Minamoto no Yorimitsu
Encyclopedia
Minamoto no Yorinobu
was a samurai commander and member of the powerful Minamoto clan. He was the son of Minamoto no Mitsunaka . Along with his brother Yorimitsu, Yorinobu served the regents of the Fujiwara clan, taking the violent measures the Fujiwara were themselves unable to take. He held the title, passed down...
, taking the violent measures the Fujiwara were themselves unable to take. He is one of the earliest Minamoto of historical note for his military exploits, and is known for quelling the bandits of Ōeyama.
His loyal service earned him the governorships of Izu Province
Izu Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Shizuoka Prefecture. Izu bordered on Sagami and Suruga Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .The mainland portion of Izu Province, comprising the Izu Peninsula is today the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture and the Izu Islands are now part of...
, Kozuke
Kozuke Province
was an old province located in the Tōsandō of Japan, which today comprises Gunma Prefecture. It is nicknamed as or .The ancient provincial capital was near modern Maebashi. During the Sengoku period, Kōzuke was controlled variously by Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, the late Hōjō clan, and...
and a number of others in turn, as well as a number of other high government positions. Yorimitsu served as commander of a regiment of the Imperial Guard, and as a secretary in the Ministry of War. When his father Minamoto no Mitsunaka
Minamoto no Mitsunaka
, son of Minamoto no Tsunemoto, was a samurai and Court official of Japan's Heian period. Mitsunaka belonged to the Seiwa Genji branch of the Minamoto clan, which traced its ancestry to Emperor Seiwa. He loyally served several successive Fujiwara regents beginning with Fujiwara no Morotada...
died, he inherited Settsu Province
Settsu Province
was a province of Japan, which today comprises the eastern part of Hyōgo Prefecture and the northern part of Osaka Prefecture. It was also referred to as or .Osaka and Osaka Castle were the main center of the province.-History:...
.
Yorimitsu featured in a number of legends and tales, including the legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
of Kintarō
Kintaro
is a folk hero from Japanese folklore. A child of superhuman strength, he was raised by a mountain hag on Mount Ashigara. He became friendly with the animals of the mountain, and later, after catching Shutendouji, the terror of the region around Mount Ooe, he became a loyal follower of Minamoto no...
(Golden Boy aka Sakata no Kintoki), the legend of Shuten Dōji
Shuten-doji
is a gigantic ruler of the Oni, creatures of Japanese folklore.In popular culture:, a character in the anime Ronin Warriors* Shutendouji, a character in the anime Otogizoshi, a manga by Go Nagai...
, and the legend of Tsuchigumo
Tsuchigumo
The , also called , were a people of ancient Japan, believed to have lived in the Japanese Alps until at least the Asuka period. The name means "ground spider", likely due to perceived physical traits that were later exaggerated or embellished....
.
Raiko is usually accompanied by his four legendary retainers, known as the Shiten-nō (The Four Guardian Kings
The Four Guardian Kings
Shitennō , a Japanese term normally referring to the Buddhist Four Heavenly Kings, is also applied to particularly famous or loyal retainers, in groups of four, to certain of Japan's most famous legendary and historical figures....
). They were Watanabe no Tsuna
Watanabe no Tsuna
' was a Japanese samurai, a retainer of Minamoto no Yorimitsu , one of the earliest samurai to be famed for his military exploits.-In Legend:...
, Sakata no Kintoki, Urabe no Suetake
Urabe no Suetake
Urabe no Suetake was a retainer of the legendary hero Minamoto no Yorimitsu , supposedly during the Heian period in 12th century Japan. Suetake assisted Raikō throughout his life, being referred to as one of The Four Guardian Kings under Raikō. Suetake originated from the House of Seiryū...
, and Usui Sadamitsu
Usui Sadamitsu
' was a warrior of the mid-Heian period. His official name was '.According to Otogizōshi stories compiled several centuries later, Sadamitsu was a retainer of the Japanese legendary hero Minamoto no Raikō. Sadamitsu is known as one of The Four Guardian Kings under Raikō. Alternatively, in Konjaku...
.
Raiko in popular culture
It's worth keeping in mind that Raikou means something along "thunder king" and many entries here are unrelated to this character.- The Karatsu KunchiKaratsu KunchiKaratsu Kunchi is a Japanese festival that takes place annually in the city of Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, on Japan's island of Kyūshū.- About :...
festival in Karatsu CityKaratsu, Sagais a city located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū, Japan. Its name, formed from the Japanese word roots 唐 kara , and 津 tsu , signifies its historical importance as an ancient trading port between Japan with China and Korea...
, Saga PrefectureSaga Prefectureis located in the northwest part of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. It touches both the Sea of Japan and the Ariake Sea. The western part of the prefecture is a region famous for producing ceramics and porcelain, particularly the towns of Karatsu, Imari, and Arita...
, features a large floatMikoshiA is a divine palanquin . Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when moving to a new shrine...
inspired by the helmetHelmetA helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
of Minamoto, being partially devoured by the oni Shuten Douji. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:DoujiMinamotoKabuto.jpg
- In the game OtogiOtogiOtogi: Myth of Demons, known in Japan as simply Otogi , is a hack and slash action game by From Software, published by Sega for the Xbox...
Raikō is brought back to life by a mysterious princess and employed by her to quell demons and restore a powerful seal in order to rid the capital (and the world) of darkness. In the sequel, Otogi 2, Raikō is brought back to life again by SeimeiAbe no Seimeiwas an onmyōji, a leading specialist of onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan. In addition to his prominence in history, he is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore and has been portrayed in a number of stories and films....
and employed to protect an orb of power and protect the capital. Along with Seimei he is again playable, as are his four generals Tsuna, Sadamitsu, Kintoki, and Suetake.
- In the Game Mass EffectMass EffectMass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios...
The Raikou series Pistol is a weapon made by Ariake Technologies, a Japanese based company.
- In the anime Otogizōshi, Raikō's sister, Minamoto no Hikaru, pretends to be her brother and journeys Japan in search of the magatamaMagatamaMagatama , are curved beads which first appeared in Japan during the Jōmon period.They are often found inhumed in mounded tumulus graves as offerings to deities . They continued to be popular with the ruling elites throughout the Kofun Period of Japan, and are often romanticised as indicative of...
which will save the capital. She is also accompanied by Raikō's four generals.
- In the OVA New Getter RoboNew Getter Robois an anime original video animation co-produced by Dynamic Planning and Bandai Visual. The series is a re-imagining of the 1970s manga Getter Robo, created by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa, that incorporates aspects of Japanese mythology like the Oni and Abe no Seimei.- Plot :An alternate retelling of...
, Raikō appears in episode 6 and is revealed to be a woman.
- In the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card GameYu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card GameThe is a Japanese collectible card game developed and published by Konami. It is based on the fictional game of Duel Monsters created by manga artist Kazuki Takahashi, which is the main plot device during the majority of his popular manga franchise, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and its various anime adaptations...
, the card Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter's Japanese name is Lightlord Hunter Raikou.
- There is a PokémonPokémonis a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
named Raikou.
- In TacticsTactics (manga)is a Japanese manga series collaborated between Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama. It was serialized in Comic Blade Masamune. Kinoshita supplied the character "Kantarou," and Higashiyama supplied the character "Haruka." The manga was first released in North America by ADV Manga in 2004...
, Raikou Demon Hunter, Manga by Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama
- In the Game Age of Empires: The Age of KingsAge of Empires: The Age of KingsAge of Empires: The Age of Kings is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Backbone Entertainment and published by Majesco for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console....
Minamoto is the hero character of the second campaign, and an enemy in the third Mongolian one.