Kujo Yoritsune
Encyclopedia
, also known as Fujiwara no Yoritsune, was the fourth shogun
of the Kamakura shogunate
of Japan
. His father was kanpaku Kujō Michiie
and his grandmother was a niece of Minamoto no Yoritomo
. He was born in the year (according to Chinese astrology
) of the tiger
, in the month of the tiger, on the day of the tiger, and so his given name at birth was Mitora (三寅, "Triple Tiger").
Yoritsune was a member of the great Fujiwara clan. The Kujō family
was one of the five branches of the historically powerful Fujiwara clan of courtiers.
in a political deal between his father and the shogunate regent
Hōjō Yoshitoki
and Hōjō Masako
who set him up as a puppet 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...
of the Kamakura shogunate
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...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. His father was kanpaku Kujō Michiie
Kujo Michiie
Kujō Michiie was a Japanese regent in the 13th century. He was the father of Kujō Yoritsune and grandson of Kujō Kanezane . He was the father of Norizane and Yoritsune...
and his grandmother was a niece 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...
. He was born in the year (according to Chinese astrology
Chinese astrology
Chinese astrology is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars. The development of Chinese astrology is tied to that of astronomy, which came to flourish during the Han Dynasty ....
) of the tiger
Tiger (zodiac)
The Tiger , is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Tiger is associated with the earthly branch symbol 寅.- Years and the Five Elements :...
, in the month of the tiger, on the day of the tiger, and so his given name at birth was Mitora (三寅, "Triple Tiger").
Yoritsune was a member of the great Fujiwara clan. The Kujō family
Kujō family
The Kujō family was a Japanese noble family and a branch of the Fujiwara clan derived from Fujiwara no Tadamichi. They were counted as one of the Sekke, the five regent houses and therefore one of the most politically powerful families among the kuge .As one of the Sekke, the five regent houses,...
was one of the five branches of the historically powerful Fujiwara clan of courtiers.
Events of Yoritsune's bakufu
At the age of seven, in 1226, Yoritsune became Seii TaishōgunShogun
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...
in a political deal between his father and the shogunate regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
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...
and 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...
who set him up as a puppet shogun.
- 1225 (KarokuKarokuwas a after Gennin and before Antei. This period spanned the years from April 1225 to December 1227. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1225 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
1, 11th month): At Kamakura, Yoritsune's coming of age ceremonies took place at age 8; but control of all bakufu affairs remained entirely in the hands of Hōjō YasutokiHojo YasutokiHōjō 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...
, the regent (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...
). - 1226 (Karoku 2, 1st month): Emperor Go-HorikawaEmperor Go-Horikawawas the 86th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years from 1221 through 1232....
raised Yoritsune to the first rank of the fifth class in the apex of artistocratic court hierarchy (the dōjō kugeKugeThe was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...
).
- 1230 (Kangi 2, 12th month): Yoritsune is married to the daughter of 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...
. She is 15 years older than he is. - 1231 (Kangi 3, 2nd month): Yoritsune is raised to the second rank of the 4th class in the dōjō kuge.
- 1231 (Kangi 3, 3rd month): Yoritsune is created a general of the left.
- 1231 (Kangi 3, 4th month): Yoritsune is raised to the first rank of the 4th class in the dōjō kuge.
- 1232 (JōeiJoeiwas a after Kangi and before Tenpuku. This period spanned the years from April 1232 to April 1233. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* 1232 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
1, 2nd month): Yoritsune is raised to the second rank of the 3rd class in the dōjō kuge.
- 1233 (TenpukuTenpuku, also romanized as Tempuku, was a after Jōei and before Bunryaku. This period spanned the years from April 1233 to November 1234. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
1, 1st month): Yoritsune is granted the court post of provisional
- 1234 (BunryakuBunryaku, also romanized as Bunreki, was a after Tenpuku and before Katei. This period spanned the years from November 1234 to September 1235. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
1, 12th month): Yoritsune is raised to the first rank of the 3rd class in the dōjō kuge.
- 1235 (KateiKateiwas a after Bunryaku and before Ryakunin. This period spanned the years from September 1235 to November 1238. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1235 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
1, 11th month): Yoritsune is raised to the second rank of the second class in the dōjō kuge. - 1236 (Katei 2, 7th month): Yoritsune is raised to the first rank of the second class in the dōjō kuge.
- 1237 (Katei 3, 8th month): Yoritsune ordered the building of a mansion in the Rokuhara section of Miyako.
- 1238 (RyakuninRyakuninwas a after Katei and before En'ō. This period spanned the years from November 1238 to April 1239. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1238 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
1, 1st month): Yoritsune leaves Kamakura en route to Miyako, accompanied by Yaskutoki and the troupes of several provinces. Fujiwara no Yukimitis stays at Kamakura to preserve order in the land. - 1238 (Ryakunin 1, 2nd month): Yoritsune arrives in Miyako and begins to live in his new palace at Rokuhara.
