Kongorikishi statue from 14th century Japan

The was the feudal military government of Japan during the

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)
"''Kamakura-jidai''"
in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by

Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1192 until 1199.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako who acted as regent (''shikken'') after his ...

after victory in the Genpei War and appointing himself as ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamak ...

''. Yoritomo governed Japan as military dictator from the eastern city of Kamakura with the

emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the ...

and his Imperial Court in the official capital city of Heian-kyō (

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...

) as

figurehead In politics, a figurehead is a person who ''de jure'' (in name or by law) appears to hold an important and often supremely powerful title or office, yet ''de facto'' (in reality) exercises little to no actual power. This usually means that they ...

s. The Kamakura ''shōguns'' were members of the

Minamoto clan was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during th ...

until 1226, the Fujiwara clan until 1252, and the last six were minor

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

s of the imperial family.Nussbaum
"Minamoto"
at pp. 632–633. The Hōjō clan were the ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

'' rulers of Japan as '' shikken'' (

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

) of the ''shōgun'' from 1203.Nussbaum
"Fujiwara"
at pp. 200–201. The Kamakura shogunate saw the

Jōkyū War , also known as the Jōkyū Disturbance or the Jōkyū Rebellion, was fought in Japan between the forces of Retired Emperor Go-Toba and those of the Hōjō clan, regents of the Kamakura shogunate, whom the retired emperor was trying to overthrow ...

in 1221 and the Mongol invasions of Japan under Kublai Khan in 1274 and 1281. The Kamakura shogunate was overthrown in the Kenmu Restoration under Emperor Go-Daigo in 1333, re-establishing Imperial rule until

Ashikaga Takauji was the founder and first '' shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate."Ashikaga Takauji" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Murom ...

and his offsprings overthrew the imperial government and founded the

Ashikaga shogunate The , also known as the , was the feudal military government of Japan during the Muromachi period from 1336 to 1573.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Muromachi-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 669. The Ashikaga shogunate was establi ...

in 1336 (

Nanboku-chō period The Nanboku-chō period (南北朝時代, ''Nanboku-chō jidai'', "North and South court period", also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period), spanning from 1336 to 1392, was a period that occurred during the formative years of the Mur ...

History

Establishment

Procession-of-Minamoto-no-Yoritomo-visits-Kyoto-1190-Utagawa-Sadahide

Historically in Japan, the power of

civilian government Civil authority or civil government is the practical implementation of a state on behalf of its citizens, other than through military units (martial law), that enforces law and order and that is distinguished from religious authority (for exampl ...

was primarily held by the ruling

and their

s, typically appointed from the ranks of the Imperial Court and the

aristocratic Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word' ...

clans that vied for influence there. Military affairs were handled under the auspices of the civil government. From 1180 to 1185, the Genpei War was fought between the

Taira The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided ...

and Minamoto clans as part of a longstanding violent rivalry for influence over the Emperor and his court.

defeated the Taira clan, but in his victory seized power from the civil aristocracy, politically relegating the Emperor and his court to symbolic

s. In 1192, Yoritomo and the Minamoto clan established a military government in Kamakura.

The Hōjō Regency

Yoritomo unexpectedly died in an accident in 1199, leaving the Minamoto clan weakened. Hōjō Tokimasa, the father of Yoritomo's widow,

Hōjō Masako was a Japanese politician who exercised significant power in the early years of the Kamakura period, which was reflected by her contemporary sobriquet of the "nun shogun". She was the wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo, and mother of Minamoto no Yo ...

, and former guardian and protector of Yoritomo, claimed the title of regent ( shikken) to Yoritomo's son Minamoto no Yoriie, eventually making that claim hereditary to the Hōjō clan. At the same time, Hōjō Masako maneuvered herself into such a powerful, albeit informal, position that people began calling her the "nun shogun" in the place of her son Yoriie. As Minamoto no Yoriie grew older, however, he attempted to exert real power, resulting in a power struggle with Hōjō clan of his own mother. These conflicts caused considerable tensions within the shogunate. In 1201, the Jo clan unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow the Minamoto clan in the

Kennin Rebellion The Kennin Rebellion was an uprising against the Kamakura shogunate of Japan, instigated by the Jo clan under Jo Nagamochi in 1201. The initial revolt took place at the capital of Heian-kyō, but was easily crushed, whereupon the shogunate destroy ...

. Eventually, Tokimasa deposed Yoriie, backed up his younger brother,

Minamoto no Sanetomo was the third ''shōgun'' of the Kamakura shogunate. He was the second son of the Kamakura shogunate founder, Minamoto no Yoritomo. His mother was Hōjō Masako and his older brother was second Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoriie. His childhood ...

