Hojo Tokimasa
Encyclopedia
was the first Hōjō shikken
(regent) of the Kamakura bakufu
and head of the Hōjō clan
. He was shikken from the death of Minamoto no Yoritomo
in 1199 until his abdication in 1205.
in the 1180s; however, as a result of their connection to the Taira, the Hōjō were also distant relatives of the imperial family
. The Hōjō clan were in control of the province of Izu
, which was in the east and quite far away from the center of power in Kyoto
and the west.
.
In 1155, Hōjō Tokimasa married Hōjō no Maki, who became his official wife. Her maiden name is not known. Even the marriage date is not clear, and is based on the birth of their first child, a daughter, Hōjō Masako
in 1156. Hōjō Tokimasa, as the head of the Hōjō clan, chose to stay out of the civil strife engulfing western Japan based on court succession disputes between the Cloistered Emperor Toba
, his son Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa
, and Cloistered Emperor Suzaku
, as well as a rivalry between the Minamoto clan under Minamoto no Yoshitomo
and the Taira clan under Taira no Kiyomori
.
These two disturbances, known as the Hōgen Rebellion
and Heiji Rebellion
, ended in a Taira victory and the rule of the Cloistered Emperors Toba and Go-Shirakawa. Minamoto no Yoshitomo of the Minamoto clan was executed in 1160, all but three of his sons also executed, and his daughters sent to nunneries. Of the three of his sons that were spared, Minamoto no Yoshitsune
and Minamoto no Noriyori
were sent to monasteries, while his eldest son, Minamoto no Yoritomo
, only 13 years old, was exiled to Tokimasa's domain of Izu.
Tokimasa's and Maki's next child, Hōjō Yoshitoki
, who became Tokimasa's eldest son and heir, was born in 1163. The two also had another son, Hōjō Tokifusa
, and while his date of birth is not known, it is estimated that he was born in 1165. There was also apparently a daughter, probably born in 1169. Yoritomo, at first, was just another political exile of the Taira living in Izu, but as Taira brutality grew, not against not only the Japanese people but also the imperial court and nobles, the court itself grew weary of Taira rule, and particularly of the brutal Taira no Kiyomori.
In 1179, Minamoto no Yoritomo, the Minamoto exile from Kyoto, fell in love with Tokimasa's daughter, Masako. In around 1180, they wed. That same year, Prince Mochihito
, a son of Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa and a brother of Cloistered Emperor Takakura
and thus an uncle of Emperor Antoku
, who was half-Taira and had been placed on the throne by the Taira, believed the Taira had denied him the throne and called on the exiled Minamoto leaders to go to war and oust the Taira. Yoritomo declared war on the Taira, thus gaining his father-in-law, Tokimasa's support and the support of the Hōjō clan. That same year, Masako and Yoritomo had a daughter, Ō-hime, Tokimasa's first grandchild.
, in Izu. Hōjō Tokimasa became his de-facto advisor. The Genpei War
between Minamoto and Taira had begun. In 1181, Taira no Kiyomori died, leaving the Taira family in the hands of Taira no Munemori
, his son and a hothead who had no knowledge of military matters. In 1182, Tokimasa's son, Yoshitoki, wed. That same year, Masako and Yoritomo had a son, Minamoto no Yoriie
, Yoritomo's heir. This would also become Tokimasa's first male grandchild. The next year, Yoshitoki and his wife had their first child, a son, Hōjō Yasutoki
, who would become heir to the Hōjō after Yoshitoki's death.
Things were going well for the Minamoto against the Taira. In 1183, Minamoto no Yoshinaka
, Yoritomo's cousin, took Kyoto before Yoritomo could. That same year, Yoshitsune and Noriyori, Yoritomo's brothers, arrived in Kamakura and joined the Gempei War on the side of Yoritomo. In 1184, Minamoto no Yoshitsune took Kyoto in the name of Yoritomo, and had Yoshinaka executed. By this time, the Taira had fled with the Emperor Antoku to Shikoku
, and, in his place, the Minamoto (with the support of Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa) enthroned Emperor Go-Toba
, a younger brother of Antoku. In 1185, Yoshitsune defeated the Taira at the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani
. Taira no Munemori
and Taira no Shigehira
were executed in Kyoto and Nara
respectively, while the rest of the Taira, including Kiyomori's widow Taira no Tokuko
and Emperor Antoku drowned.
