Jo Sukenaga (城資永)
Sukenaga JO (year of birth unknown-1181) was a busho (Japanese military commander) lived in the end of Heian period. His main name was Taira. His father was Sukekuni JO. His mother was a daughter of KIYOHARA no Takehira. He had younger brothers and sisters such as Nagamochi JO and Hangaku Gozen, and children such as Sukemori, Sukeie and Sukemasa. His commonly used name was Shiro JO. His imina (personal name) was 助長 (also pronounced Sukenaga, but Chinese character is different).
Brief Personal History
The Jo clan (the Taira clan), which was a noble family descended from TAIRA no Shigemori, the second son of TAIRA no Kunika, had controlled Echigo Province under the Taira clan government. Sukenaga obeyed TAIRA no Kiyomori and played an active part in the Hogen War as a toryo (head of the clan) and also had served on Kebiishi (officials with judicial and police powers) at the capital. Being the head of Shin-Heike (Pro-Taira family) Gozoku (local ruling family) in the northern region, he was much trusted by Kiyomori and others.
Sukenaga was appointed to be Provincial Governor of Echigo by TAIRA no Munemori who was the successor of Kiyomori after his death in 1181, and was ordered to hunt down and kill MINAMOTO no Yoshinaka who had raised an army in Shinano Province. Although Sukenaga gathered 30,000 soldiers in response to the order, he died of disease suddenly just before departure for the front.
His younger brother Nagamochi succeeded to Sukenaga, but his family was forced to decline with the downfall of the Taira family.