, as a new shōgun, and assumed the post of shikken. Sanetomo was only twelve at this point, and accordingly power factually rested with his mother Hōjō Masako. The Minamoto remained the titular shōguns, with the Hōjō holding the real power. In 1204, loyalists of Yoriie attempted an uprising to topple the Hōjō domination, but the latter defeated the rebels and assassinated Yoriie. In 1205, Hōjō Tokimasa attempted to depose Sanetomo, hoping to install his son-in-law as new shogun. However, his daughter Hōjō Masako saw this as threat to her own status; she arranged the pretender's murder and banished her father to a monastery. In 1219, Sanetomo was assassinated by his nephew Kugyō. Since Sanetomo died childless, the line of shōguns from the Minamoto clan ended with him. From this point onwards, the Hōjō were in total control. With Sanetomo's death in 1219, his mother Hōjō Masako continued to serve as the shogunate's real center of power. As long as she lived, regents and shōguns would come and go, while she stayed at the helm. Since the Hōjō family did not have the rank to nominate a shōgun from among its members, Masako had to find a convenient puppet. The problem was solved by choosingKujo Yoritsune, a distant relation of the Minamoto, who would be the fourth shōgun and figurehead, while Hōjō Yoshitoki would take care of day-to-day business. However powerless, future shōguns would always be chosen from either Fujiwara or imperial lineage to keep the bloodline pure and give legitimacy to the rule. This succession proceeded for more than a century. As a result, the Kamakura shogunate rested on an unusual pyramid of regents and ''de facto'' usurpation: The true rulers, namely the Hōjō regents, had usurped power from the Minamoto, who had usurped it from the Emperor, descending from

Emperor Kōkō was the 58th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 光孝天皇 (58)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Kōkō reigned from 884 to 887. Traditional narrative Before the emperor's ascension to the Chry ...

, who usurped it from the children of

Emperor Seiwa was the 56th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 清和天皇 (56)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Seiwa's reign spanned the years from 858 through 876.He was also the predecessor of Takeda ryu. T ...

. At the same time, the regents, shoguns, and emperors all still maintained their nominal positions and existed alongside each other. The regime nonetheless proved to be stable enough to last a total of 135 years, 9 shōguns and 16 regents. In 1221,

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. This 12th-century sovereign was named after Emperor Toba, and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; a ...

tried to regain power in what would be called the , but the attempt failed. The power of the Hōjō remained unchallenged until 1324, when Emperor Go-Daigo orchestrated a plot to overthrow them, but the plot was discovered almost immediately and foiled.

Mongol invasions

The Mongols under Kublai Khan attempted sea-borne invasions in 1274 and 1281. Fifty years before, the shogunate had agreed to Korean demands that the

Wokou ''Wokou'' (; Japanese: ''Wakō''; Korean: 왜구 ''Waegu''), which literally translates to "Japanese pirates" or "dwarf pirates", were pirates who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century to the 16th century.

be dealt with to stop their raids, and this bit of good diplomacy had created a cooperative relationship between the two states, such that the Koreans, helpless with a Mongol occupation army garrisoning their country, had sent much intelligence information to Japan, so that along with messages from Japanese spies in the Korean peninsula, the shogunate had a good picture of the situation of the pending Mongol invasion. The shogunate had rejected Kublai's demands to submit with contempt. The Mongol landings of 1274 met with some success, however there was no rout of the Japanese defenders, who in any case greatly outnumbered the 40,000 combined invasion force of Mongols and Korean conscripts. Noting an impending storm, the Korean admirals advised the Mongols to re-embark so that the fleet could be protected away from shore; however, the typhoon was so destructive that one-third of the Mongol force was destroyed. After the surviving forces returned to Mongol territory, Kublai was not dissuaded from his intentions on bringing Japan under Mongol control, and once again sent a message demanding submission, which infuriated the Hōjō leadership, who had the messengers executed. They responded with decisive action for defense—a wall was built to protect the hinterland of Hakata Bay, defensive posts were established, garrison lists were drawn up, regular manning of the home provinces was redirected to the western defenses, and ships were constructed to harass the invaders' fleet when they appeared. The Mongols returned in 1281 with a force of some 50,000 Mongol-Korean-Chinese along with some 100,000 conscripts from the defeated

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...

empire in south China. This force embarked and fought the Japanese for some seven weeks at several locations in Kyushu, but the defenders held, and the Mongols made no strategic headway. Again, a typhoon approached, and the Koreans and Chinese re-embarked the combined Mongol invasion forces in an attempt to deal with the storm in the open sea. At least one-third of the Mongol force was destroyed, and perhaps half of the conscripted Song forces to the south over a two-day period of August 15–16. Thousands of invading troops were not able to embark in time and were slaughtered by the samurai. Such losses in men, material, and the exhaustion of the Korean state in provisioning the two invasions put an end to the Mongol's attempts to conquer Japan. The "divine wind," or '' kamikaze'', was credited for saving Japan from foreign invasion. For two further decades the Kamakura shogunate maintained a watch in case the Mongols attempted another invasion. However, the strain on the military and the financial expenditures weakened the regime considerably. Additionally, the defensive war left no gains to distribute to the warriors who had fought it, leading to discontent. Construction of defensive walls added further expenses to the strained regime.