Minamoto no Yoritomo was now the undisputed ruler of Japan, and the Gempei War was over with a Minamoto victory. Hōjō no Tokimasa was now in a very good position. Yoritomo did not move to Kyoto, but remained in Kamakura with Tokimasa. That same year, Tokimasa was sent to Kyoto and the court of Emperor Go-Toba and Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa. When he returned, the first appointments of shugo
and jito
, the stewards and constables of the Kamakura bakufu, were apparently granted. In 1189, Yoritomo consolidated his power, executing his half brothers Yoshitsune and Noriyori.
In 1192, after the birth of Yoritomo's and Masako's second son, Minamoto no Sanetomo
, Minamoto no Yoritomo was granted the title of shogun
by Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa, who died later that year. Hōjō Tokimasa, as the head of the Hōjō clan, had thus become the head of one of the most powerful families in Japan - he was the father-in-law of the shogun.
, who himself was considered a minor at the age of 18. Thus, his grandfather, Hōjō Tokimasa, began to rule as shikken
, or regent for Yoriie, ensuring his powerful position in Kamakura, Kyoto, and for the Hōjō clan in general. Nonetheless, Yoriie was closer with his father in law, Hiki Yoshikazu
than he was with his own grandfather, Tokimasa. In fact, he despised his mother, his uncles, and the Hōjō family in general. He was thus independent and rash, unlike his father who depended on the Hōjō.
In that year, a regency council was created by Hōjō Tokimasa, Masako, and Yoshitoki. The most powerful person there (not counting the remaining Minamoto members there and the Hōjō) was Kajiwara Kagetoki
, the governor of Sagami. Though he was very close with Yoritomo and trusted by Tokimasa, Yoriie disliked him, and he was executed in Suruga by the bakufu army in 1200. Though it is generally accepted that Yoriie was responsible for the order, it is believed that Tokimasa and the Hōjō might have also been behind it since the Hōjō clan did gain the province of Sagami. Tokimasa was made daimyo of Ōmi Province
in the same year.
Tokimasa's calculations next turned on his grandson's father-in-law, Hiki Yoshikazu, who his grandson listened to more than he listened to his own regent, Tokimasa. Losing all hope of getting either Shogun Yoriie or Yoshikazu on his side, Tokimasa placed his bets with his other grandson, Yoriie's younger brother and Yoritomo's youngest son, Sanetomo.
In 1203, the 21 year old Yoriie became extremely ill and weak, and Tokimasa produced a plan whereby Japan would be divided between Minamoto no Sanetomo and Minamoto no Ichiman
, Yoriie's son, and very close to the Hōjō, who was planning to become the next shogun. Yoshikazu began to suspect something based on the attitude of Tokimasa, Masako, Ichiman, and Sanetomo, and hatched a plot to capture and assassinate Hōjō Tokimasa.
With the help of Ōe Hiromoto, a trusted ally, Tokimasa found out about the plan and invited Yoshikazu to his home in Kamakura for Buddhist services. After Hiki exited the services, bakufu troops executed him. Following that, Hōjō troops entered Hiki's residence and executed high ranking members of the Hiki clan, including Minamoto no Ichiman, who, though close to Tokimasa, was also close to his maternal grandfather. Shogun Yoriie, bedridden, abdicated. He went to Shuzenji in Izu but was murdered in 1204. It is thought that this was plotted by Hōjō Tokimasa.
, while he and Oe Hiromoto exercised absolute power. In 1204, after the assassination of Yoriie, Hōjō Masako lost trust in her father, as she believed that he was behind the assassination of her son. It is also believed Tokimasa's wife, Hōjō no Maki died in late 1204.
Soon afterwards, Tokimasa was convinced by one of his allies, Hiraga Tomomasa, that Hatakeyama Shigetada
, who was the husband of Tokimasa's youngest daughter, was inciting rebellion in Kyoto against the Hōjō. Tokimasa, angered, ordered his two sons, Hōjō Yoshitoki
, his heir, and his other son, Hōjō Tokifusa
, to execute Hatekayama. Yoshitoki and Tokifusa, who enjoyed good relations with their brother-in-law, protested, but Tokimasa ordered the execution of Hatekayama himself. From here on, Yoshitoki, Tokifusa, and their younger sister lost trust in their father and his meddling. It is believed Hatakeyama was a rival power-holder to Tokimasa.
