Masamura Hojo

Japanese: 北条政村 - ほうじょう・まさむら

Year of death: Bun'ei 10.5.27 (1273.6.13)
Year of birth: Genkyu 2.6.22 (1205.7.10)
Regent of the shogunate in the mid-Kamakura period. Son of Hojo Yoshitoki and the daughter of Iga Tomomitsu. Half-brother of Yasutoki. Born on the day that Hatakeyama Shigetada was killed. Served as Uma Gonno Kami, Mutsu no Kami, Sagami no Kami, Sakyo Gonno Daifu, etc. In 1213 (Kenpo 1), he came of age with Miura Yoshimura as his eboshi-oya. After Yoshitoki's sudden death in 1224 (Gennin 1), his mother Iga clan conspired with his brother, Iga Mitsumune, the steward of the mandokoro, to depose Kujo Yoritsune and install his daughter's husband, councillor Ichijo Sanemasa, as shogun, and make Masamura regent, but failed. Masamura was spared thanks to the consideration of his brother Yasutoki. In 1239 (En'o 1), he was added to the Hyojoshu, and in 1249 (Kencho 1), he became the first head of the newly established Hikitsukeshu. In 1256 (Kōgen 1), he was appointed as Rensho, and assisted the regents Hojo Tokiyori and Nagatoki. In Bun'ei 1 (1264), Nagatoki resigned as regent due to illness, but as the head of the family, Tokimune, was young, Masamura became the interim 7th regent, with Tokimune taking up the position of liaison. During Masamura's regentship, there were major events, such as the dethronement of Shogun Prince Munetaka and the establishment of Prince Koreyasu as Shogun, and it is believed that Masamura played a central role together with Tokimune. In Bun'ei 5, he handed over the regentship to the grown-up Tokimune and became liaison again. It was a difficult time just before the Mongol invasion, but Masamura ably assisted Tokimune. In Bun'ei 10, he became a monk due to illness and took the name Kakusun, and died soon after. The nobles of Kyoto also praised Masamura as a "long-time eastern elder" and lamented his death. He was also an excellent waka poet, with 40 of his poems included in the Imperial Anthology. <References> Yasuda Motohisa (ed.), Kamakura Shogun Regents' Biography

(Yukio Mori)

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

Japanese:

没年：文永10.5.27(1273.6.13)
生年：元久2.6.22(1205.7.10)
鎌倉中期の幕府執権。北条義時と伊賀朝光の娘の子。泰時の異母弟。畠山重忠が討たれた日に生まれた。右馬権頭,陸奥守,相模守,左京権大夫などを歴任。建保1(1213)年三浦義村を烏帽子親として元服。元仁1(1224)年義時の急死後,母伊賀氏は兄の政所執事伊賀光宗と共謀し,九条頼経を廃して娘婿の参議一条実雅を将軍に立て,政村を執権にしようとし画策したが失敗し,政村は兄泰時の配慮によって事なきを得た。延応1(1239)年評定衆に加えられ,建長1(1249)年には新設された引付衆の一番頭人となる。康元1(1256)年連署に就任し,執権北条時頼・長時を補佐した。文永1(1264)年には長時が病気により執権を辞したが,家督時宗が若年であったため,暫定的に政村が7代執権となり,時宗は連署に就任した。政村執権時代,将軍宗尊親王の廃位と惟康親王の将軍新立という重大事件があったが,時宗と共に政村も中心的役割を果たしていたと推測される。文永5年成長した時宗に執権を譲って再び連署となる。蒙古襲来直前の多難な時期であったが,政村はよく時宗を助けた。文永10年病気によって出家し覚崇と称し,間もなく没した。京都の公家も政村を「東方遺老」と評し,その死を惜しんだ。和歌にもすぐれ,勅撰集に40首入集している。<参考文献>安田元久編『鎌倉将軍執権列伝』

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