Seiryoji, a temple in Kyoto, was once a villa of Minamoto no Toru (d. 895), a prominent member of the Saga Genji.

Minamoto (源) was an honorary surname bestowed by the Emperors of Japan of the Heian Period to their sons and grandsons after accepting them as royal subjects. As custom, in order to ease imperial succession and end rivalries for the throne, princes not eligible or far removed from the throne were given a surname and became subjects of the emperor. Minamoto, as well as their rivals, the Taira, were such offshoots of imperial dynasty. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (638x850, 249 KB) Seiryoji, a magnificent Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan, once belonged to Minamoto no Toru. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (638x850, 249 KB) Seiryoji, a magnificent Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan, once belonged to Minamoto no Toru. ... This page is about the city Kyoto. ... His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito of Japan The Emperor of Japan (天皇, tennō) is Japans titular head of state and the head of the Japanese imperial family. ... The Heian period (Japanese: 平安時代, Heian-jidai) is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. ...

The first emperor to start granting the name Minamoto was Emperor Saga. Afterwards, Emperor Seiwa, Emperor Murakami, Emperor Uda, and Emperor Daigo, among others, also gave their sons the name Minamoto. These specific hereditary lines coming from different emperors developed into specific clans and are often referred to as the Genji (源氏). These lines are referred to by the emperor's name followed by Genji, e.g. Seiwa Genji. Emperor Saga (嵯峨天皇) (786-842) was the 52nd imperial ruler of Japan. ... ... Emperor Murakami (村上天皇) (June 2, 926- May 25, 967) was the 62nd imperial ruler of Japan. ... Emperor Uda (宇多天皇) (May 5, 867- July 19, 931) was the 59th imperial ruler of Japan. ... Emperor Daigo (醍醐天皇) (January 18, 885– October 23, 930) was the 60th Imperial Ruler of Japan. ...

Minamoto was also called Genji, using the alternate pronunciation of the Chinese characters for Minamoto (gen) and uji, or family (ji).

The Minamoto were one of the four great clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period (794-1185) - the other three were the Fujiwara, the Taira, and the Tachibana. The Fujiwara clan (藤原氏 Fujiwara-shi) was a clan of regents who had sort of monopoly to the Sekkan positions, Sesshō and Kampaku. ... Taira (平) is a Japanese surname. ...

In 814, Emperor Saga (reigned 809-823) awarded the kabane Minamoto no Ason to his non-heir sons; thereafter, they and their descendants ceased to be members of the Imperial Family. Several subsequent emperors gave the Minamoto surname to their non-heir sons. Kabane (姓). Kabane were hereditary titles used in ancient Japan to denote rank and political standing. ...

The most prominent of the several Minamoto families, the Seiwa Genji, descended from Minamoto no Tsunemoto (917-961), a grandson of the 50th Emperor Seiwa. Tsunemoto went to the provinces and became the founder of a major warrior dynasty. Minamoto no Mitsunaka (912-997) formed an alliance with the Fujiwara. Thereafter the Fujiwara frequently called upon the Minamoto to restore order in the capital, Heian-Kyo (or Kyoto).

Mitsunaka's eldest son, Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948-1021), became the protégé of Fujiwara no Michinaga; another son, Yorinobu (968-1048) suppressed the rebellion of Taira no Tadatsune in 1032. Yorinobu's son, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi (998-1075), and grandson, Minamoto no Toshie (1039-1106), pacified most of northeastern Japan between 1051 and 1087.

The Seiwa Genji's fortunes declined in the Hogen Disturbance (1156), when the Taira executed much of the line. During the Hōgen Disturbance (1160), the head of the Seiwa Genji clan, Minamoto no Yoshimoto, died in battle. Taira no Kiyomori seized power in Kyoto by forging an alliance with the retired emperors Shirakawa and Toba and infiltrating the kuge. He sent Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147-1199), the third son of Minamoto no Yoshimoto of the Seiwa Genji, into exile. In 1180 Yorimoto mounted a full-scale rebellion against the Taira rule (Gempei or the Taira-Minamoto War), culminating in the destruction of the Taira and the subjugation of eastern Japan within five years. In 1192 he received the title shogun and set up the first bakufu at Kamakura. The Genpei or Gempei War (源平合戦、寿永・治承の乱) (1180-1185) was a war of ancient Japan, fought between the Taira and Minamoto clans. ... In Japanese history, a shogun (将軍 shōgun) was the practical ruler of Japan for most of the time from 1192 to the Meiji Era beginning in 1868. ... For the James Clavell novel, see Shogun or for the TV Miniseries. ...

Thus, the Seiwa Genji line proved to be the most strong and dominant Minamoto line during the late Heian period with Minamoto no Yoritomo eventually forming the Kamakura Shogunate and becoming shogun in 1192. Also, it is from the Seiwa Genji line that the later Ashikaga (founders of the Ashikaga shogunate), Nitta, and Takeda clans come. The Seiwa Genji (清和源氏) were the most successful and powerful of the many branch families of the Minamoto clan. ... Minamoto no Yoritomo (Japanese: 源頼朝) (May 9, 1147 – February 9, 1199) was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura dynasty of Japan, who ruled from 1192 until 1199. ... This wooden Kongorikishi statue was created during the Kamakura shogunate during 14th century Japan. ... In Japanese history, a shogun (将軍 shōgun) was the practical ruler of Japan for most of the time from 1192 to the Meiji Era beginning in 1868. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Ashikaga clan (Japanese: 足利氏, Ashikaga-shi) was a famous Japanese clan who established the Muromachi shogunate. ... The Ashikaga shogunate (Jp. ... The Nitta (新田) family was one of several major families descended from the Seiwa Genji, and numbered among the chief enemies of the Ashikaga shogunate, and later the Hojo clan regents. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

The protagonist of the classical Japanese novel The Tale of Genji, Hikaru no Genji, was bestowed the name Minamoto for political reasons by his father the emperor, and was delegated to civilian life and a career as an imperial officer. The protagonist is the central figure of a story, and is often referred to as a storys main character. ... Ilustration of ch. ... Hikaru no Genji (光の源氏, the shining Genji) is the fictional central character for the most part of The Tale of Genji. ...

Members of the Minamoto clan

• Yoshitomo Minamoto, Japanese noble
  • Yoritomo Minamoto, Japanese shogun and third son of Yoshitomo Minamoto.
  • Noriyori Minamoto, Japanese general and fourth son of Yoshitomo Minamoto.
  • Yoshitsune Minamoto, Japanese general and fifth son of Yoshitomo Minamoto.

• Yoshiie Minamoto, Japanese general and son of Yoriyoshi Minimoto.
• Yoshinaka Minamoto, Japanese general and grandson of Tameyoshi Minamoto.

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Minamoto no Yoshitomo. ... Minamoto no Yoritomo (May 9, 1147 – February 9, 1199) was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura dynasty of Japan, who ruled from 1192 until 1199. ... Grave of Minamoto no Noriyori, Shuzenji (present-day Izu), Shizuoka Prefecture Minamoto no Noriyori )(1156-1193) was a late Heian period general, who fought alongside his brothers Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Yoshitsune at a number of battles of the Genpei War. ... Yoshitsune and Benkei Viewing Cherry Blossoms, by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, 1885 Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源 義経) (1159 – May 17, 1189) was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. ... Minamoto no Yoshiie (源 義家; 1039 - 4 August 1106) was a samurai of the late Heian period. ... Minamoto no Yoshinaka )(1154-1184) was a general of the late Heian Period of Japanese history. ...

See also

• History of Japan
• Taira