Decline and fall

In 1331, Emperor Go-Daigo took arms against Kamakura, but was defeated by Kamakura's

and exiled to Oki Island, in today's Shimane Prefecture. A warlord then went to the exiled emperor's rescue, and in response the Hōjō sent forces again commanded by Takauji to attack Kyoto.Kamakura: History & Historic Sites - The Kamakura Period
the Kamakura Citizen Net, accessed on April 27, 2008 Once there, however, Takauji decided to switch sides and support Go-Daigo. At the same time another warlord loyal to the emperor,

Nitta Yoshisada was a samurai lord of the Nanboku-chō period Japan. He was the head of the Nitta clan in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-chō period. He famously marched on Kamakura, besieging ...

, attacked Kamakura and took it. About 870 Hōjō clan, including the last three Regents, committed suicide at their family temple, Tōshō-ji, whose ruins were found in today's Ōmachi. In 1336, Ashikaga Takauji assumed the position of shōgun himself, establishing the

Institutions

The Kamakura shogunate functioned within the framework of the Heian system of Imperial rule. Yoritomo established a chancellery, or ''

mandokoro 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. History The earliest usage of the term was found in the Heian ...

'', as his principal organ of government. Later, under the Hōjō, a separate institution, the ''hyōjōshū'' became the focus of government. The shogunate appointed new military governors ('' shugo'') over the provinces/states. These were selected mostly from powerful families in the different provinces, or the title was bestowed upon a general and his family after a successful campaign. Although they managed their own affairs, in theory they were still obliged to the central government through their allegiance to the shōgun. The military governors paralleled the existing system of governors and vice-governors ('' kokushi'') appointed by the civil government in Kyoto. Kamakura also appointed stewards, or ''

jitō were medieval territory stewards in Japan, especially in the Kamakura and Muromachi shogunates. Appointed by the ''shōgun'', ''jitō'' managed manors including national holdings governed by the provincial governor ( kokushi). There were also ...

'', to positions in the manors ('' shōen''). These stewards received revenues from the manors in return for their military service. They served along with the holders of similar office, '' gesu'', who delivered dues from the manor to the proprietor in Kyoto. Thus the dual governmental system reached to the manor level.

List of Kamakura shōguns

, r. 1192–1199 # Minamoto no Yoriie, r. 1202–1203 #

, r. 1203–1219 # Fujiwara no Yoritsune, r. 1226–1244 # Fujiwara no Yoritsugu, r. 1244–1252 # Prince Munetaka, r. 1252–1266 #

Prince Koreyasu , also known as , was the seventh ''shōgun'' of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Koreyasu shinnō" in . He was the nominal ruler controlled by the Hōjō clan regents. Prince Koreyasu was the son of Prince Mune ...

, r. 1266–1289 # Prince Hisaaki, r. 1289–1308 # Prince Morikuni, r. 1308–1333

List of Kamakura shikken

# Hōjō Tokimasa, r. 1203–1205 # Hōjō Yoshitoki, r. 1205–1224 # Hōjō Yasutoki, r. 1224–1242 # Hōjō Tsunetoki, r. 1242–1246 # Hōjō Tokiyori, r. 1246–1256 # Hōjō Tokimune, r. 1268–1284 # Hōjō Sadatoki, r. 1284–1301 #

Hōjō Morotoki Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du Japon,'' pp. 278-279. was the tenth ''Shikken'' (1301–1311) of the Kamakura shogunate. References

1275 births 1311 deaths Hōjō clan People of Kamakura-period Japan {{Japan- ...

, r. 1301–1311 # Hōjō Takatoki, r. 1316–1326

Genealogy

Patrilineal descent

* Emperor Ninmyō, 54th Emperor (808–850; r. 833–850) ** Emperor Montoku, 55th Emperor (826–858; r. 850–858) *** Emperor Seiwa, 56th Emperor (850–878; r. 858–876) **** Imperial Prince Sadasumi (873–916) ***** Minamoto no Tsunemoto (894–961) ******

Minamoto no Mitsunaka was a Japanese samurai and court official of the Heian period. He served as ''Chinjufu-shōgun'' and acting governor of Settsu Province''.'' His association with the Fujiwara clan made him one of the wealthiest and most powerful courtiers of his ...

