Imperial Prince Yorihito (頼仁親王)

Imperial Prince Yorihito (August 29, 1201 - June 25, 1264) was a member of the Imperial Family during the early Kamakura period. He was the prince of Emperor Gotoba, and his mother was Nishi no onkata, a daughter of Nobukiyo BOMON who held the title of Naidaijin (minister of the center). He was brought up by FUJIWARA no Kenshi who was known as Kyo no nii. He was given the name Reizei no miya.

Career

He was given the title of the Imperial Prince in 1210. Because his mother's sister was the wife of MINAMOTO no Sanetomo, he was temporarily slated for appointment as a prospective seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") after Sanetomo died a sudden death in 1219.

When his father, the Retired Emperor Gotoba, was exiled after the Jokyu War in 1221, the Imperial Prince was implicated in this to be exiled to Kojima in Bizen Province. It was said that he died in Kojima, and some say that he was a remote ancestor of Takanori KOJIMA.

It is said that descendants of Imperial Prince Yorihito have been serving as the successive Sojo (high‐ranking Buddhist priest) of Goryu Sonryu-in Temple, a temple for mountaineering asceticism located in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.

[Original Japanese]