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See the late Hojo clan
Late Hojo clan

The was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kanto region.The clan began when Ise Shinkuro, a high ranking officer in the shogunate, began to conquer lands and build up his power at the beginning of the 16th century....
 for the Hojo clan of the Sengoku Period
Sengoku period

The was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict in Japan that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century....
.

The in the history of Japan
History of Japan

The written history of Japan begins with brief references of Twenty-Four Histories, a collection of Chinese historical texts, in the 1st century AD....
 was a family who controlled the hereditary title of shikken
Shikken

The was the regent for the shogun in the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. The post was monopolized by the Hojo clan, and this system only existed once in Japanese history, between 1203 and 1333....
, officially just a regent
Regent

A regent, from the Latin regens "reigning", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present or debilitated....
) of the Kamakura Shogunate
Kamakura shogunate

The Kamakura shogunate was a feudal military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura, Kanagawa....
.






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Mitsuuroko
Mokoshuraiekotoba
See the late Hojo clan
Late Hojo clan

The was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kanto region.The clan began when Ise Shinkuro, a high ranking officer in the shogunate, began to conquer lands and build up his power at the beginning of the 16th century....
 for the Hojo clan of the Sengoku Period
Sengoku period

The was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict in Japan that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century....
.

The in the history of Japan
History of Japan

The written history of Japan begins with brief references of Twenty-Four Histories, a collection of Chinese historical texts, in the 1st century AD....
 was a family who controlled the hereditary title of shikken
Shikken

The was the regent for the shogun in the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. The post was monopolized by the Hojo clan, and this system only existed once in Japanese history, between 1203 and 1333....
, officially just a regent
Regent

A regent, from the Latin regens "reigning", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present or debilitated....
) of the Kamakura Shogunate
Kamakura shogunate

The Kamakura shogunate was a feudal military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura, Kanagawa....
. In practice, the family had actual governmental power, many times dictatorial, rather than Kamakura shoguns, or the Imperial Court, who were merely legal symbols. The Hojo are also known for their defiance of the Mongols
Mongols

The name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia....
, and fathering the spread of Zen Buddhism and Bushido
Bushido

, meaning "Way of the Warrior", is a Japanese code of conduct and a way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. It originates from the samurai moral code and stresses frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and honour until death....
, but also for extreme decadence and making national decisions in secret meetings at private residences.

Bloodline

The Hojo were an offshoot of the Minamoto's arch-enemy, the Taira of the Kammu branch, originating in Izu Province
Izu Province

Izu was a Provinces of Japan including the Izu Peninsula that is today part of Shizuoka prefecture and the Izu Islands that are now part of Tokyo....
. They gained power by supporting the extermination of their close relatives the Taira by intermarrying with and supporting 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....
 in the Battle of Dan-no-ura
Battle of Dan-no-ura

The was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshu. On April 25 1185, the Genji clan fleet, led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, defeated the Heike clan fleet, during a half-day engagement....
. Just 18 years after, the Hojo usurped power with Yoritomo's passing.

Rise to Power

Hojo Tokimasa helped 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....
, a son-in-law, defeat the forces of the Taira to become Japan's first Shogun
Shogun

is a military rank and historical title for Hereditary Commanders in Chief of the Armed Forces of Japan. The Japanese word for "general", it is made up of two kanji characters: sho, meaning "commander", "general", or "admiral", and gun meaning military troops or warriors....
. Hojo Masako
Hojo Masako

Hojo Masako was the eldest child of Hojo Tokimasa by his wife Hojo no Maki, the first shikken, or regent, of the Kamakura shogunate. She was the sister of Hojo Yoshitoki, and was married to Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura period....
, Tokimasa's daughter, was married to Yoritomo. After the death of Yoritomo, Tokimasa became Regent to the child Shogun, effectively permanently transferring control of the Shogunate to his clan. The Minamoto and even Imperial Princes became puppets and hostages of the Hojo.

Major Early Events

With the protector of the Emperor (shogun) a figurehead himself, strains emerged between Kyoto and Kamakura
Kamakura shogunate

The Kamakura shogunate was a feudal military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura, Kanagawa....
, and in 1221 the Jokyu War
Jokyu War

, also known as the 'Jokyu Disturbance', was fought in Japan between the forces of Emperor Go-Toba and those of the Hojo clan, regents of the Kamakura shogunate, whom the retired emperor was trying to overthrow....
 broke out between the Cloistered Emperor Go-Toba
Emperor Go-Toba

was the 82nd Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198....
 and the second regent Hojo Yoshitoki
Hojo Yoshitoki

was the second Hojo shikken of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hojo clan. He was the eldest son of Hojo Tokimasa and his wife Hojo no Maki....
. The Hojo forces easily won the war, and the imperial court was brought under the direct control of the shogunate. The shogun's constables gained greater civil powers, and the court was obliged to seek Kamakura's approval for all of its actions. Although deprived of political power, the court retained extensive estates.

