was the second Hōjō ''

shikken The was a senior government post held by members of the Hōjō clan, officially a regent of the shogunate. From 1199 to 1333, during the Kamakura period, the ''shikken'' served as the head of the ''bakufu'' (shogun's government). This era was ref ...

'' (regent) of the

Kamakura shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no Yori ...

and head of the

Hōjō clan The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of '' shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this perio ...

. He was the second son of

Hōjō Tokimasa was a Japanese samurai lord who was the first ''shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hōjō clan. He was ''shikken'' from 1203 until his abdication in 1205, and Protector of Kyoto from 1185 to 1186. Background The Hō ...

. He was ''shikken'' from the abdication of his father Tokimasa in 1205 until his death in 1224.

Early years (1163–1183)

Hōjō Yoshitoki was born in 1163, who was the second son of

and his wife, who was a daughter of Itō Sukechika. At the time of his birth, he had an older brother, Hōjō Munetoki, and an older sister,

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 Yori ...

. Later on in the decade, he would have another brother,

Hōjō 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 Wa ...

, and a sister whose name remains unknown, but their birth dates are not known. The Hōjō clan was at that time in control of Izu, and Yoshitoki, being a Hōjō, was also a descendant of the

Taira clan The was one of the four most important Japanese clans, clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period, Heian period of History of Japan, Japanese history – the others being the Minamoto clan, Minamoto, the Fujiwara clan, Fuji ...

and also of the imperial family. At that time, the Taira, under

Taira no Kiyomori was a military leader and '' kugyō'' of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. Early life Kiyomori was born in Japan, in 1118 as the first son of Taira ...

, had consolidated their power in Kyoto, the capital, and expelled the

Minamoto clan was a Aristocracy (class), noble surname bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the Imperial House of Japan, imperial family who were excluded from the List of emperors of Japan, line of succession and demoted into the ranks of Nobili ...

, their rival. Minamoto no Yoshitomo, the head of the clan, was executed, while his sons who were not executed were exiled or ordered into monasteries. The cloistered emperor,

Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years through the ''in ...

, as well as his son, the emperor at that time (who was a puppet),

Emperor Nijō was the 78th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1158 through 1165. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Morihito''- ...

, were also in Kyoto.

Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate, ruling from 1192 until 1199, also the first ruling shogun in the history of Japan.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako ...

, Yoshitomo's heir, was exiled to Izu, which was where the Hōjō domains were. (His other brothers,

Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian period, Heian and early Kamakura period, Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles that toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-br ...

and

Minamoto no Noriyori was a Japanese samurai lord of the late Heian period and early Kamakura period, who fought alongside his brothers Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Yoshitsune at a number of battles of the Genpei War. He was the sixth son of Minamoto no Yosh ...

were ordered into monasteries near Kyoto). Yoshitoki was from the first day of his life expected to succeed his father as the head of the Hōjō clan in Izu. He had a very close relationships with his siblings, especially his sister Masako. In 1179, Masako fell in love with the young Minamoto exile,

, and they wed. The marriage was supported fully by the young Hōjō heir, Yoshitoki. In 1180, Masako and Yoritomo had a daughter, Ō-Hime. That same year, a disgruntled

Prince Mochihito (died June 1180), also known as the Takakura Prince, and as Minamoto no Mochimitsu (源以光), was a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan. He is noted for his role in starting the Genpei War. Believing that Taira no Kiyomori was causing su ...

, a son of Go-Shirakawa, grew weary of the Taira leadership, believing he was denied the throne just so his young nephew,

Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. His death marked the end of the Heian period and the beginning of the Kamakura period. During this time, the Im ...

, who was half Taira, could be enthroned. He called the Minamoto leaders all over Japan to overthrow the Taira. Yoritomo responded readily, and Yoshitoki, Masako, Tokimasa, and the entire Hōjō clan supported him. Yoritomo's half-brothers, Yoshitsune and Noriyori joined him. Yoritomo created his base east of Izu in

Kamakura , officially , is a city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 people per km2 over the tota ...

, located in

Sagami Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan located in what is today the central and western Kanagawa Prefecture.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kanagawa''" at . Sagami Province bordered the provinces of Izu Province, Izu ...

