Asami Sanetaka (阿佐美実高)

Sanetaka ASAMI (the date of birth unknown - 1241) was a samurai from Kodama party of Musashi Province from the end of Heian period to Kamakura period. His common name was Taro.

Brief Personal History

He was born as an heir to Hirokata SHO (the founder of Asami clan), the fifth son (the youngest son) of Iehiro SHO, the fourth head family of Kodama party, in Iriazami Village, Kodama County (present day Iriazami, Kodama Town, Honjo City, Saitama Prefecture.)

The name of Taro ASAMI is found in the article in November 7 (Rainy), the first year of Kenkyu era (1190) in "Azuma Kagami" (The Mirror of the East)
He accompanied MINAMOTO no Yoritomo on his way to Kyoto as the 17th member of the herald unit. He was with the members of the Sho clan of Kodama party and the Yomoda clan when Shogun, MINAMOTO no Yoritomo went to Kyoto. His name, Taro (Sanetaka) Asami, also appears as a member of the herald unit in "Azumakagami,", in the article of 6th year of Kenkyu era (1195) regarding the attendance of Shogun family at Buddhism ceremony held at Todai-ji Temple. In 1200, he was appointed to the Saemon no jo (third-ranked officer of the Left Division of Outer Palace Guards), and later, the Uemon no jo (the third ranked official of the Right Division of Outer Palace Guards) in 1216. "Musashi-shichito Keizu" (the family tree of the seven groups of samurai warriors in Musashi Province) says that Sanetaka died in 1241 which is 25 years after the promotion.

Sanetaka owned several territories in Kozuke Province, Echigo Province, and Kaga Province, other than Iriazami in Kodama County (Refer to the chapter of "the Expanding power of Kodama Party towards Joshu" in the article on "Ienaga SHO").

[Original Japanese]