Hojo Takatoki

Japanese: 北条高時 - ほうじょう・たかとき

Year of death: 2nd year of Shokei/3rd year of Genkō (1333.7.4)
Year of birth: 1303
A military commander in the late Kamakura period. Regent of the Kamakura shogunate. The 9th Tokuso. His father was Hojo Sadatoki. His mother was the daughter of Adachi Yasumune (or possibly Adachi Tokiaki). His childhood name was Seijumaru. He was called Sagami Taro. He came of age in January 1309. In June 1311, he became the Sagami no Gonno Kami (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade). His father Sadatoki died in the same year. It is said that after his death, Sadatoki left the affairs of affairs of the shogun to the father and son Nagasaki Takatsuna and Takasuke, the internal kanrei, and Adachi Tokiaki, and Takatoki grew up under their protection. In January 1316, he was promoted to Junior Fifth Rank Upper Grade and concurrently held the position of Tajima Gonno Kami. In July of the same year, he became the 14th regent. However, real political power remained in the hands of the Nagasaki clan and others. In March 1317, he became Sagami no Kami (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade). In April, he became the Sagami no Kami (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade). Around this time, Settsu Shinkan came to Kyoto and made a proposal regarding the succession to the throne for both the Daikakuji and Jimyoin lines. The proposal, which called for the succession and succession of the emperor to the throne to be decided through a peace negotiation between the two lines, is known as the "Bunpo Peace Agreement." This gives us an idea of the orientation of the shogunate at the time, but the conflict between the two lines was deep-rooted, and the shogunate was forced to interfere in the succession to the throne even after that. The Imperial Court's dissatisfaction with the shogunate also grew day by day. In 1324, he also served as Shuri Gon no Daibu. In 1324, the Imperial Court's plot to overthrow the shogunate was revealed, and Emperor Go-Daigo was charged with a crime. This was known as the "Shochu Incident," but the shogunate recognized the emperor's innocence and dealt with the matter peacefully. In March 1325, due to illness, he became a monk and handed over the regent position to Kanazawa Sadaaki. He took the post of Nichinji Sukan. In 1330, Takayori Nagasaki and others plotted to expel Takasuke Nagasaki, but were punished instead. Takatoki was apparently behind Takayori and others, but Takatoki was ultimately unable to deny Takasuke's existence. Considering that Takatoki was busy with dengaku, dog fighting, and drinking parties at the time, there is no doubt that Takasuke's political power surpassed Takatoki's. This may also be the reason why Takatoki was described by the public as "almost demented." In April 1331, Emperor Go-Daigo again planned to overthrow the shogunate and raised an army. The shogunate suppressed this at first, but the war spread throughout the country. In 1332, following an attack by Nitta Yoshisada, Takatoki committed suicide with his family at Tosho-ji Temple in Kasai-ga-tani, Kamakura, and the Kamakura shogunate, which had lasted for 150 years, came to an end.

(Kazuto Hongo)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：正慶2/元弘3.5.22(1333.7.4)
生年：嘉元1(1303)
鎌倉後期の武将。鎌倉幕府の執権。得宗第9代。父は北条貞時。母は安達泰宗の娘(あるいは安達時顕の娘)。幼名成寿丸。相模太郎と称す。延慶2(1309)年1月元服。応長1(1311)年6月に従五位下左馬権頭。同年父貞時が死去。貞時は死後の実務を内管領長崎高綱・高資父子と安達時顕に委ねたともいい,高時は彼らの庇護のもとで成長した。正和5(1316)年1月従五位上に昇り但馬権守を兼任。同年7月,14代執権に就任。但し政治の実権は依然長崎氏らの手中にあった。文保1(1317)年3月,正五位下相模守。4月従四位下。このころ摂津親鑒が上洛し,大覚寺・持明院両統の皇位継承についての建策を行った。践祚,立坊は両統の和談によるべしとするもので,「文保の和談」と呼ばれる。これにより当時の幕府の指向性を知ることができるが,両統の対立は根深く,以後も幕府は否応なく皇位継承に干渉せざるをえなかった。朝廷の幕府への不満も,日を追って高まっていく。同3年修理権大夫を兼ねる。正中1(1324)年,朝廷の倒幕計画が露顕し後醍醐天皇は罪に問われた。いわゆる「正中の変」であるが,幕府は天皇の無実を認め,穏便に対処した。同3年3月,病のために出家,執権職を金沢貞顕に譲る。法名を日輪寺崇鑑と称した。元徳2(1330)年,長崎高頼らが長崎高資の排斥を企て,逆に処罰される。高頼らの背後には高時がいたらしいが,高時は遂に高資の存在を否定し得なかった。高時が当時田楽,闘犬,酒宴にあけくれていたことを併せ考えると,高資の政治力が高時を凌駕していたことは間違いないだろう。高時が世人から「ほとんど亡気(痴呆)の躰」と評された原因も,ここにあるのではないか。元徳3/元弘1(1331)年4月,後醍醐天皇は再び討幕を計画して挙兵。幕府はいったんこれを鎮圧するが,兵乱は全国に拡大。正慶2/元弘3年新田義貞の進攻にあい,高時は鎌倉葛西ケ谷の東勝寺で一族と共に自刃,150年にわたる鎌倉幕府は滅亡した。

(本郷和人)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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