Imagawa Yasunori (今川泰範)

Yasunori IMAGAWA (1334 ? - November 3, 1409 ?) was shugo daimyo (shugo, which were Japanese provincial military governors, that became daimyo, which were Japanese feudal lords) from the period of the Northern and Southern Courts through the early Muromachi Period. He was the third family head of the Imagawa clan in Suruga Province. He was a child of Noriuji IMAGAWA, the second family head. His lawful wife was a daughter of Tomoaki UESUGI. His official court rank was Kazusa no suke (Assistant Governor of Kazusa Province). He called himself 仲高.

After entering into the priesthood, he stayed at Kencho-ji Temple because he had an elder brother, Ujiie IMAGAWA. However in 1365, his father died and subsequently his elder brother died, so he was told by his grandfather to return to secular life and take over as head of the family. He took over shugoshiki (military governor) of Suruga and Enshu at the same time. In 1378, he was appointed as Samurai-dokoro tonin (governor of the board of retainers) by Shogun, Yoshimitsu ASHIKAGA and joined the shogunate government. He took part in the Meitoku War (1391) and the Oei War (1399) as a member of bakufu army and performed well. He passed away on September 26, 1409, at the age of seventy six (opinion is divided on the year of his death), and his son Norimasa IMAGAWA took over.

[Original Japanese]