Sculpture traditionally identified as Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura period (1192–1333), made out of wood with pigment and inlaid crystal eyes, Japan, 13th-14th century. Tokyo National Museum (ID: C-1526).
Minamoto no Yoritomo (May 9, 1147 – February 9, 1199) was the founder and first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate, holding power from 1192 until his death in 1199. He was also the first shogun in Japanese history to exercise genuine, de facto authority over the country. His wife, Hōjō Masako, later served as regent (shikken).
A son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, Yoritomo belonged to the distinguished Kawachi branch of the Seiwa Genji. Having secured his position as the rightful heir to the Minamoto clan, he rose in rebellion against the Taira in 1180 from his base in Kamakura, inaugurating the Genpei War. After five years of conflict, the Minamoto decisively defeated the Taira at the Battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185. Yoritomo subsequently entrenched the dominance of the samurai class and established the Kamakura bakufu, the first shogunate, centred on Kamakura. This ushered in Japan’s feudal era, which endured until the 17th century.
