Ichijo Nobuyoshi (一条信能)

Nobuyoshi ICHIJO (一条 信能, 1190 - 1221) was a Kugyo (high court noble) in the early Kamakura period. He was the second son of Gon Chunagon (Provisional Middle Counselor) Yoshiyasu ICHIJO, who belonged to FUJIWARA no Yorimune line of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan. His mother was a yujo (prostitute) Jishi of the Eguchi region. He had paternal brothers such as Takayoshi ICHIJO, Sanemasa ICHIJO, and Soncho. His official court rank was Jusanmi Sangi (Junior Third Rank, Councilor).

In 1193, he was raised to the peerage for the first time. In 1211, he was appointed as Sachujo (Middle Captain of the Left Division of Inner Palace Guards), and in 1220, he was promoted to Sangi (Councilor). He worked for Retired Emperor Gotoba as one of his trusted vassals, and took part in a conspiracy to beat the Kamakura bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun). In 1221 when the Jokyu War broke out, he was in command of the troops to support the Imperial court in Kyoto, and was deployed in the Imoarai area for defense with his brother Soncho. After losing the war, he was captured as one of the ringleaders by the army of the bakufu, and on the way to Kamakura as a prisoner under guard, he was executed at Iwamura Village in Mino Province.

At present, there is a historic site of "the place where Nobuyoshi ICHIJO died" in Iwamura Town, Ena City, Gifu Prefecture, and it is said that Iwamura-jinja Shrine in the same town has originated from the hokora (small shrine) which had been built to grieve for the soul of Nobuyoshi.

[Original Japanese]