Several significant administrative achievements were made during the Hojo regency. In 1225 the third regent Hojo Yasutoki
Hojo Yasutoki

Hojo Yasutoki was the third shikken of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. He strengthened the political system of the Hojo regency.He was the eldest son of second shikken Hojo Yoshitoki....
 established the Council of State, providing opportunities for other military lords to exercise judicial and legislative authority at Kamakura. The Hojo regent presided over the council, which was a successful form of collective leadership. The adoption of Japan's first military code of law—the Goseibai Shikimoku
Goseibai Shikimoku

The Goseibai Shikimoku or the Formulary of Adjudications was the legal code of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan, promulgated by third shikken Hojo Yasutoki in 1232....
—in 1232 reflected the profound transition from court to militarized society. While legal practices in Kyoto were still based on 500-year-old Confucian
Confucianism

Confucianism is a China Ethics and Philosophy developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . It focuses on human morality and right action....
 principles, the new code was a highly legalistic document that stressed the duties of stewards and constables, provided means for settling land disputes, and established rules governing inheritance
Inheritance

Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, Title s, debts, and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies....
s. It was clear and concise, stipulated punishments for violators of its conditions, and remained in effect for the next 635 years.

As might be expected, the literature of the time reflected the unsettled nature of the period. The Hojoki
Hojoki

, variously translated as "An Account of My Hut" or "The Ten Foot Square Hut", is an important short work of the Kamakura period in Japan by Kamo no Chomei....
 describes the turmoil of the period in terms of the Buddhist concepts of impermanence and the vanity of human projects. The Heike monogatari narrated the rise and fall of the Taira, replete with tales of wars and samurai deeds. A second literary mainstream was the continuation of anthologies of poetry in the Shin Kokin Wakashu, of which twenty volumes were produced between 1201 and 1205.

Fall from Power

The Hojo were betrayed by a vassal, Ashikaga Takauji
Ashikaga Takauji

was the founder and 1st shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358....
, ordered to defeat the forces allied with Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo

Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Post-Meiji period historians construe the years of his reign spanning 1318 through 1339; however, pre-Meiji accounts of his reign considered the years of his reign to last only between 1318 and 1332, when he was said to have be...
 in 1333. In the same year, Kamakura was invaded by Nitta Yoshisada
Nitta Yoshisada

was the head of the Nitta family in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-cho period, capturing Kamakura, Kanagawa from the Hojo clan in 1333....
 and the entire Hojo clan, almost 900 persons, killed themselves at the family temple of Tosho-ji
Tosho-ji

was the Hojo clan's family temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa during the Kamakura period. Its founder was Taiko Gyoyu and it was constructed in 1237 by Hojo Yasutoki in memory of his mother, who had her tomb there....
.

List of Hojo Shikken

1 Hojo Tokimasa
Hojo Tokimasa

was the first Hojo shikken of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hojo clan. He was shikken from the death of Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1199 until his abdication in 1205....
 (1138-1215) (r. 1203-1205)
2 Hojo Yoshitoki
Hojo Yoshitoki

was the second Hojo shikken of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hojo clan. He was the eldest son of Hojo Tokimasa and his wife Hojo no Maki....
 (1163-1224) (r. 1205-1224)
3 Hojo Yasutoki
Hojo Yasutoki

Hojo Yasutoki was the third shikken of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. He strengthened the political system of the Hojo regency.He was the eldest son of second shikken Hojo Yoshitoki....
 (1183-1242) (r. 1224-1242)
4 Hojo Tsunetoki
Hojo Tsunetoki

Hojo Tsunetoki ???? was the fourth Shikken of the Kamakura shogunate. He was son of Hojo Tokiuji and of a former wife of Adachi Kagemori, elder brother of Hojo Tokiyori and grandson of Hojo Yasutoki....
 (1224-1246) (r. 1242-1246)
5 Hojo Tokiyori
Hojo Tokiyori

Hojo Tokiyori was the fifth shikken of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. He was born to Hojo Tokiuji and a daughter of Adachi Kagemori....
 (1227-1263) (r. 1246-1256)
6 Hojo Nagatoki
Hojo Nagatoki