Tokimasa realized that Shogun Sanetomo was under protection, and, since Ōe Hiromoto died in 1204, he had no more allies left. He thus shaved his head, became a Buddhist monk, and retired from his post of shikken and head of the Hōjō family. He was succeeded by his eldest son and heir, Hōjō Yoshitoki
, who became regent for Shogun Sanetomo and thus the second Hōjō shikken.
Hōjō Tokimasa retired to a Buddhist monastery in Kamakura
where he lived out the remaining years of his life, dying in 1215 at the age of 78.
Shikken
The was the regent for the shogun in the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. The post was monopolized by the Hōjō clan, and this system only existed once in Japanese history, between 1203 and 1333...
(regent) of the Kamakura bakufu
Kamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
and head of the Hōjō clan
Hojo clan
See the late Hōjō clan for the Hōjō clan of the Sengoku Period.The in the history of Japan was a family who controlled the hereditary title of shikken of the Kamakura Shogunate. In practice, the family had actual governmental power, many times dictatorial, rather than Kamakura shoguns, or the...
. He was shikken from the death of Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
in 1199 until his abdication in 1205.
Background: The Hōjō Clan
The Hōjō clan was, ironically, descended from the Taira clan, which would lose to the Minamoto in the grand civil war known as the Genpei WarGenpei War
The was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....
in the 1180s; however, as a result of their connection to the Taira, the Hōjō were also distant relatives of the imperial family
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
. The Hōjō clan were in control of the province of Izu
Izu
Izu may refer to:*Izu Province, a part of modern-day Shizuoka prefecture in Japan**Izu, a city in Shizuoka prefecture**The Izu Peninsula, near Tokyo***The Izu Islands, located off the Izu Peninsula...
, which was in the east and quite far away from the center of power in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
and the west.
Tokimasa's Life: Before the Call to Arms (1138-1180)
A large chunk of Tokimasa's life falls under only this one chapter mainly because not much is known about Hōjō Tokimasa's early life prior to Minamoto no Yoritomo's arrival in Izu. We do not have any information about his parents and early childhood, mainly because culture was not concentrated in Izu, but rather in Kyoto. We do know that Hōjō Tokimasa was born in 1138 into the influential Hōjō clan in the province of IzuIzu
Izu may refer to:*Izu Province, a part of modern-day Shizuoka prefecture in Japan**Izu, a city in Shizuoka prefecture**The Izu Peninsula, near Tokyo***The Izu Islands, located off the Izu Peninsula...
.
In 1155, Hōjō Tokimasa married Hōjō no Maki, who became his official wife. Her maiden name is not known. Even the marriage date is not clear, and is based on the birth of their first child, a daughter, Hōjō Masako
Hojo Masako
was the eldest child of Hōjō Tokimasa by his wife Hōjō no Maki, the first shikken, or regent, of the Kamakura shogunate. She was the sister of Hōjō Yoshitoki, and was married to Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura period...
in 1156. Hōjō Tokimasa, as the head of the Hōjō clan, chose to stay out of the civil strife engulfing western Japan based on court succession disputes between the Cloistered Emperor Toba
Emperor Toba
was the 74th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Toba's reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123.- Genealogy :...
, his son Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa
Emperor Go-Shirakawa
Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...
, and Cloistered Emperor Suzaku
Emperor Suzaku
was the 61st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Suzaku's reign spanned the years from 930 through 946.-Traditional narrative:...
, as well as a rivalry between the Minamoto clan under Minamoto no Yoshitomo
Minamoto no Yoshitomo
was the head of the Minamoto clan and a general of the late Heian period of Japanese history. His son Minamoto no Yoritomo became shogun and founded the Kamakura Shogunate, the first shogunate in the history of Japan.-Hōgen Rebellion:...
and the Taira clan under Taira no Kiyomori
Taira no Kiyomori
was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.After the death of his father Taira no Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he...
.
These two disturbances, known as the Hōgen Rebellion
Hogen Rebellion
The was a short civil war fought in order to resolve a dispute about Japanese Imperial succession. The dispute was also about the degree of control exercised by the Fujiwara clan who had become hereditary Imperial regents during the Heian period....
and Heiji Rebellion
Heiji Rebellion
The was a short civil war fought in order to resolve a dispute about political power. The Heiji no ran encompassed clashes between rival subjects of the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan in 1159. It was preceded by the Hōgen Rebellion in 1156...
