata no Saburo Koreyoshi.
The Ogata clan's leader was originally a retainer of Taira no Shigemori
Taira no Shigemori
was the eldest son of the Taira clan patriarch, Taira no Kiyomori. He took part in the Hōgen and Heiji rebellions. He died of illness in 1179....
. When the wars between the Taira and Minamoto
Minamoto clan
was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were demoted into the ranks of the nobility. The practice was most prevalent during the Heian Period , although its last occurrence was during the Sengoku Era. The Taira were another such offshoot of...
began, Ogata no Saburo Koreyoshi switched sides after the Minamoto
Minamoto clan
was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were demoted into the ranks of the nobility. The practice was most prevalent during the Heian Period , although its last occurrence was during the Sengoku Era. The Taira were another such offshoot of...
killed his rival Kikuchi Jiro
Kikuchi Takanao
is a Japanese warrior, nobleman . He can also can be referred to as Kikuchi no Jiro Takanao or Kikuchi Higo-Gon-no-Kami Takanao....
, and his armies played the key role in securing Minamoto no Yoritomo's
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
control of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by expelling the Taira from Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
. It was Saburo who secured Prince Antoku
Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans...
and lead the main battle against the Taira at Dan-no-ura
Battle of Dan-no-ura
The ' was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshū. On March 24, 1185, the Genji clan fleet, led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, defeated the Heike clan fleet, during a half-day engagement.The Taira were outnumbered, but...
. He also helped to build the once famous Oka Castle for the first established Shogun of Japan.
External links
- Ecowalk: Bungo Ono city at the Ōita prefectureOita Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island. The prefectural capital is the city of Ōita.- History :Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: Tsukushi-no-kuni 筑紫国, Hi-no-kuni 肥国, and Toyo no kuni...
official website - Saburō project (The literary hero Ogata Saburo Koreyoshi in an NHK taiga dramaTaiga dramais the name NHK gives to the annual, year-long historical fiction television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white Hana no Shōgai, starring kabuki actor Onoe Shōroku and Takarazuka star Awashima Chikage, the network has hired a producer, director, writer, music...
) (Oku no Oku Bungo website)