Ouchi Korenobu (大内惟信)

Korenobu OUCHI (year of birth and death unknown) was a Gokenin (an immediate vassal of the shogunate in the Kamakura and Muromachi through Edo periods) in the early Kamakura period. He was on the MINAMOTO no Yoshimitsu line of Seiwa-Genji (Minamoto clan). He was the eldest legitimate son of Koreyoshi OUCHI. His mother was unknown. His children included Koretoki, Tokitada and Koremoto. He was Shogoinoge (Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) and filled the posts of Tachihaki no osa, Kebiishi (officials with judicial and police powers), Saemon no jo (third-ranked officer of the Left Division of Outer Palace Guards) and Suruga no kuni no kami (Governor of Suruga Province).

After his uncle, Tomomasa HIRAGA was implicated in the Makishi Incident and executed in 1205, he succeeded to Shugo (a provincial military governor) of Iga and Isa provinces and took charge of maintaining security of Heian-kyo (the ancient capital of Japan in current Kyoto) as a Gokenin in Kyoto. He was appointed Tachihaki no osa and Kebiishi and played such important roles as defending Kyoto against Nanto-Shinboku (Southern capital [Nara]-Sacred tree) (Direct petition by priest soldiers of Kofuku-ji Temple) and administering the new construction of Onjo-ji Temple which had been burnt down in a battle against Enryaku-ji Temple. After MINAMOTO no Sanetomo, the third shogun was assassinated in 1219, the headship of OUCHI family seems to have been handed over to Korenobu from his father, Koreyoshi, and Korenobu succeeded to the Koreyoshi's position of Mino Province Shugo. However, the Kamakura Bakufu came to be lead by the Hojo clan who extinguished the Genji (Minamoto clan) shogunate family, which caused the Ouchi clan, Genji monyo (relatives of Genji) end up getting away from the center of the Bakufu.

In the Jokyu war in 1221, he participated in an attack on Mitsusue IGA taking sides with Emperor Gotoba and confronted the Bakufu army defending Oido no watashi. After defeated, he was captured in 1230 and is considered to have been exiled. Here, the Hiraga and Ouchi clans which had influence in the Kamakura Bakufu as one of the Genji families was brought to ruin.

[Original Japanese]