, ended in a Taira victory and the rule of the Cloistered Emperors Toba and Go-Shirakawa. Minamoto no Yoshitomo of the Minamoto clan was executed in 1160, all but three of his sons also executed, and his daughters sent to nunneries. Of the three of his sons that were spared, Minamoto no Yoshitsune
Minamoto no Yoshitsune
was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the third and final son and child that Yoshitomo would father with Tokiwa Gozen. Yoshitsune's older brother Minamoto no Yoritomo founded the Kamakura...
and Minamoto no Noriyori
Minamoto no Noriyori
was a late Heian period general, who fought alongside his brothers Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Yoshitsune at a number of battles of the Genpei War. The sixth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, he was spared along with his brothers in 1160 by Taira no Kiyomori following Yoshitomo's death.He...
were sent to monasteries, while his eldest son, Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
, only 13 years old, was exiled to Tokimasa's domain of Izu.
Tokimasa's and Maki's next child, Hōjō Yoshitoki
Hojo Yoshitoki
was the second Hōjō shikken of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hōjō clan. He was the eldest son of Hōjō Tokimasa and his wife Hōjō no Maki...
, who became Tokimasa's eldest son and heir, was born in 1163. The two also had another son, Hōjō Tokifusa
Hojo Tokifusa
was a member of Japan's Hōjō clan of nobles and courtiers; the brother of Hōjō Yoshitoki, shogunal regent, Tokifusa was appointed to the Kyoto-based government post of Rokuhara Tandai upon its creation in 1221, following the Jōkyū War...
, and while his date of birth is not known, it is estimated that he was born in 1165. There was also apparently a daughter, probably born in 1169. Yoritomo, at first, was just another political exile of the Taira living in Izu, but as Taira brutality grew, not against not only the Japanese people but also the imperial court and nobles, the court itself grew weary of Taira rule, and particularly of the brutal Taira no Kiyomori.
In 1179, Minamoto no Yoritomo, the Minamoto exile from Kyoto, fell in love with Tokimasa's daughter, Masako. In around 1180, they wed. That same year, Prince Mochihito
Prince Mochihito
' , also known as the Takakura Prince, and as Minamoto Mochimitsu, was a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa. He is noted for his role in starting the Genpei War....
, a son of Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa and a brother of Cloistered Emperor Takakura
Emperor Takakura
Emperor Takakura was the 80th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180.-Genealogy:...
and thus an uncle of Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans...
, who was half-Taira and had been placed on the throne by the Taira, believed the Taira had denied him the throne and called on the exiled Minamoto leaders to go to war and oust the Taira. Yoritomo declared war on the Taira, thus gaining his father-in-law, Tokimasa's support and the support of the Hōjō clan. That same year, Masako and Yoritomo had a daughter, Ō-hime, Tokimasa's first grandchild.
Tokimasa's Life: The Genpei War and its Aftermath (1180-1199)
Yoritomo created his base and capital at KamakuraKamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
, in Izu. Hōjō Tokimasa became his de-facto advisor. The Genpei War
Genpei War
The was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....
between Minamoto and Taira had begun. In 1181, Taira no Kiyomori died, leaving the Taira family in the hands of Taira no Munemori
Taira no Munemori
was heir to Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira clan's chief commanders in the Genpei War.As his father Taira no Kiyomori lay on his deathbed, Kiyomori declared, among his last wishes, that all affairs of the clan be placed in Munemori's hands...
, his son and a hothead who had no knowledge of military matters. In 1182, Tokimasa's son, Yoshitoki, wed. That same year, Masako and Yoritomo had a son, Minamoto no Yoriie
Minamoto no Yoriie
was the second shogun of Japan's Kamakura shogunate, and the first son of first shogun Yoritomo.- Life :Born from Tokimasa's daughter Hōjō Masako at Hiki Yoshikazu's residence in Kamakura, Yoriie had as wet nurses the wives of powerful men like Hiki himself and Kajiwara Kagetoki, and Hiki's...
, Yoritomo's heir. This would also become Tokimasa's first male grandchild. The next year, Yoshitoki and his wife had their first child, a son, Hōjō Yasutoki
Hojo Yasutoki
Hōjō Yasutoki was the third shikken of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. He strengthened the political system of the Hōjō regency.He was the eldest son of second shikken Yoshitoki...