Hojo Nagatoki ???? was the sixth Shikken of the Kamakura Bakufu....
 (1229-1264) (r. 1256-1264)
7 Hojo Masamura
Hojo Masamura

Hojo Masamura ???? was the seventh Shikken of the Kamakura Bakufu....
 (1205-1273) (r. 1264-1268)
8 Hojo Tokimune
Hojo Tokimune

Hojo Tokimune of the Hojo clan was the eighth shikken of the Kamakura shogunate , known for leading the Japanese forces against the Mongol invasions of Japan and for spreading Zen Buddhism and by extension Bushido among the warrior class....
 (1251-1284) (r. 1268-1284)
9 Hojo Sadatoki
Hojo Sadatoki

was the ninth shikken of the Kamakura shogunate .Born to the regent Hojo Tokimune and his wife from the Adachi clan family, Sadatoki became a shikken at age 14 upon the death of his father....
 (1271-1311) (r. 1284-1301)
10 Hojo Morotoki
Hojo Morotoki

Hojo Morotoki ???? was the tenth Shikken of the Kamakura Bakufu....
 (1275-1311) (r. 1301-1311)
11 Hojo Munenobu
Hojo Munenobu

Hojo Munenobi ???? was the eleventh Shikken of the Kamakura Bakufu....
 (1259-1312) (r. 1311-1312)
12 Hojo Hirotoki
Hojo Hirotoki

Hojo Hirotoki ???? was the twelfth Shikken of the Kamakura Bakufu....
 (1279-1315) (r. 1312-1315)
13 Hojo Mototoki
Hojo Mototoki

Hojo Mototoki ???? was the thirteenth Shikken of the Kamakura Bakufu....
 (?-1333) (r. 1315)
14 Hojo Takatoki
Hojo Takatoki

Hojo Takatoki was the last shikken of Japan's Kamakura shogunate; a member of the Hojo clan, he was the son of Hojo Sadatoki, and was preceded as shikken by Hojo Morotoki....
 (1303-1333) (r. 1316-1326)
15 Hojo Sadaaki (1278-1333) (r. 1326)
16 Hojo Moritoki (?-1333) (r. 1327-1333)

Aside from the regents above, those who played an important role among the Hojo clan are:
  • Hojo Sanetoki
  • Hojo Masako
    Hojo Masako

    Hojo Masako was the eldest child of Hojo Tokimasa by his wife Hojo no Maki, the first shikken, or regent, of the Kamakura shogunate. She was the sister of Hojo Yoshitoki, and was married to Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura period....


See also

  • Shogun
    Shogun

    is a military rank and historical title for Hereditary Commanders in Chief of the Armed Forces of Japan. The Japanese word for "general", it is made up of two kanji characters: sho, meaning "commander", "general", or "admiral", and gun meaning military troops or warriors....
    ,
  • Shikken
    Shikken

    The was the regent for the shogun in the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. The post was monopolized by the Hojo clan, and this system only existed once in Japanese history, between 1203 and 1333....
    , Hojo hereditary post
  • Tokuso
    Tokuso

    Tokuso was the title held by the head of the mainline Hojo clan, who monopolized the position of shikken of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan....
    , Hojo hereditary post
  • Rensho
    Rensho

    The , literally ?co-signatory?, was the assistant to the shikken of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan.The rensho placed his signature next to that of the shikken on official orders....
    , Hojo hereditary post
  • Rokuhara Tandai
    Rokuhara Tandai

    was the post of the chiefs of the Kamakura shogunate in Kyoto whose agency kept responsibility for security in Kinai and judicial affairs on western Japan, and negotiated with the imperial court....
    , Hojo security force, Hojo hereditary post
  • Kamakura shogunate
    Kamakura shogunate

    The Kamakura shogunate was a feudal military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura, Kanagawa....
  • History of Japan
    History of Japan

    The written history of Japan begins with brief references of Twenty-Four Histories, a collection of Chinese historical texts, in the 1st century AD....
  • Kanazawa Bunko
    Kanazawa Bunko

    is a private museum located in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama Wards of Japan, Yokohama, Japan. This museum features a private collection of traditional Japanese and Chinese art objects, which is made accessible to the general public....
  • Mongol invasions of Japan
    Mongol invasions of Japan

    The of 1274 and 1281 were major military invasions and conquests undertaken by Kublai Khan to take the Japanese islands after the capitulation of Goryeo....