Kitabatake Chikafusa

A nobleman and thinker from the end of the Kamakura period to the period of the Northern and Southern Courts. His father was Moroshige (1270-1322) and his mother was the daughter of the Left Shosho Takashige. He was highly trusted by Emperor Godaigo and played an active role as a central figure in the Southern Court.

Chikafusa's life can be roughly divided into three periods. The first period was the late Kamakura period. The Kitabatake clan served the Daikakuji line in the Tetsuritsu system, but Chikafusa was selected by Emperor Godaigo and promoted to Dainagon at the age of 32, surpassing the highest position held by his ancestors. He was deeply involved in the politics of the emperor and was called "the three future leaders" along with Yoshida Sadafusa and Madenokoji Nobufusa (Fujiwara Nobufusa). He also raised Prince Tokiyoshi (?-1330), son of Emperor Godaigo, but the prince died young in 1330 (Gentoku 2), and Chikafusa, saddened by his death, became a monk and retired from politics. His posthumous name was Sogen (later Kakuku). In 1331 (Ganko 1), the year after he became a monk, the Genko Incident began, followed by the Kenmu Restoration, but Chikafusa did not play an active role in the political world during this political process. After the Restoration was established, when his eldest son Akiie was appointed Mutsu no Kami, he and his son went down to Mutsu Province, where he worked hard to manage the Oshu region as a guardian for Akiie.

The second period began with the failure of the new government. In 1336 (Engen 1, Kenmu 3), he accompanied Akiie, who had traveled west in pursuit of the rebel army of Ashikaga Takauji, to Kyoto, where he remained and once again became involved in national politics. After Takauji's return to power, through the machinations of Chikafusa, he invited Emperor Go-Daigo to Mount Yoshino and established the Southern Court, which opposed the Northern Court and the shogunate in Kyoto. However, with the death of Akiie in battle and other events, the Southern Court gradually lost ground militarily, and in 1338 (Engen 3, Ryakuo 1), they set sail from Ominato in Ise Province with Prince Yoshiyoshi and his second son Akinobu to recover the eastern provinces, but encountered a storm on the way and Chikafusa entered Oda Castle in Hitachi Province (Oda, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture). The following year, in 1339, Emperor Go-Daigo died and Prince Yoshiyoshi (Emperor Go-Murakami) ascended to the throne, but Chikafusa was unable to move from Oda Castle, and in 1341 (Kokoku 2, Ryakuo 4), it was captured by Kouno Morofuyu, and he then moved to Seki Castle (Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture), but it fell in 1343. Although his six-year struggle in Hitachi ended in failure, he wrote "Jinno Shotoki" and "Shokugensho" at Oda Castle.

The third period is from this time onwards, during his later years. After returning to Yoshino from Hitachi, Chikafusa literally became the center of the Southern Court. Militarily, he lost Yoshino with the death of Kusunoki Masatsura in battle and moved to Ano, which put him at a further disadvantage. However, the shogunate itself was divided, resulting in the Kanno Disturbances. In 1351 (Shohei 6, Kanno 2), the Northern Court was abolished and the Shohei unification was realized, with Chikafusa being proclaimed quasi-empress for his achievements. However, the Southern Court led by Chikafusa was unable to sustain this political situation, and the unification was quickly broken. Chikafusa died in despair in Ano. However, there are differing theories about the year and place of his death. He also wrote many other books, including the Gengenshu (around 1337-1338) and the Atsuta Honki. Chikafusa's life dedicated to the Southern Court and his unique idea of ​​a divine nation and view of orthodoxy in the Jinno Shotoki had a major impact on the intellectual world in later generations.

[Kou Atsuta October 19, 2017]

"Kitabatake Chikafusa" by Nakamura Naokatsu (1932, Hoshino Shoten / included in "Collected Works of Nakamura Naokatsu 7", 1978, Tankosha)" ▽ "A Study of Kitabatake Chikafusa, revised and expanded, edited by Hiraizumi Kiyoshi (1975, Kogakuin University Press)" ▽ "A Study of the Jinno Shōtōki, by Wagatsuma Kenji (1981, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)" ▽ "Kitabatake Chikafusa" by Nagamine Kiyonari (1983, Shinjinbutsu Oraisha)" ▽ "Kogakuin University Lecture Series 82, Kitabatake Chikafusa" by Okano Tomohiko (1995, Kogakuin University Press)" ▽ "A Study of Kitabatake Chikafusa, revised and expanded edition, by Hakusan Yoshitaro (1998, Pelican Publishing)" ▽ "The Confucianism of Kitabatake Chikafusa" by Shimokawa Reiko (2001, Pelican Press)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉末・南北朝時代の公卿(くぎょう)、思想家。父は師重(もろしげ)（1270―1322）、母は左少将隆重(たかしげ)の女(むすめ)。後醍醐(ごだいご)天皇の信任厚く、南朝の中枢として活躍した。

