Minamoto no Yorikuni (源頼国)
MINAMOTO no Yorikuni (unknown - 1058?) was a warlord and a court official during the Heian period. He was the eldest son of MINAMOTO no Yorimitsu. Her mother was the daughter of FUJIWARA no Motohira (or Fujiwara no Mototada). His career, title and rank was Shoshiinoge (Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade), Kurodo (Chamberlain), Saemon no jo (third-ranked officer of the Left Division of Outer Palace Guards), Sanuki no kuni no kami (the governor of Sanuki Province) and Mino no kuni no kami (the governor of Mino Province).
He worked mainly as a middle-ranking court official in Kyoto like his father Yorimitsu. He was connected especially with the FUJIWARA no Michinaga family, so he worked for a long time as a valet of Michinaga's daughter FUJIWARA no Akiko and her birth child Imperial Prince Atsuhira (Emperor Goichijo in later years). His activities were centered on those of a literature rather than being a warrior, so in a document a description was found that he attended the Chinese poem party held by Michinaga in 1007. He was admitted to the inner Court, and sent over his daughters as wives and concubines of kugyo (the top court officials), such as the Sessho (Regent) FUJIWARA no Morozane and Sangi (councilor) FUJIWARA no Tamefusa, and therefore, as a whole, his aspect as a member of the aristocratic society was more noticeable than that of the warrior society. Meanwhile, there were no remarkable achievements as a warrior, but in 1019, when he was engaged in police activities around Kyoto, he arrested a thug.
He was blessed with many sons and daughters. His sons were MINAMOTO no Yorihiro, MINAMOTO no Yorisuke, MINAMOTO no Yorizane, MINAMOTO no Sanekuni, MINAMOTO no Yoritsuna, MINAMOTO no Kunifusa, MINAMOTO no Moromitsu and others, and of these sons, Yorizane, Yoritsuna and Moromitsu left their names behind as a poet, and Yorisuke, Yoritsuna and Kunifusa had descendants who inscribed their names in various forms upon history in later years as a military family.
And of his daughters, Morozane's wife is known to have given birth to FUJIWARA no Ietada of Sadaijin (Great Minister of the Left) and Tamefusa's wife is known to have given birth both to FUJIWARA no Tametaka of Sangi and to FUJIWARA no Akitaka of Gon Chunagon (a provisional vice-councilor of state); another daughter left her name behind as a poet 'Rokujosaiin no senji.'