, who would become heir to the Hōjō after Yoshitoki's death.
Things were going well for the Minamoto against the Taira. In 1183, Minamoto no Yoshinaka
Minamoto no Yoshinaka
was a general of the late Heian Period of Japanese history. A member of the Minamoto samurai clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo was his cousin and rival during the Genpei War between the Minamoto and the Taira clans....
, Yoritomo's cousin, took Kyoto before Yoritomo could. That same year, Yoshitsune and Noriyori, Yoritomo's brothers, arrived in Kamakura and joined the Gempei War on the side of Yoritomo. In 1184, Minamoto no Yoshitsune took Kyoto in the name of Yoritomo, and had Yoshinaka executed. By this time, the Taira had fled with the Emperor Antoku to Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
, and, in his place, the Minamoto (with the support of Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa) enthroned Emperor Go-Toba
Emperor Go-Toba
was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198....
, a younger brother of Antoku. In 1185, Yoshitsune defeated the Taira at the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani
Battle of Ichi-no-Tani
' was a Taira fortress at Suma, to the west of present-day Kobe. It sat on a very narrow strip of shore, between mountains on the north, and the sea to the south. This made it quite defensible, but also made it difficult to maneuver troops inside the fortress. Minamoto no Yoshitsune split his force...
. Taira no Munemori
Taira no Munemori
was heir to Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira clan's chief commanders in the Genpei War.As his father Taira no Kiyomori lay on his deathbed, Kiyomori declared, among his last wishes, that all affairs of the clan be placed in Munemori's hands...
and Taira no Shigehira
Taira no Shigehira
' was one of the sons of Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira Clan's chief commanders during the Heian period of the 12th century of Japan...
were executed in Kyoto and Nara
Nara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
respectively, while the rest of the Taira, including Kiyomori's widow Taira no Tokuko
Taira no Tokuko
For the asteroid, see 5242 Kenreimonin, later known as , was the last Heike Imperial survivor from the modest vessel carrying the emperor in the great naval battle of Dan-no-ura....
and Emperor Antoku drowned.
Minamoto no Yoritomo was now the undisputed ruler of Japan, and the Gempei War was over with a Minamoto victory. Hōjō no Tokimasa was now in a very good position. Yoritomo did not move to Kyoto, but remained in Kamakura with Tokimasa. That same year, Tokimasa was sent to Kyoto and the court of Emperor Go-Toba and Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa. When he returned, the first appointments of shugo
Shugo
was a title, commonly translated as "Governor," given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan...
and jito
Jito
were medieval land stewards in Japan, especially in the Kamakura and Muromachi Shogunates. Appointed by the shogun, jitō managed manors including national holdings governed by the provincial governor ....
, the stewards and constables of the Kamakura bakufu, were apparently granted. In 1189, Yoritomo consolidated his power, executing his half brothers Yoshitsune and Noriyori.
In 1192, after the birth of Yoritomo's and Masako's second son, Minamoto no Sanetomo
Minamoto no Sanetomo
Minamoto no Sanetomo was the third shogun of the Kamakura shogunate Sanetomo was the second son of the founder of the Kamakura shogunate Minamoto no Yoritomo, his mother was Hōjō Masako, and his older brother was the second Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoriie.His childhood name was...
, Minamoto no Yoritomo was granted the title of shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
by Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa, who died later that year. Hōjō Tokimasa, as the head of the Hōjō clan, had thus become the head of one of the most powerful families in Japan - he was the father-in-law of the shogun.
Tokimasa's Life: Intrigues in the Shogunal Court of Minamoto no Yoriie (1199-1203)
In 1199, Minamoto no Yoritomo died. He was succeeded by his son and heir, Minamoto no YoriieMinamoto no Yoriie
was the second shogun of Japan's Kamakura shogunate, and the first son of first shogun Yoritomo.- Life :Born from Tokimasa's daughter Hōjō Masako at Hiki Yoshikazu's residence in Kamakura, Yoriie had as wet nurses the wives of powerful men like Hiki himself and Kajiwara Kagetoki, and Hiki's...
, who himself was considered a minor at the age of 18. Thus, his grandfather, Hōjō Tokimasa, began to rule as shikken
Shikken
The was the regent for the shogun in the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. The post was monopolized by the Hōjō clan, and this system only existed once in Japanese history, between 1203 and 1333...
