The was the

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

military government of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

during the

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

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, 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 ...

after victory in 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 ...

and appointing himself as ''

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 ...

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

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 ...

with the

emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

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

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

) as

figurehead In politics, a figurehead is a practice of 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 ...

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

until 1226, the

Fujiwara clan The was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

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. The ...

s of the imperial family.Nussbaum
"Minamoto"
at pp. 632–633. 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 ...

were the '' de facto'' rulers of Japan as '' shikken'' (

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

) of the ''shōgun'' from 1203.Nussbaum
"Fujiwara"
at pp. 200–201. The Kamakura shogunate saw the Jōkyū War 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 also known as Minamoto no Takauji was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate."Ashikaga Takauji" in ''Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. ...

and his offspring overthrew the imperial government and founded the Ashikaga shogunate in 1336 (

Nanboku-chō period The , also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period, was a period in Japanese history between 1336-1392 CE, during the formative years of the Ashikaga shogunate, Muromachi (Ashikaga) shogunate. Ideologically, the two courts fought for 50 ...

). There are various theories as to the year in which the Kamakura period and Kamakura shogunate began. In the past, the most popular theory was that the year was 1192, when Minamoto no Yoritomo was appointed . Later, the prevailing theory was that the year was 1185, when Yoritomo established the , which controlled military and police power in various regions, and the , which was in charge of tax collection and land administration. Japanese history textbooks as of 2016 do not specify a year for the beginning of the Kamakura period, as there are various theories about the year the Kamakura shogunate was established.

History

Establishment

Historically in

, the power of civilian government 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 power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense economic, political, and social influence. In Western Christian co ...

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

was fought between the Taira 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

The Hōjō Regency

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

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 Yori ...

, and former guardian and protector of Yoritomo, claimed the title of regent ( shikken) to Yoritomo's son

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 ...

, eventually making that claim hereditary to the

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

, 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 choosing Kujo 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, who usurped it from the children of Emperor Seiwa. 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"; ...

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

Kongorikishi statue from 14th century Japan

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'' ( zh, c=, p=Wōkòu; ; Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ; ; literal Chinese translation: "dwarf bandits"), which translates to "Japanese pirates", were pirates who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century to the 17 ...

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 of 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 performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

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 Mongols' 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 is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a ge ...

. 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 also known as Minamoto no 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 famo ...

, 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 Ashikaga shogunate.

Institutions

The Kamakura shogunate functioned within the framework of the Heian system of Imperial rule. Yoritomo established a chancellery, or '' mandokoro'', 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'', to positions in the manors (''

shōen A was a field or Manorialism, manor in Japan. The Japanese language, Japanese term comes from the Tang dynasty Chinese language, Chinese term "莊園" (Mandarin: ''zhuāngyuán'', Cantonese: ''zong1 jyun4''). Shōen, from about the 8th to th ...

''). 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. In legal matters, the government promulgated a legal code called Goseibai Shikimoku in 1232 which would continuously be used until the

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

. A court of appeals was also set up during this period, called the Moncho-jo.

List of Kamakura shōguns

, r. 1192–1199 #

, 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, 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 was the fifth shikken (regent of shogun) of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. Early life He was born to warrior monk Hōjō Tokiuji and a daughter of Adachi Kagemori, younger brother of Hōjō Tsunetoki, the fourth shikken, and grandson of ...

, r. 1246–1256 # Hōjō Nagatoki, r. 1256–1264 # Hōjō Masamura, r. 1264–1268 #

Hōjō Tokimune of the Hōjō clan was the eighth ''shikken'' (officially regent of the shōgun, but ''de facto'' ruler of Japan) of the Kamakura shogunate (reigned 1268–84), known for leading the Japanese people, Japanese forces against the Mongol invasions ...

, r. 1268–1284 # Hōjō Sadatoki, r. 1284–1301 # Hōjō Morotoki, r. 1301–1311 # Hōjō Munenobu, r. 1311–1312 # Hōjō Hirotoki, r. 1312–1315 # Hōjō Mototoki, r. 1315–1316 #

Hōjō Takatoki was the last '' Tokusō'' and ruling Shikken (regent) of Japan's Kamakura shogunate; the rulers that followed were his puppets. A member of the Hōjō clan, he was the son of Hōjō Sadatoki, and was preceded as ''shikken'' by Hōjō Mototo ...

, r. 1316–1326 # Hōjō Sadaaki, r. 1326 #

Hōjō Moritoki Hojo Moritoki (, 1295–1333) was the last '' Shikken'' (Regent) of the Kamakura shogunate and the last regent of the Hōjō clan. References 1295 births 1333 deaths Hōjō clan People of the Kamakura period {{Japan-bio-st ...

, r. 1326–1333 #

Hōjō Sadayuki Hōjō Sadayuki (北条貞将, 1302 – July 4, 1333) was a Japanese samurai lord of the late Heian period. He was the son and heir apparent of Hōjō Sadaaki, the 15th ''Shikken'' of the Kamakura shogunate, Kamakura Shogunate. There is a theory ...

, r. 1333

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 (912–997) ******* Minamoto no Yorinobu (968–1048) ******** Minamoto no Yoriyoshi (988–1075) ********* Minamoto no Yoshiie (1039–1106) ********** Minamoto no Tameyoshi (1096–1156) *********** Minamoto no Yoshitomo (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 Ashikaga shogunate ** 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