　親房の生涯はおおよそ3期に分けられる。第1期は鎌倉後期。北畠氏は、両統迭立(てつりつ)のなかで大覚寺統(だいかくじとう)に仕えてきたが、親房は後醍醐天皇に抜擢(ばってき)され、官職も32歳で父祖の最高職を抜いて大納言(だいなごん)に昇進、天皇の政治に深く参画し、吉田定房(よしださだふさ)・万里小路宣房(までのこうじのぶふさ)（藤原宣房）とともに「後の三房(さんぼう)」と称された。また後醍醐天皇皇子世良(ときよし)親王（？―1330）の養育にあたったが、1330年（元徳2）親王は若死にし、親房も悲しんで出家し政界を引退した。法名宗玄(そうげん)（のち覚空(かくくう)）。出家の翌1331年（元弘1）には元弘(げんこう)の変が始まり、ついで建武(けんむ)新政となるが、親房はこの政治過程では政界の表面では活躍しない。新政成立後は、長子顕家(あきいえ)の陸奥守(むつのかみ)就任により、ともに陸奥国に下り、顕家を後見して奥羽経営に尽力した。

　第2期は、新政の挫折(ざせつ)とともに始まる。足利尊氏(あしかがたかうじ)の反乱軍を追って西上した顕家とともに1336年（延元1・建武3）上洛(じょうらく)し、そのまま京都にとどまってふたたび国政に携わることとなった。尊氏再挙ののち、親房の画策によって後醍醐天皇を吉野山に迎えて南朝を開き、京都の北朝・幕府と対抗した。しかし顕家の戦死などで南朝は軍事的にしだいに劣勢となり、1338年（延元3・暦応1）東国を回復すべく義良(のりよし)親王、次子顕信(あきのぶ)らと伊勢(いせ)国大湊(おおみなと)を出帆したが、途中で暴風雨にあい、親房は常陸(ひたち)国小田(おだ)城（茨城県つくば市小田）に入った。翌1339年後醍醐天皇が死去し義良親王（後村上(ごむらかみ)天皇）が践祚(せんそ)したが、親房は小田城を動くことができず、1341年（興国2・暦応4）高師冬(こうのもろふゆ)によって攻め落とされ、ついで関城（茨城県筑西(ちくせい)市）に移ったが、1343年落城。常陸での6年間の苦闘はかくて失敗したが、小田城で『神皇正統記(じんのうしょうとうき)』『職原抄』を執筆した。

　第3期はこれ以後の晩年である。常陸から吉野に帰った親房は、文字どおり南朝の中心となった。軍事的には楠木正行(くすのきまさつら)の戦死により吉野を失い賀名生(あのう)に移るなどさらに劣勢となったが、幕府内部も分裂して観応(かんのう)の擾乱(じょうらん)となり、1351年（正平6・観応2）北朝を廃して正平(しょうへい)一統を実現し、親房は功によって准后(じゅごう)の宣を受けた。しかし親房の率いる南朝は、この政治情勢を永続させることができず、一統はたちまち破れ、親房は失意のうちに賀名生で没した。ただし没年、場所については異説がある。著書はほかに『元元集』（1337〜1338ころ）『熱田本紀』など多数がある。親房の南朝に捧(ささ)げた生涯と、『神皇正統記』の独自の神国思想、正統観は、後世の思想界にも大きな影響を与えた。

［熱田　公　2017年10月19日］

『中村直勝著『北畠親房』（1932・星野書店／『中村直勝著作集 7』所収・1978・淡交社）』▽『平泉澄監修『増補北畠親房公の研究』（1975・皇学館大学出版部）』▽『我妻建治著『神皇正統記論考』（1981・吉川弘文館）』▽『永峯清成著『北畠親房』（1983・新人物往来社）』▽『岡野友彦著『皇学館大学講演叢書82　北畠親房』（1995・皇学館大学出版部）』▽『白山芳太郎著『北畠親房の研究』増補版（1998・ぺりかん社）』▽『下川玲子著『北畠親房の儒学』（2001・ぺりかん社）』

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