Minamoto Yoritomo

Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199), the greatest leader of early medieval Japan, was born into the aristocratic Minamoto clan. In 1180, he broke relations with the imperial court at Kyoto, then the capital of Japan, and was drawn into a war with the Taira clan. After the Minamotosí victory over the Tairas, the emperor gave Yoritomo the title of shogun (great general), and Yoritomo's headquarters in Kamakura became the administrative center of the shogunate. Yoritomo formed a system of civil and military rule in cooperation with the Kyoto court. His rule led to a balance of power and influence between Kamakura and Kyoto that provided relative peace and stability for almost 150 years.

Excerpt adapted from the "Minamoto Yoritomo" article, The World Book Encyclopedia, © 1999