Minamoto no Yorifusa (源頼房)

MINAMOTO no Yorifusa (year of birth and death unknown) was busho (Japanese military commander) in the mid Heian period. He was the second son of MINAMOTO no Yorichika, Yamato no kuni no kami (Governor of Yamato Province). His brothers were MINAMOTO no Yorinari, MINAMOTO no Yoritoo, and MINAMOTO no Yorimoto. He was the father of MINAMOTO no Yoritoshi, Chikamune, Tamefusa, and the wife of Imperial Prince Kiyohito. He was Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade), Kurodo (Chamberlain), Hyogo no suke (Assistant Head of Bureau of Military Storehouses), Kaga no kuni no kami (Governor of Kaga Province), and Hizen no kuni no kami (Governor of Hizen Province). He was called Arakaga (violent Kaga).

After his term of Kaga no kami, in January, 1050, Daishu (monks residing in the zendo) of Kofuku-ji Temple, who had been longtime rivalry, attacked the residence of his father Yorichika, kokushi (provincial governors). As Yorifusa fought back by arrows and killed many priests, the Kofuku-ji Temple was raged and pleaded to banish his father Yorichika to Tosa Province and Yorifusa to Oki Province ("Fuso ryakki" (A Short History of Japan)).

He was freed and returned to his post in January, 1063. However, Kofuku-ji Temple pleaded again to banish him to Hizen Province, and he died soon after that in Hizen Province.

[Original Japanese]