Kashiwagi Yoshikane (柏木義兼)
Yoshikane KASHIWAGI was a busho (Japanese military commander) in the late Heian period. A member of the Omi-Genji (Minamoto clan), MINAMOTO no Yoshimitsu's family line. His father was Yoshisada YAMAMOTO. His older brother was Yoshitsune YAMAMOTO (who was not the same person as MINAMOTO no Yoshitsune, the younger brother of MINAMOTO no Yoritomo). He raised an army in the early phase of the Jisho-Juei War in the Omi Province along with his older brother Yoshitsune.
He entered into priesthood and called himself Koga Nyudo. According to "Kikki" (The Diary of Tsunefusa YOSHIDA) and "Genpei Seisuiki" (Rise and Fall of the Minamoto and the Taira clans), his homyo (a name given to a person who enters the Buddhist priesthood) was Jokaku.
On December 16, 1180, he raised an army along with his older brother Yoshitsune YAMAMOTO in Seta and Noji in the Omi Province, conforming the rises of Seiwa-Genji (Minamoto clan) in various provinces. Yoshitsune and Yoshikane took control of the Lake Biwa and blocked off the flow of nengu (land tax) from the Hokuriku-do Road. He led a Suigun (warriors battle in the sea) into the Enjo-ji Temple, and invaded the temples. According to the "Gyokuyo," written by Kanezane KUJO, Yoshikane tried to attack Kyoto no matter what, but Kai-Genji (Minamoto clan) sent an envoy to tell Yoshikane to hold back until reinforcement arrives because if he attacked with an outnumbered army, he may be turned away.
On December 26, Ietsugu HIRATA (also known as Hirata Nyudo) on the Taira clan side attacked Omi, defeated Takayori NOSE on the Minamoto clan side, and conquered the castle of Yoshikane. The army of Mino-Genji (the Minamoto clan) arrived to support Yoshitsune and Yoshikane, but on December 30, they were turned away by the envoy to search and kill which was led by TAIRA no Tomomori, the Daishogun (command-in-chief). Yoshitsune and Yoshikane barricaded themselves in the Mii-dera Temple, but it was invaded by the Taira clan army. Then Yoshitsune and Yoshikane managed to escape and barricaded themselves in the Yamamotoyama-jo Castle, but on January 9, the castle was attacked and captured by TAIRA no Tomomori and TAIRA no Sukemori. According to "Gyokuyo," there was a rumor that the head of Yoshikane was placed as one of the severed heads, but it corrects that the rumor was not true.
Afterward, his older brother Yoshitsune escaped and went to see MINAMOTO no Yoritomo in Kamakura to get support.
According to the "Genpei Seisuiki" (Rise and Fall of the Minamoto and the Taira clans), Yoshikane joined the army of MINAMOTO no Yoshinaka in 1183, invaded in the Echizen Province as the Daisho (Major Captain) of the vanguard along with the citizens of the Shinano and Kaga Provinces, and established and barricaded themselves in the Hiuchi-jo Castle.
When Yoshinaka went to Kyoto by following the Taira clan, Yoshikane and his older brother Yoshitsune were appointed as the guard of Kyoto (according to "Kikki" and "Genpei Seisuiki").
His whereabouts afterward is unknown.