Shimizu no kanja Yoshitaka

Shimizu no kanja Yoshitaka by Utagawa Yoshitora in 1859

"I heard that Kanja, the son of Yoshinaka, fled. It would not be the fact." - this is the only contemporary primary source of Yoshitaka's time.[7] This short reference is described on an article of a winter day of the 2nd year of Juei[lower-alpha 1] in Kikki, the diary of a noble man Furuda Tsunehisa.[7] Yoshitaka's biographical information written in decades later are found in some historical tales and chlonologies including Azuma kagami, The Tale of the Heike, Genpei Jōsuiki.[5]

His biographical facts are ambiguous due to lack of historical sources.[8][9][10] Even his name is ambiguous.[9][10] "Yoshitaka" is none less than the name which is called in Azuma kagami.[11][9] In some version of the Tale of the Heike he is called "Shimizu no kanja Yoshishige".[11][lower-alpha 2] In a different version of the Tale of the Heike, he is called "Yoshimoto".[9] In also Sompi bunmyaku, he is called "Yoshimoto".[9] It is possible that fictitious stories are mingled with the historical sources.[10]

Kiso Yoshitaka and Kanemitsu by Utagawa Toyokuni III in 1855

Yoshitaka was born in around 1173,[9] at Ōkura, Musashi.[12] In 1180, the leaders of Minamoto clan were called to aid against Heike clan in the name of Prince Mochihito.[5] While Yoritomo raised an army at Kamakura, Yoshitaka's father Yoshinaka also raised an army in Kiso Valley.[5] However, the rivelry between Yoritomo and Yoshinaka was heated up because their uncle[lower-alpha 3] Yukiie fled into Yoshinaka from the conflict with Yoritomo.[5] Yoshinaka decided the reconciliation with Yoritomo, considering up-coming war against Heike.[5]

In accordance with Yoritomo's demand, Yoshinaka sent his son Yoshitaka to Kamakura as a hostage, a sign of good will, in the spring of 1183.[1][2][3] At that time, Yoshitaka was assumed to be eleven years old in the East Asian age reckoning.[1][3][9] He was accompanied by Umino Yukiuji, a soldier from Shinano.[5][9]

Yoshitaka stayed for a year in Yoritomo's family.[3][4][5] According to traditions, he fell in love with Ōhime, the eldest daughter of Yoritomo and Masako, and became her husband-to-be.[4][5][6] According to one account, Yoshitaka and Ōhime married.[1]

Next year, Yoritomo's army defeated Yoshinaka at the riverbed in Uji River (Battle of Uji (1184)) and later killed him (Battle of Awazu).[5][9] Three month later after his father's killing, Yoshitaka escaped from Kamakura.[5][9] According to traditions, Yoritomo ordered the assassination of Yoshitaka to his subordinate, however his order was leaked to Ōhime, and then she let Yoshitaka to be free from Kamakura.[5][6] It is said that Yoshitaka's attendant Yukiuji acted as a substitute with playing sugoroku with Ōhime in order to delay the time of the exposure of Yoshitaka's absence.[5][6]

Yoritomo ordered to trace of Yoshitaka.[4][5][12] One of his subordinate Tōnai Mitsuzumi found Yoshitaka and executed him.[4][5] The death place of Yoshitaka is not clearly known but it has been said to be, according to local traditions, the riverbed of Iruma River in Sayama.[4][5] Hearing the assassination, Ōhime and Masako accused Yoritomo.[4][5] Masako demanded Yoritomo to punish Tōnai, who was executed by Yoritomo's order.[5] After Yoshitaka's killing, in severe grief, Ōhime declined all the plans for a marriage which his father Yoritomo brought to her.[4] She died at her twentieth age with being unmarried.[4]

Raigō Shimizu kaja Yoshitaka by Utagawa Toyokuni III in 1856

Inspired by the love romance between Yoshitaka and Ōhime, there are many works featuring Yoshitaka, including, for example, A Tale of Kiso Yoshitaka (or Shimizu no kanja) in Otogi-zōshi, Raigōajarikaisoden by Takizawa Bakin, and some Noh songs.[1][11] They are written based on historical sources like Azuma kagami.[11][9] One of the Noh songs Shimizu kaja was made during Muromachi era.[13] Yoshitaka has been interpreted to be handsome by posterity.[6]

Raigōajarikaisoden was published in 1808.[11] This was so popular that it was performed as kabuki at Osaka soon after the publishing.[11] In Raigōajarikaisoden, Yoshitaka as the protagonist tries to avenge his father on Yoritomo in order to fulfill his filial duty.[11] By the power of course, Yoshitaka is able to use magic words to employ rats to work.[11]. However, he finally fails.[11] It is said that the story of Raigōajarikaisoden comprises double confrontations between Yoritomo and Yoshitaka, and between cat and rat.[11]

An ōtsu-e which depicts Yoshitaka, by Kuniyoshi created in 1845 or 1846