Ano Tokimoto (阿野時元)
Tokimoto ANO (date of birth unknown - February 27, 1219) was a busho (Japanese military commander) from the end of the Heian period to the beginning of the Kamakura period. The fourth son of Zenjo ANO who is a younger paternal brother of MINAMOTO no Yoritomo. His mother is the daughter of Tokimasa HOJO, Awa no tsubone. According to "Sonpi Bunmyaku" (a text compiled in the fourteenth century that records the lineages of the aristocracy), he is also called Takamoto. His common name is Kanja ANO.
Although the forth son, since he was the child of the lawful wife, he was treated as a legitimate son. In 1203, his father Zenjo was killed due to the conflict between his nephew, who was the second shogun, MINAMOTO no Yoriie, but with the help of his grandfather on his mother's side, Tokimasa HOJO, and aunt Masako HOJO, he was able to escape complicity and live in seclusion in Ano-sho, the Province of Suruga, his father's property inheritance.
1219 January, with the death of his cousin, the third shogun MINAMOTO no Sanetomo, the position of Seitaishogun (commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force against the barbarians) becomes empty, and a month later, he raises an army in hope for this position. However while he could not gather enough warriors, they were attacked by the troop of Yukichika KANAKUBO who were ordered by the regent, Yoshitoki HOJO. During this time, Yoshitoki was trying to clean out the blood lines of the Minamoto clan, so some say that Tokimoto incident was part of it. The actual detail of how much Tokimoto has hoped to conduct this is still unknown.
The descendant of Tokimoto existed as the samurai family, the Ano clan, but because of the affect of this incident, after several generations they disappeared from the records (after the period of Northern and Southern Courts [Japan]). Apart from this, FUJIWARA no Kimisuke who was married to Tokimoto's sister inherited part of Ano-sho, and his descendants have prospered as a court noble of the ANO family (Renshi ANO who is famous as a concubine of the Emperor Godaigo and a real mother of the Emperor Gomurakami, is from this family).
Tokimoto's grave is lined next to his father, Zenjo's grave is Daisen-ji Temple of Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture and it is designated as the ancientsite of the city.