was a Japanese samurai commander in the Genpei War

Genpei War

The was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....

, the great conflict between the Minamoto and Taira clans.

An infant at the time of the Heiji Rebellion

Heiji Rebellion

The was a short civil war fought in order to resolve a dispute about political power. The Heiji no ran encompassed clashes between rival subjects of the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan in 1159. It was preceded by the Hōgen Rebellion in 1156...

 (1159–1160), Takatsuna was spared the destruction of his family several years later. He grew up with an aunt in Kyoto, and joined the forces of Minamoto no Yoritomo

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...

 in 1180, when Yoritomo called for aid against the Taira.

Takatsuna saved Yoritomo's life at the battle of Ishibashiyama

Battle of Ishibashiyama

The ' was the first in which Minamoto Yoritomo, who was to become shogun less than a decade later, was commander of the Minamoto forces. In this, his first attempt to challenge the Taira, he was assisted by warriors from the Miura clan....

, and aided in the destruction of the Taira following the end of the war. As a result, he was rewarded with the position of shugo

Shugo

was a title, commonly translated as "Governor," given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan...

or governor of Nagato province

Nagato Province

, often called , was a province of Japan. It was at the extreme western end of Honshū, in the area that is today Yamaguchi Prefecture. Nagato bordered on Iwami and Suō Provinces....

.

In 1195, Takatsuna retired to Mount Koya

Mount Koya

is the name of mountains in Wakayama Prefecture to the south of Osaka. Also, Kōya-san is a modifying word for Kongōbuji . There is no one mountain officially called Kōya-san in Japan....

 to become a Shingon priest. He left his son with his title, land, and all his material possessions. He is said to have died in 1214 in Matsumoto, Nagano

Matsumoto, Nagano

is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Matsumoto is designated as a Special City.-Outline:The new city of Matsumoto is the city comprising the mergers of the old city of Matsumoto and four villages. Matsumoto officially absorbed those villages without creating a new municipal...

 (then Shinano Province

Shinano Province

or is an old province of Japan that is now present day Nagano Prefecture.Shinano bordered on Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces...

). Nogi Maresuke was one of his descendants.

When depicted in tales or in art, Takatsuna is often shown racing Kajiwara Kagesue

Kajiwara Kagesue

, also known as Kajiwara Kagetoki, was a samurai in service to the Minamoto clan during the Genpei War of Japan's late Heian period.The Heike monogatari records an anecdote about a friendly competition with Sasaki Takatsuna prior to the second battle of Uji...

 across the River Uji atop Shogun Yoritomo's white horse, Ikezuki, to be the first to engage in battle at the 1184 battle of Uji

Battle of Uji (1184)

Minamoto no Yoshinaka tried to wrest power from his cousins Yoritomo and Yoshitsune, seeking to take command of the Clan. To that end, he sacked Kyoto, burning the Hōjūji Palace, kidnapping Emperor Go-Shirakawa and having himself named shogun...

.