(912–997) ******* Minamoto no Yorinobu (968–1048) ********

Minamoto no Yoriyoshi was a Japanese samurai lord who was the head of the Minamoto clan and served as '' Chinjufu-shōgun''. Along with his son Minamoto no Yoshiie, he led the Imperial forces against rebellious forces in the north, a campaign called the Zenkunen War, ...

(988–1075) *********

Minamoto no Yoshiie Minamoto No Yoshiie (源義家; 1039 – 4 August 1106), also known as Hachimantarō, was a Minamoto clan samurai of the late Heian period, and '' Chinjufu-shōgun'' (Commander-in-chief of the defense of the North). The first son of Minamoto ...

(1039–1106) ********** Minamoto no Tameyoshi (1096–1156) ***********

Minamoto no Yoshitomo (1123 – 11 February 1160) was the head of the Minamoto clan and a general of the late Heian period of Japanese history. His son Minamoto no Yoritomo became ''shōgun'' and founded the Kamakura shogunate, the first shogunate in the history of ...

(1123–1160) ************ I. Minamoto no Yoritomo, 1st Kamakura ''shōgun'' (1147–1199; r. 1192–1199) ************* II. Minamoto no Yoriie, 2nd Kamakura ''shōgun'' (1182–1204; r. 1202–1203) ************* III. Minamoto no Sanetomo, 3rd Kamakura ''shōgun'' (1192–1219; r. 1203–1219) ********** Minamoto no Yoshikuni (1091–1155) *********** Minamoto (Ashikaga) no Yoshiyasu (1127–1157) ************ Ashikaga Yoshikane (c. 1154–1199) ************* Ashikaga Yoshiuji (1189–1255) ************** Ashikaga Yasuuji (1216–1270) *************** Ashikaga Yoshiuji (1240–1262) **************** Ashikaga Ietoki (1260–1284) ***************** Ashikaga Sadauji (c. 1277–1331) ******************

, founder of the

** Emperor Kōkō, 58th Emperor (830–887; r. 884–887) *** Emperor Uda, 59th Emperor (867–931; r. 887–897) **** Emperor Daigo, 60th Emperor (884–930; r. 897–930) ***** Emperor Murakami, 62nd Emperor (926–967; r. 946–967) ****** Emperor En'yū, 64th Emperor (959–991; r. 969–984) ******* Emperor Ichijō, 66th Emperor (980–1011; r. 986–1011) ******** Emperor Go-Suzaku, 69th Emperor (1009–1045; r. 1036–1045) ********* Emperor Go-Sanjō, 71st Emperor (1034–1073; r. 1068–1073) ********** Emperor Shirakawa, 72nd Emperor (1053–1129; r. 1073–1087) *********** Emperor Horikawa, 73rd Emperor (1078–1107; r. 1087–1107) ************ Emperor Toba, 74th Emperor (1103–1156; r. 1107–1123) ************* Emperor Go-Shirakawa, 77th Emperor (1127–1192; r. 1155–1158) ************** Emperor Takakura, 80th Emperor (1161–1181; r. 1168–1180) *************** Emperor Go-Toba, 82nd Emperor (1180–1239; r. 1183–1198) **************** Emperor Tsuchimikado, 83rd Emperor (1196–1231; r. 1198–1210) ***************** Emperor Go-Saga, 88th Emperor (1220–1272; r. 1242–1246) ****************** VI. Imperial Prince Munetaka, 6th Kamakura ''shōgun'' (1242–1274; r. 1252–1266) ******************* VII. Imperial Prince Koreyasu, 7th Kamakura ''shōgun'' (1264–1326; r. 1266–1289) ****************** Emperor Go-Fukakusa, 89th Emperor (1243–1304; r. 1246–1260) ******************* VIII. Imperial Prince Hisaaki, 8th Kamakura ''shōgun'' (1276–1328; r. 1289–1308) ******************** IX. Imperial Prince Morikuni, 9th Kamakura ''shōgun'' (1301–1333; r. 1308–1333) ****************** Emperor Kameyama, 90th Emperor (1249–1305; r. 1259–1274) ******************* Emperor Go-Uda, 91st Emperor (1267–1324; r. 1274–1287) ******************** Emperor Go-Daigo, 96th Emperor (1288–1339; r. 1318–1339) ********************* Imperial Prince Moriyoshi, 1st Kenmu ''shōgun'' (1308–1335; r. 1333) ********************* Imperial Prince Narinaga, 2nd Kenmu ''shōgun'' (1326–1338?/1344?; r. 1334–1336)

History

Establishment

The Hōjō Regency

Mongol invasions

Decline and fall

Institutions

List of Kamakura shōguns

List of Kamakura shikken

Genealogy

Patrilineal descent

Family Tree

See also

Notes

References

Works cited

Further reading