Kyōto

Japanese History had went through a period of approximately 700 hundred years' military rule by a warrior leader called "Shogun," and his government was known as the "Shogunate." The rise of Shogun to power represented the downfall of Japanese imperial power in ancient times, and Japanese emperor would not exert control over the realm until the Meiji Restoration.

However, during the foundation of the first Shogunate, the Kamakura Shogunate, the emperor once had some ability to overthrow the military government and restore power to the imperial family. It was a women, Hōjō Masako, who managed to prevent the disintegration of the shogunate, paving the road for the warrior class to continue their flourishing rule.

“The Cloistered emperor, along with the present emperor, does not trust our Shogun who is always loyal to him. Of course they should be sent in exile.” Said Hōjō Masako at Kyōto, capital city of Japan.

Hōjō Masako was the wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of Kamakura Shogunate. Yoritomo was an excellent strategist and politician. He commanded the Minamoto armed forces in the Genpei War against Taira family in 1181, finally unified Japan in 1189. In 1192, Yoritomo was appointed as the Shogun by the emperor.

However, Yoritomo suddenly passed away in 1199. Hōjō Masako assumed the mission of continuing the domination of the shogunate. Her two sons successively became shoguns under her control. Unfortunately, they all died a violent death during two different coups.

“I am so sorry for the former shogun. He was such a great leader that brought peace to our country. However, I could not protect our kids.” Said Masako, after the death of Minamoto no Sanetomo, her second son, in 1219.

At that time, Kamakura Shogunate was in a real predicament. The cloistered emperor Go-Toba was extremely dissatisfied with the shogun, because all power were seized by the shogunate after 1189, while the royal family existed in name only.

When the death of Sanetomo was heard by the emperor, he had a great plan for defeating the shogunate. He appointed his son as the successor of shogun, to see what the Hōjō family who was the real ruler of the shogunate would do. If the shogunate followed his instructions, then royal power would penetrate in the shogunate and finally end up shogunate’s rule. In reverse order, if the shogunate disobeyed the emperor, the emperor would have the justified excuse for sending troops to suppress the shogunate.

At such a critical period, Hōjō Masako overrode all objections, along with her younger brother Hōjō Yoshitoki, welcoming Fujiwara no Yoritsune, a distant relative of the royal family, as the new shogun. This action strengthened the dominance of the shogunate, but sparkled the contradictions between imperial family and Hōjō family.

“Hōjō Yoshitoki disobeys the imperial edict, as a result, all warriors in Japan have a responsibility to condemn and attack the shogunate. I know that every warrior loyal to the imperial family hates the shogunate bitterly. Now, it’s time to revenge.” Emperor Go-Toba spoke to the warriors near Kyōto.

“We need to take actions before the emperor sent his troops,” said Masako to all her generals, “we ought to have the initiative, and we are capable to have the initiative.”

Hōjō Yoshitoki and his son Hōjō Yasutoki lead the shogunate’s army to attack Kyōto from afar. Unlike the well-organised shogunate’s army, the emperor’s army was confused and disordered, and was soon defeated. After that, emperor Go-toba and his family were accused of “royal rebellion” and were forced to exile in different places far away from Honshu Island.

“Luckily, we have preserved all our possessions inherited from our former shogun, he can rest in peace now.” Masako said relievedly.