Mashiko no Masashige

Mashiko no Masashige was an early Kamakura-period warrior and head of the Mashiko family, holders of Saimyōji Castle in Haga District, Shimotsuke Province, and retainers of the Utsunomiya.

In 1189, when Minamoto no Yoritomo marched against the Northern Fujiwara of Ōshū, Masashige led the clan's Ki-tō warrior band under Utsunomiya Tomotsuna and fought with distinction alongside the Haga clan's Sei-tō. Yoritomo rewarded the Mashiko and the Haga each with a Minamoto white banner, an honour long treasured by the family.