Shimokōbe Yukihira

Shimokōbe Yukihira (下河辺行平, dates unknown) was a Japanese samurai of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. He was one of the closest retainers of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first Kamakura shōgun, and was a personal tutor to the second, Minamoto no Yoriie.

In this Japanese name, the surname is Shimokōbe.
Shimokōbe Yukihira
Shimokōbe Yukihira
Bornunknown, probably twelfth century
Diedunknown, but no earlier than 1195
AllegianceMinamoto clan, later Kamakura shogunate
Battles/warsGenpei War (Shida Yoshihiro Incident) and Ōshū War
RelationsFujiwara no Hidesato (remote ancestor), Shimokōbe Yukiyoshi (father), Shimokōbe Masayoshi (brother)

Life

The birth date of Shimokōbe Yukihira, a samurai[1] of the late Heian[2] and early Kamakura periods,[1] is unknown.[1] He was the administrator (ja) Shimokōbe Manor in Katsushika District, Shimōsa Province[1] (modern Ibaraki Prefecture,[3] specifically the area corresponding to Koga City and its environs[4]) and was the son of Shimokōbe Yukiyoshi[4] and the elder brother of Shimokōbe Masayoshi.[3] His clan were descendants of Fujiwara no Hidesato.[5]

He was initially a vassal of the Taira clan,[6] but when Prince Mochihito and Minamoto no Yorimasa had their call to arms, it was Yukihira who brought the word to his lord Minamoto no Yoritomo,[4] and he joined Yoritomo when he called his banners.[2] It was during Yoritomo's retreat to Awa Province following the Battle of Ishibashiyama that Yukihira added his forces to Yoritomo's.[6] He was a trusted retainer of Yoritomo, and in Yōwa 1 (1181) was selected as one of his personal bodyguards (寝所近辺祗候衆).[5] He was a prominent gokenin.[5]

He fought valiantly in the Jishō-Juei War,[1] including the defeat of Shida Yoshihiro (ja),[6] and the invasion of Ōshū.[7] He reputedly had tremendous martial skill,[3] particularly with the bow,[4] demonstrating his skill frequently in yabusame, yumi-hajime (弓始) and deer-hunting.[4] He later taught archery to Minamoto no Yoriie.[1]

In Kenkyū 6 (1195) he was accepted as a member of Yoritomo's household (ja),[1] but his activities in the Hatakeyama Shigetada incident (ja) and later are uncertain.[5] The date of his death is unknown.[2]

References

Citations
  1. Sawano 1994; Hosokawa 1998; Nihon Jinmei Daijiten Plus 2015.
  2. Sawano 1994; Nihon Jinmei Daijiten Plus 2015.
  3. Nihon Jinmei Daijiten Plus 2015.
  4. Sawano 1994.
  5. Sawano 1994; Hosokawa 1998.
  6. Hosokawa 1998.
  7. Sawano 1994; Hosokawa 1998; Nihon Jinmei Daijiten Plus 2015; Suzuki 1983, p. 246.

Works cited
  • Hosokawa, Ryōichi (1998). "Shimokōbe Yukihira" 下河辺行平. World Encyclopedia (in Japanese). Heibonsha. Retrieved 2018-07-29.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • "Shimokōbe Yukihira" 下河辺行平. Nihon Jinmei Daijiten Plus (in Japanese). Kodansha. 2015. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  • Sawano, Izumi (1994). "Shimokōbe Yukihira" 下河辺行平. Asahi Nihon Rekishi Jinbutsu Jiten (in Japanese). Asahi Shinbun-sha. Retrieved 2018-07-29.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Suzuki, Keizō (1983). "Buke kojitsu". Nihon Koten Bungaku Daijiten 日本古典文学大辞典 (in Japanese). 5. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten. pp. 246–248. OCLC 11917421.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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