Taira no Nobumoto (平信基)
TAIRA no Nobumoto (1137?-date of death unknown) was a retainer of Imperial Court at the end of Heian period. He was the eldest son of TAIRA no Nobunori who was on Takamune-o-ryu (Takamune branch of the Taira family) of Taira clan. His mother was a daughter of FUJIWARA no Yoshitada (Shonagon (lesser councilor of state)). He was Shoshiinoge (Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade) Kuraryo (Bureau of Palace Storehouses).
According to the March 18, 1158 part of "Heihanki" (The Diary of TAIRA no Nobunori), 'shinshi' (Daigaku student who passed a subject of the official appointment test) and 'Koto' (the third title of the official ranks within the Todo-za (the traditional guild for the blind)) who greeted the groom at the wedding of a daughter (the wife of FUJIWARA no Naganori ?) were supposedly the brothers-uterine, Nobumoto and TAIRA no Nobusue, thus shinshi is considered to have been Kidendo (the study of the histories). It became clear by February 25, 1163 part of "Sankaiki" (The Diary of Tadachika NAKAYAMA) that he was in Hyobusho (ministry of military) in 1163.
He had a rise as a member of the Taira family because he was a cousin of TAIRA no Tokiko who was legal wife of TAIRA no Kiyomori. After his assumption of office as inhogandai (office work position) in 1168, he played an active part as In no Kinshin (the Retired Emperor's courtier) of Emperor Goshirakawa, successively filled the posts of Emonfu (Headquarters of the Outer Palace Guards), Meryo (the section taking care of imperial horses), Shurishiki (Office of Palace Repairs) and in 1183, became Kura no kami (Chief of Kuraryo, Bureau of Palace Storehouses), but along with the exile of the Taira clan by MINAMOTO no Yoshinaka's entrance into Kyoto in 1183, went down to the Saikai (provinces on the western seacoast). At that time, he repeatedly persuaded Sessho (regent) Motomichi KONOE whose concubine was his sister to act together with the Taira family, but ended up having to give up and is thought to have followed the clan alone.
He was made captive in the Battle of Dannoura in 1185, when the Taira clan was wiped out, and taken away to the capital. TAIRA no Munemori, TAIRA no Tokitada and others who were likewise made captive were dragged through the Miyako-oji Street, but allegedly Nobumoto barely got off with the humiliation due to his injury in the battle.
Later, through deliberation, he was exiled to Bingo Province. In 1189, he was pardoned and came back to Kyoto, but afterward, shut himself up in his house without getting any official rank. He adopted his younger brother's son, TAIRA no Chikasuke to succeed him and his descendants, in after ages, prospered being separated into several families like the Nishinotoin family, the Hiramatsu family and the Katano family.