, or regent for Yoriie, ensuring his powerful position in Kamakura, Kyoto, and for the Hōjō clan in general. Nonetheless, Yoriie was closer with his father in law, Hiki Yoshikazu
Hiki Yoshikazu
was a Japanese warrior-noble of the Kamakura period related to the ruling Minamoto clan through his daughter's marriage. He, and much of the Hiki clan, were killed for allegedly conspiring to have one of the Minamoto heirs killed, in order to gain power himself....
than he was with his own grandfather, Tokimasa. In fact, he despised his mother, his uncles, and the Hōjō family in general. He was thus independent and rash, unlike his father who depended on the Hōjō.
In that year, a regency council was created by Hōjō Tokimasa, Masako, and Yoshitoki. The most powerful person there (not counting the remaining Minamoto members there and the Hōjō) was Kajiwara Kagetoki
Kajiwara Kagetoki
was a spy for Minamoto no Yoritomo in the Genpei War, and a warrior against the Taira. He came to be known for his greed and treachery.Originally from Suruga province, Kajiwara entered the Genpei War fighting under Oba Kagechika, against the Minamoto. After the Taira victory at Ishibashiyama in...
, the governor of Sagami. Though he was very close with Yoritomo and trusted by Tokimasa, Yoriie disliked him, and he was executed in Suruga by the bakufu army in 1200. Though it is generally accepted that Yoriie was responsible for the order, it is believed that Tokimasa and the Hōjō might have also been behind it since the Hōjō clan did gain the province of Sagami. Tokimasa was made daimyo of Ōmi Province
Omi Province
is an old province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. It is nicknamed as .Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of the province...
in the same year.
Tokimasa's calculations next turned on his grandson's father-in-law, Hiki Yoshikazu, who his grandson listened to more than he listened to his own regent, Tokimasa. Losing all hope of getting either Shogun Yoriie or Yoshikazu on his side, Tokimasa placed his bets with his other grandson, Yoriie's younger brother and Yoritomo's youngest son, Sanetomo.
In 1203, the 21 year old Yoriie became extremely ill and weak, and Tokimasa produced a plan whereby Japan would be divided between Minamoto no Sanetomo and Minamoto no Ichiman
Minamoto no Ichiman
was the eldest son of second Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoriie. His mother Wakasa no Tsubone was Hiki Yoshikazu's daughter, and the child was brought up by the Hiki clan...
, Yoriie's son, and very close to the Hōjō, who was planning to become the next shogun. Yoshikazu began to suspect something based on the attitude of Tokimasa, Masako, Ichiman, and Sanetomo, and hatched a plot to capture and assassinate Hōjō Tokimasa.
With the help of Ōe Hiromoto, a trusted ally, Tokimasa found out about the plan and invited Yoshikazu to his home in Kamakura for Buddhist services. After Hiki exited the services, bakufu troops executed him. Following that, Hōjō troops entered Hiki's residence and executed high ranking members of the Hiki clan, including Minamoto no Ichiman, who, though close to Tokimasa, was also close to his maternal grandfather. Shogun Yoriie, bedridden, abdicated. He went to Shuzenji in Izu but was murdered in 1204. It is thought that this was plotted by Hōjō Tokimasa.
Tokimasa's Life: Intrigues in the Shogunal Court of Minamoto no Sanetomo (1203-1205)
After the death of Yoriie and Ichiman, Tokimasa installed Yoritomo's second son, Minamoto no Sanetomo, as the next shogun. Tokimasa began to chair the MandokoroMandokoro
was the chief governing body of an important family or monastic complex in ancient Japan. This name was borrowed for the administrative department of the Shogunate in feudal times....
, while he and Oe Hiromoto exercised absolute power. In 1204, after the assassination of Yoriie, Hōjō Masako lost trust in her father, as she believed that he was behind the assassination of her son. It is also believed Tokimasa's wife, Hōjō no Maki died in late 1204.
Soon afterwards, Tokimasa was convinced by one of his allies, Hiraga Tomomasa, that Hatakeyama Shigetada
Hatakeyama Shigetada
was a samurai who fought in the Genpei War, in Japan. Originally fighting for the Taira clan, he switched sides for the battle of Dan-no-ura, and ended the war on the winning side....
