Kamachi Hisanao (蒲池久直)

Hisanao KAMACHI was a Japanese military commander lived from the end of the Heian Period through the beginning of the Kamakura Period. He served as Kamon no kami (Director at the Bureau of Palace Upkeep). Hisanao founded the Kamachi clan (the former-Kamachi). He officially introduced himself as MINAMOTO no Hisanao.

Hisanao was a grandson (or a son) of MINAMOTO no Mitsusue of Saga Genji who was transferred to Hizen Province as a shokan (officer entrusted with local management by the lord of the private estate) of the Kanzaki Manor of Tobain-ryo Estates (Hizen Province), a private estate of the Imperial Family. He was a son (or a younger brother) of MINAMOTO no Sadamune.

As a samurai belonging to the Kanzaki Manor which had been chigyo-chi of TAIRA no Tadamori, TAIRA no Kiyomori and the Taira family, he was at first on the Taira side at the Genpei War along with other clans of the Matsuura Party. However, when the Matsuura Party switched sides to the Seiwa-Genji clan (the Minamoto clan originated from Emperor Seiwa) in the Battle of Dannoura, Hisanao followed and later became one of the Chinzei vassals of Kamakura bakufu for his distinguished war service in the battle and appointed by MINAMOTO no Yoritomo as jito (manager and lord of manor) of Mizuma County of Chikugo Province. Hisanao married a daughter of the Chikugo Tachibana clan, the descendants of TACHIBANA no Kimiyori (the ruler of the region), and adopted as a son of the clan, and with support of his influential power, founded the Kamachi clan by placing his base in the Kamachi Castle.

[Original Japanese]