Minamoto no Mitsuyoshi (源満快)

MINAMOTO no Mitsuyoshi (year of birth and death unknown) is a busho (Japanese military commander) in the mid Heian period. He is the fifth son of MINAMOTO no Tsunemoto. His mother is unknown. MINAMOTO no Yoshinaka, MINAMOTO no Mitsumasa and MINAMOTO no Mitsusue are his older brothers, and his sons are MINAMOTO no Mitsukuni, Yukiyori and Yorisue, who is believed to be the same person as MINAMOTO no Yorihira according to another view. His Imina (personal name) is Mitsusuke.

He worked as a middle rank of government official in Kyoto, serving as Uemon no jo (the third ranked official of the Right Division of Outer Palace Guards), Kebiishi (an official with judicial and police powers), Assistant governor of Sagami Province and Shimotsuke no kuni no kami (the governor of Shimotsuke Province) and reached Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) (according to "Sonpi Bunmyaku" [a text compiled in the fourteenth century that records the lineages of the aristocracy]). His detailed achievements are unknown, but there is a record saying that he died during his mission as Shimotsuke no kami or near that time (according to Daijokanpu [official documents issued by Daijokan, Grand Council of State] Vol.8 of "Ruiju fusensho" [a collection of official documents dating from the years 737 to 1093]).

His three sons also worked as a middle rank of government official, such as Zuryo (provincial governor) in Togoku (the eastern part of Japan, particularly Kanto region), and their descendants settled themselves mainly in Shinano Province as a samurai family.

[Original Japanese]