, who was the husband of Tokimasa's youngest daughter, was inciting rebellion in Kyoto against the Hōjō. Tokimasa, angered, ordered his two sons, Hōjō Yoshitoki
Hojo Yoshitoki
was the second Hōjō shikken of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hōjō clan. He was the eldest son of Hōjō Tokimasa and his wife Hōjō no Maki...
, his heir, and his other son, Hōjō Tokifusa
Hojo Tokifusa
was a member of Japan's Hōjō clan of nobles and courtiers; the brother of Hōjō Yoshitoki, shogunal regent, Tokifusa was appointed to the Kyoto-based government post of Rokuhara Tandai upon its creation in 1221, following the Jōkyū War...
, to execute Hatekayama. Yoshitoki and Tokifusa, who enjoyed good relations with their brother-in-law, protested, but Tokimasa ordered the execution of Hatekayama himself. From here on, Yoshitoki, Tokifusa, and their younger sister lost trust in their father and his meddling. It is believed Hatakeyama was a rival power-holder to Tokimasa.
Tokimasa's Life: The Last Years (1205-1215)
However, Tokimasa's career was coming to an end. In 1205, Yoshitoki heard rumors from samurai that Tokimasa was planning to have Shogun Sanetomo assassinated. He heard that the heir was none other than Hiraga, who was responsible for the death of Hatakeyama. Yoshitoki, furious, and Masako, who was also scared about the fate of her last son, put Sanetomo under protective guard and had Hiraga executed in Kamakura in 1205. Yoshitoki then threatened to rebel against his father.Tokimasa realized that Shogun Sanetomo was under protection, and, since Ōe Hiromoto died in 1204, he had no more allies left. He thus shaved his head, became a Buddhist monk, and retired from his post of shikken and head of the Hōjō family. He was succeeded by his eldest son and heir, Hōjō Yoshitoki
Hojo Yoshitoki
was the second Hōjō shikken of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hōjō clan. He was the eldest son of Hōjō Tokimasa and his wife Hōjō no Maki...
, who became regent for Shogun Sanetomo and thus the second Hōjō shikken.
Hōjō Tokimasa retired to a Buddhist monastery in Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
where he lived out the remaining years of his life, dying in 1215 at the age of 78.
See also
- Hōjō clanHojo clanSee the late Hōjō clan for the Hōjō clan of the Sengoku Period.The in the history of Japan was a family who controlled the hereditary title of shikken of the Kamakura Shogunate. In practice, the family had actual governmental power, many times dictatorial, rather than Kamakura shoguns, or the...
- Kamakura shogunateKamakura shogunateThe Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
- Hōjō MasakoHojo Masakowas the eldest child of Hōjō Tokimasa by his wife Hōjō no Maki, the first shikken, or regent, of the Kamakura shogunate. She was the sister of Hōjō Yoshitoki, and was married to Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura period...
- Minamoto no YoritomoMinamoto no Yoritomowas the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
- Minamoto no YoriieMinamoto no Yoriiewas the second shogun of Japan's Kamakura shogunate, and the first son of first shogun Yoritomo.- Life :Born from Tokimasa's daughter Hōjō Masako at Hiki Yoshikazu's residence in Kamakura, Yoriie had as wet nurses the wives of powerful men like Hiki himself and Kajiwara Kagetoki, and Hiki's...
- Minamoto no SanetomoMinamoto no SanetomoMinamoto no Sanetomo was the third shogun of the Kamakura shogunate Sanetomo was the second son of the founder of the Kamakura shogunate Minamoto no Yoritomo, his mother was Hōjō Masako, and his older brother was the second Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoriie.His childhood name was...
- Hōjō YoshitokiHojo Yoshitokiwas the second Hōjō shikken of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hōjō clan. He was the eldest son of Hōjō Tokimasa and his wife Hōjō no Maki...
- Emperor Go-ShirakawaEmperor Go-ShirakawaEmperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...
- Emperor AntokuEmperor AntokuEmperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans...
- Emperor Go-TobaEmperor Go-Tobawas the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198....
- Taira no KiyomoriTaira no Kiyomoriwas a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.After the death of his father Taira no Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he...
- Kamakura, KanagawaKamakura, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
- shikkenShikkenThe was the regent for the shogun in the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. The post was monopolized by the Hōjō clan, and this system only existed once in Japanese history, between 1203 and 1333...