Japanese Pirates’ Medieval Times (6) ——Kobayakawa Clan: A Case of Samurais from the East (1)——

Dohi Sanehira (?-1191.11.25?) and his son, Tohira (?-?), did good jobs during the Genpei War (1180-1185), conflicts between Taira Clan (=Pei) and Minamoto Clan (=Gen) at the end of Ancient Japan, or at the beginning of Medieval Japan. They were from Dohi County, Sagami Province, and followed Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199.1.13) when he took up arms against Taira Clan in 1180. In 1184, Sanehira became a general pursuer in Bizen, Bicchu, and Bingo Provinces. Tohira was later appointed as a manorial steward samurai of many manors in Bingo and Nagato Provinces, as well as that of Nuta Manor, Takehara Manor, and others in Aki Province. After Tohira, they started calling themselves Kobayakawa as Sanehira was the second son and had lived in Kobayakawa village near Dohi County in Sagami Province. Kobayakawa Clan, however, had no way but retreat from most of those manors only to be a steward samurai of Nuta and Takehara Manors as the alliances between ancient central forces and local powerful families were still so strong around the Seto Inland Sea. Tohira, staying neutral, survived a military conflict between Hojo and Wada Clans in Kamakura in 1213, after which Hojo Clan established their regency regime. Tohira built Seishin-ji Temple in 1219 for his wife, who died young, and both Sanehira and Tohira themselves seem to have died in Nuta Manor.