Minamoto no Nakamasa (源仲政)
MINAMOTO no Nakamasa (Date of birth and death unknown) was a busho (Japanese military commander)and a tanka poet at the end of the Heian period. He was the second son of MINAMOTO no Yoritsuna of the Settsu-Genji family (Minamoto clan). His mother was Chunagon no tsubone, a high ranking woman servant at Koichijo-in. He held the rank of Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade). He was the father of the famous MINAMOTO no Yorimasa. While his older brother, MINAMOTO no Akikuni, inherited their father's pseudonym "Tada", Nakamasa took "Baba" as his pseudonym; therefore, he was sometimes called BABA no Nakamasa. In some historical documents different kanji is used for his name Nakamasa.
Nakamasa served Shirakawa-in and Emperor Toba, and was appointed Kebiishi (police and justice chief), Kotaigu no daishin (Senior office secretary of the Empress' quarters), Hyogo no kami (Director of the Bureau of Military Storehouses), and Kokushi (local governor) for Shimousa and Shimotsuke Provinces. During the years 1118 to 1124, there was a person who claimed to be MINAMOTO no Yoshichika, the warlord who betrayed the Imperial Court in the East country and was exiled. Nakamasa captured this imposter and was recognized for his distinguished work.
As with his father, he was also well known as a tanka poet and his collection of poems is entitled 'Hookushu' (no longer extant). Through waka (31-syllable Japanese poems), he had close relations with middle class nobles, such as MINAMOTO no Toshiyori, FUJIWARA no Tametada, FUJIWARA no Toshitada, FUJIWARA no Toshinari and FUJIWARA no Ienari, and he was also invited to the poetry contest held by the regent, FUJIWARA no Moromichi. Many of his poems are included in the 'Tanba no kami Tametada asonke no hyakushu' a collection of Tametada Ason family poems.
It seems that he passed leadership of the house to Yorimasa and retired sometime between 1135 and 1142. Later, it is said that warlords Nobuharu BABA and Terumasa IKEDA were among Nakamasa's descendants.