. The

Genpei War The was a national civil war between the Taira clan, Taira and Minamoto clan, Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yori ...

had begun, and Yoshitoki was ordered by his father to aid Yoritomo in any way he can. Yoshitoki's elder brother, Munetoki, died during the war in 1180. The next year, 1181, Taira no Kiyomori died, and was succeeded by his son,

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 laid on his deathbed, Kiyomori declared, among his last wishes, that all affairs of the clan be placed in Munemor ...

. In 1182, the 19-year-old Yoshitoki, amidst the war, wed. His wife is unknown. We do know that in 1183, they had their first child,

Hōjō Yasutoki Hōjō Yasutoki (; 1183 – July 14, 1242) was the third ''shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. He strengthened the political system of the Hōjō regency. Life He was the eldest son of second ''shikken'' Hōjō Yoshitoki. A ...

, who would become the heir to the Hōjō following his father's death. The previous year, Yoritomo and Masako had a son, who would be the Minamoto heir,

Minamoto no Yoriie was the second ''shōgun'' (1202–1203) of Japan's Kamakura shogunate, and the first son of first shōgun Yoritomo. His Dharma name was Hokke-in-dono Kingo Da'i Zengo (法華院殿金吾大禅閤). Life Minamoto no Yoriie was born to Hōj ...

. In 1183, Yoritomo's rival and cousin,

Minamoto no Yoshinaka , also known as , was a Japanese samurai lord mentioned in the epic poem '' The Tale of the Heike.'' A member of the Minamoto clan, he was a cousin and later rival of ''shogun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo during the Genpei War between the Minamoto and t ...

, entered Kyoto and drove out the Heike (and the young Emperor Antoku). Yoshinaka was then driven out of Kyoto by Yoshitsune in the name of Yoritomo. The Minamoto quickly enthroned

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"; ...

Rise to power (1185–1205)

In 1185, the Genpei War ended when the Minamoto defeated the Taira at the Battle of Dan no Ura, and most of the Taira leaders were executed or committed suicide (including Emperor Antoku, who drowned). The Minamoto were now in control of Japan, and established their base in Kamakura. This also placed the Hōjō in a very powerful position as well. That year, Hōjō Tokimasa received from Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa the first appointments for ''

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 '' kokushi'' or provincial governor. There were als ...

'' and ''

shugo , commonly translated as ' ilitarygovernor', 'protector', or 'constable', was a title given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan. The position gave way to th ...

'', or constable and steward. In 1192, cloistered emperor Go-Shirakawa (who died later that year) bestowed upon Yoritomo the title of ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers 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, except during parts of the Kamak ...

''. That same year, Masako and Yoritomo had another son,

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 the second Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoriie. His child ...

. Yoshitoki was now also in a very powerful position, especially after Yoritomo died in 1199. Masako became a nun, but was still involved in politics, while Yoshitoki prepared to be heir. Hōjō Tokimasa became regent for Shogun Yoriie, Yoritomo's son who disliked the Hōjō and preferred his father-in-law's family, the Hiki clan under Hiki Yoshikazu. Yoshitoki, Masako, and Tokimasa presided over a council of regents in 1200 to help Yoriie in ruling the country, but Yoriie distrusted the Hōjō, and in 1203 plotted with Yoshikazu to have Hōjō Tokimasa murdered. Yoshitoki had no idea about this, but Masako found out and told her father. Tokimasa had Yoshikazu executed in 1203. During the gore, Yoriie's son and heir, Minamoto no Ichiman, was also executed. Yoriie, out of support, abdicated in 1203, went to live in Izu, and was executed on Tokimasa's orders in 1204. Later on,

, Yoritomo's second son, became shogun. Tokimasa ruled as regent for him also, but he fell out with the Hōjō, and Tokimasa plotted to have him executed. During this period, a certain Hatakeyama Shigetada, Yoshitoki's brother in law who had married his sister (not Masako) was executed by Tokimasa's men, on false charges of treason. Yoshitoki had been close with him, and began to distrust his father. When there were plans to have Sanetomo executed also, Masako and Yoshitoki ordered their father to abdicate or they would rebel. Tokimasa shaved his head, became a monk, and retired to a monastery/nunnery in Kamakura, only dying in 1215. Hōjō Yoshitoki thus succeeded Tokimasa as ''shikken'' (regent).