- 1238 (Ryakunin 1, 10th month): Yoritsune leaves Miyako to return to Kamakura.
- July 14, 1242 (NinjiNinji, also called Jinji, was a after En'ō and before Kangen. This period spanned the years from August 1240 to January 1243. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
3, 15th day of the 6th month): Hōjō YasutokiHojo YasutokiHōjō 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...
died at age 60. From Gennin 1, or during 19 years, Yasutoki had been the regent or prime minister (shikken) of the Kamakura shogunate. Yasutoki's son, Hōjō TsunetokiHojo TsunetokiHōjō Tsunetoki was the fourth Shikken of the Kamakura shogunate. He was son of Hōjō Tokiuji and of a former wife of Adachi Kagemori, elder brother of Hōjō Tokiyori and grandson of Hōjō Yasutoki. He ruled from 1242 to 1246 and founded Kōmyō-ji in Zaimokuza. He is buried within the temple.-...
succeeded him as shikken, but Yoritsune himself took charge of the bakufu.
- 1244 (KangenKangenwas a after Ninji and before Hoji. This period spanned the years from February 1243 to February 1247. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:; 1243: The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...
2): In the spring of this year, a number of extraordinary phenomena in the skies over Kamakura troubled Yoritsune deeply. - 1244 (Kangen 2, 4th month): Yoritsune's son, Yoritsugu, had his coming-of-age ceremonies at age 6. In the same month, Yoritsune asked Emperor Go-Saga for permission to give up his responsibilities as shogun in favor of his son, Kujō YoritsuguKujo Yoritsugu, also known as Fujiwara no Yoritsugu, was the fifth shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan. His father was the 4th Kamakura shogun, Kujō Yoritsune.Yoritsugu was a member of the great Fujiwara clan...
. - September 11, 1245 (Kangen 3, 7th month): Yoshitsune shaved his head and became a Buddhist priest.
- 1246 (Kangen 4, 7th month): Yoritsune's son, now Shogun Yoritsugu (who is only 7 years old) marries the sister of Hōjō TsunetokiHojo TsunetokiHōjō Tsunetoki was the fourth Shikken of the Kamakura shogunate. He was son of Hōjō Tokiuji and of a former wife of Adachi Kagemori, elder brother of Hōjō Tokiyori and grandson of Hōjō Yasutoki. He ruled from 1242 to 1246 and founded Kōmyō-ji in Zaimokuza. He is buried within the temple.-...
(who is himself only 16 years old).
- September 1, 1256 (KōgenKogen- People :* Arnie Kogen, a TV comedy writer and producer and longtime writer for Mad Magazine* Jay Kogen, an American comedy writer and the son of Arnie Kogen* Emperor Kōgen , the eighth emperor of Japan...
1, 11th day of the 8th month): Kujō Yoritsune, also known as Fujiwara Yoritsune, died at the age of 39 years. - October 14, 1256 (Kōgen 1, 24th day of the 9th month): Yoritsune's son and successor as Kamakura shogun, Kujō Yoritsugu, also known as Fujiwara Yoritsugu, died at the age of 18 years.
Eras of Yoritsune's bakufu
The years in which Yoritsune was shogun are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.- KarokuKarokuwas a after Gennin and before Antei. This period spanned the years from April 1225 to December 1227. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1225 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
(1225–1227) - AnteiAnteiwas a after Gennin and before Kangi. This period spanned the years from December 1227 to March 1229. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1227 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
(1227–1229) - Kangi (1229–1232)
- JōeiJoeiwas a after Kangi and before Tenpuku. This period spanned the years from April 1232 to April 1233. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* 1232 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
(1232–1233) - TenpukuTenpuku, also romanized as Tempuku, was a after Jōei and before Bunryaku. This period spanned the years from April 1233 to November 1234. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
(1233–1234) - BunryakuBunryaku, also romanized as Bunreki, was a after Tenpuku and before Katei. This period spanned the years from November 1234 to September 1235. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
(1234–1235) - KateiKateiwas a after Bunryaku and before Ryakunin. This period spanned the years from September 1235 to November 1238. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1235 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
(1235–1238) - RyakuninRyakuninwas a after Katei and before En'ō. This period spanned the years from November 1238 to April 1239. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1238 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
(1238–1239) - En'ō (1239–1240)
- NinjiNinji, also called Jinji, was a after En'ō and before Kangen. This period spanned the years from August 1240 to January 1243. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
(1240–1243) - KangenKangenwas a after Ninji and before Hoji. This period spanned the years from February 1243 to February 1247. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:; 1243: The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...
(1243–1247)