Kujo Yoritsune

The fourth Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate. The fourth son of the Kanpaku Michiie. His mother was Noriko, the daughter of Saionji Kintsune. His childhood name was Mitora. In 1219 (Jokyu 1), the third shogun, MINAMOTO no Sanetomo, was assassinated, bringing the legitimate line of the Minamoto clan to an end. Following this, he was welcomed to Kamakura on the grounds that he was a distant relative of Yoritomo (his grandmother was Yoritomo's niece). In 1225 (Karoku 1), he came of age and took the name Yoritsune. The following year, he was appointed shogun. In 1230 (Kanki 2), he married Mariko (Takegosho), the surviving child of the second shogun, Yoriie. However, the real power in the shogunate was held by the Hojo regents, and Yoritsune was only a nominal shogun. Moreover, the Hojo clan, fearing that Yoritsune's long tenure in office would cause him to become too close with his vassals, had him hand over the position to his son, Yoritsugu, in 1244 (Kangen 2). He remained in Kamakura thereafter and was called Otono. The following year he became a monk, but as he still wielded hidden influence, he was sent back to Kyoto by the Hojo clan in May 46, where he died in obscurity on August 11, 8th year of Kencho.

[Eiji Nitta]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉幕府第4代将軍。関白道家(みちいえ)の四男。母は西園寺公経(さいおんじきんつね)の女(むすめ)倫子。幼名三寅(みとら)。1219年（承久1）3代将軍源実朝(さねとも)が暗殺されて源氏の正統が絶えたため、頼朝(よりとも)の遠縁（祖母が頼朝の姪(めい)）のゆえをもって鎌倉に迎えられ、25年（嘉禄1）元服して頼経と名のり、翌年将軍に任じ、30年（寛喜2）2代将軍頼家(よりいえ)の遺子鞠子（竹御所）と結婚したが、幕府の実権は執権北条氏が握っていて頼経は名目上の将軍にすぎず、しかも長期の在職によって御家人(ごけにん)との間が親密になるのを恐れた北条氏によって、44年（寛元2）将軍職を子頼嗣(よりつぐ)に譲らされた。その後も鎌倉にとどまって大殿(おおとの)とよばれ、翌年出家したが、なお隠然たる勢力を有したため、北条氏によって46年5月京都に送還せられ、建長(けんちょう)8年8月11日不遇のうちに没した。

［新田英治］

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