Minamoto no Kunimoto (源国基)

MINAMOTO no Kunimoto
He was a military commander who belonged to Settsu Genji (the Genji clan originated in MINAMOTO no Yorimitsu who made his homebase Settsu Province); the time Kunimoto lived was the last days of the Heian period. He was the second son of MINAMOTO no Kuninao.
Kunimoto NOSE
He was the founder of a Nose clan.

He was a zuryo (provincial governor) of the Settsu Genji who lived from the end of the Heian period to the early days of the Kamakura period. He was a great-great-grandson of MINAMOTO no Sanekuni who was the fourth son of MINAMOTO no Yorikuni. He was the Provincial Governor of the Tosa Province.

MINAMOTO no Kunimoto (Kunimoto NOSE)

MINAMOTO no Kunimoto (year of birth and death unknown) was a military commander who lived in the last days of the Heian period. His original name was Kunimitsu. He was the second son of the MINAMOTO no Kuninao who was the descendant of the Settsu Genji (the Genji clan originated in MINAMOTO no Yorimitsu who had his headquarters in the Settsu Province). He was the founder of the Nose clan. He used 'NOSE' as his family name, so his name is also written down as Kunimoto NOSE. His rank was Jugoi-ge (Lower Junior Fifth Rank), Uhyoe no jo (officer of the Right Division of middle Palace Guards). He called himself Hyoe no Taifu (Palace Guard Taifu). His children included Kurodo (Chamberlain) Kuniyasu NOSE, Nose Hongandai (undersecretary) MINAMOTO no Kuniyoshi, and Saburo Motonao NOSE.

According to the book of genealogy "Kansei Shoshu Shakafu," Kunimoto lived in Yoso Yakata built in Yamanobe, Nose County, Settsu Province in 1191 and became the founder of the Nose clan.

MINAMOTO no Kunimoto (the Governor of the Tosa Province)

MINAMOTO no Kunimoto (year of birth and death unknown) was zuryo (provincial governor) who was a member of the Settsu Genji (Genji clan originated in MINAMOTO no Yorimitsu who lived in the Settsu Province) from the end of the Heian period to the early Kamakura period. He was the eighth son of the Chugushiki (Office of the Consort's Household) MINAMOTO no Yukiyori. His official rank was Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade), the Governor of the Tosa Province.

In the article of August 27, 1186, the day of the Kanoto Ushi in the Sexagenary Cycle, the author of "Azuma Kagami" (The Mirror of the East) wrote as follows: 'the governor of Tosa Province Kunimoto is a member of the family of the nihon (MINAMOTO no Yoritomo). The friendship between the two was especially strong to the extent that the emotion can cut through a piece of metal.'
This description indicates that there was a strong emotional tie between Kunimoto and Yoritomo. In the same article, the author also wrote that Yoritomo gave Kunimoto the territory of Mikuriya, Tamagaki, Ise Province (Tamagakicho, Suzuka City) and that Yoritomo asked Kunimoto to let Gyobu no Jo (Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice) Kageshige, the retainer of Kunimoto and the warrior who belonged to the Watanabe party (Watanabe clan), stay in Kamakura. In addition, a Kunimoto's visit to Kamakura from Kyoto as a messenger of the Regent and the Chief Adviser to the Emperor and his stay there in 1224 is described in the "Azuma Kagami."

Some historical sources treat MINAMOTO no Kunimoto (the governor of the Tosa Province) as the same person as MINAMOTO no Kunimoto (Kunimoto NOSE) mentioned above, but when we look at the names of the fathers and children of the two people and the historical periods they lived which are described in the "Azuma Kagami," and a description in the "Sonpi Bunmyaku," it becomes clear that Kunimoto, the governor of Tosa Province, was a different person from Kunimoto NOSE although both belonged to the Settsu Genji.

[Original Japanese]