Person

Minamoto no Yoritomo

1147–1199 · 12th century · Also known as Yoritomo

Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate. Leading the Minamoto clan to victory over the Taira in the Genpei War of 1180–1185, he set up a warrior government at Kamakura, appointed military governors and stewards across Japan and destroyed the Northern Fujiwara in 1189. He received the title of shogun in 1192.

Minamoto no Yoritomo
Image: Fujiwara no Takanobu · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 state histories

Ritsuryo JapanNorthern FujiwaraKamakura shogunate

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Minamoto no Yoritomo. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/minamoto-no-yoritomo
MLA
“Minamoto no Yoritomo.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/minamoto-no-yoritomo. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Minamoto no Yoritomo.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/minamoto-no-yoritomo.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Minamoto no Yoritomo’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/minamoto-no-yoritomo (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