Regency and death (1205–1224)

Yoshitoki's regency was very quiet and uneventful until the final few years of it. He was aided by his sister, the "nun-''shōgun''" Masako. In 1218, Regent Yoshitoki sent Masako to Kyoto to ask the now Cloistered Emperor Go-Toba if one of his sons, Prince Nagahito, could become Shogun Sanetomo's heir, since he had no children. She was refused. In 1219, Shogun Sanetomo was assassinated by his nephew, the late Yoriie's son, who was later murdered himself. Thus, the Minamoto line died out. That same year, Regent Yoshitoki chose a distant Minamoto relative,

Kujō Yoritsune , also known as , was the fourth ''shōgun'' of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan. His father was '' kanpaku'' Kujō Michiie and his grandmother was a niece of Minamoto no Yoritomo. His wife was a granddaughter of Yoritomo and daughter of Minamo ...

, who was of the Kujō clan and thus a Fujiwara. He was the new Shogun, but Yoshitoki was still regent. In 1221, 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 overthro ...

occurred. Cloistered emperor Go-Toba, disillusioned with the Hōjō, declared Regent Yoshitoki an outlaw and wanted him executed. Kyoto was now in open rebellion, Yoshitoki ordered his troops to attack Kyoto, and the city was taken in 1221. Masako helped discover the plot. Go-Toba was exiled to the

Oki Islands The is an archipelago in the Sea of Japan, the islands of which are administratively part of Oki District, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. The islands have a total area of . Only four of the around 180 islands are permanently inhabited. Much of the ...

. Yoshitoki's son,

, took the capital. Nonetheless, in 1224, Hōjō Yoshitoki suddenly died of an illness. He was 61 years old. He was succeeded by his son and heir,

, as the third ''Shikken'' for Shogun Yoritsune. His sister Masako survived him for a year, before she to succumbed in 1225 at the age of 69.

Genealogy

Parents *Father:

(北条時政, 1138 – February 6, 1215) *Mother: Daughter of Itō Sukechika (伊東祐親, also known as Itō Nyūdō (伊東入道)) Consorts and issue: *Wife: Awa no Tsubone (阿波局)Different from his sister. **Son:

(北条泰時; 1183 – 14 July 1242) *Wife: Hime no Mae (姫の前), Hiki Tomomune's daughter (比企朝宗) **Son: Hōjō Tomotoki (北条朝時; 1193 – 3 May 1245) **Son: Hōjō Shigetoki (北条重時; 11 July 1198 – 26 November 1261) **Daughter: Take-dono (竹殿), married to Ōe no Chikahiro (大江親広) and later to Tsuchimikado Sadamichi (土御門定通) *Wife: Daughter of 伊佐朝政 **Son: Hōjō Aritoki (北条有時; 7 July 1200 – 23 March 1270) *Wife: Iga no Kata (伊賀の方), Iga Tomomitsu's daughter (伊賀朝光) **Son : Hōjō Masamura (北条政村; 10 July 1205 – 13 June 1273), 7th Shikken of the

**Son: Hōjō Saneyasu (北条実泰; 1208 – 29 October 1263) **Son: Hojo Tokihisa (北条時尚) **Daughter: married to Ichijō Sanemasa (一条実雅), and later to Karahashi Michitoki (唐橋通時) *Wife: Unknown Women **Daughter: married to Ichijō Sanemasa (一条実雅) **Daughter: married to Nakahara no Suetoki (中原季時) **Daughter: married to 一条能基 **Daughter: married to Bekki Shigehide (戸次重秀) **Daughter: married to Sasaki Nobutsuna (佐々木信綱)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hojo, Yoshitoki 1163 births 1224 deaths Regents of Japan Yoshitoki People of the Heian period People of the Kamakura period People of the Genpei War

Early years (1163–1183)

Rise to power (1185–1205)

Regency and death (1205–1224)

Genealogy

See also

References