Fujiwara no Nakamitsu (藤原仲光)

FUJIWARA no Nakamitsu (year of birth and death unknown) was a samurai who lived during the mid Heian period. It is considered that he followed the Fujiwara-clan but his detailed pedigree record is unknown. One suggestion is that he was from the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan, FUJIWARA no Hidesato house but it is also said that he was a legendary samurai. He was the father of FUJIWARA no Nakayoshi (Nakayoshi SHIOKAWA), Kojumaru and others.

He served as a vassal of MINAMOTO no Mitsunaka and apparently settled Ikeda, Settsu Province as Mitsunaka entered the domain in Tada-bonchi Basin, Kawabe-gun, Settsu Province for the first time, having left Kyoto. There is an explanation that ruins of Yawata-jo Castle in current Fushio-cho, Ikeda City, Osaka Prefecture was the castle site where Nakamitsu used to live.

It is unclear why Mitsunaka who searched and captured the family of FUJIWARA no Hidesato accepted Nakamitsu who was a direct descendant of Hidesato as roto (retainer), however, after 'Incident of Bijomaru and Kojumaru' which had happened between MINAMOTO no Mitsunaka and FUJIWARA no Nakamitsu, Nakamitsu apparently contributed to the early development of Seiwa-Genji (Minamoto clan originated from Emperor Seiwa), for example, having been 主代殿 of Tada-in Shrine after Mitsunaka had retired. Also, it is said that Mitsunaka's memorial tower in Koyasan Mountain Oku-no-in Temple was erected by Nakamitsu.

Later, Nakamitsu was legendized as a leading warrior in Heian period and the narrative thereof has left (For further details, refer to "The legend of Bijomaru"). Currently there is Nakamitsu's memorial tower on the temple grounds in Mangan-ji Temple, which is associated with Seiwa-Genji, in Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, Shodo-ji Temple and Fumyo-ji Temple in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture as well as Bijomaru and Kojumaru.

The clans refered to Nakamitsu's descendant are the Dewa Ikeda clan, the Shiokawa clan known as a head of Tadain gokenin(vassals of Tada-in shirine) and others.

[Original Japanese]