Minamoto no Yoshitaka

Shimizu no kanja Yoshitaka was a samurai warrior from the late Heian period of Japan. The eldest son of Yoshinaka of Kiso, Minamoto clan. In his eleventh year, he was sent to Minamoto no Yoritomo as a hostage in order to avoid the conflict between his father and Yoritomo. According to traditions, Yoshitaka fell in love with Ōhime, the eldest daughter of Yoritomo. Later years, as a result of the discord between Yoshinaka and Yoritomo, the latter defeated the former. Three month later from the killing of his father, Yoshitaka fled, but captured and executed at a riverbed of Iruma River. In later years, many works featuring Yoshitaka were made, including A Tale of Kiso Yoshitaka in Otogi-zōshi, Raigōajarikaisoden by Takizawa Bakin, and some Noh songs. Yoshitaka has been said to be handsome.