| Surname: | Hōjō |
| Surname Nihongo: | 北条 |
| Image Size: | 140px |
| Image Caption: | The emblem (mon) of the Hōjō clan |
| Parent House: | Taira clan |
| Founder: | Hōjō Tokimasa |
| Final Ruler: | Hōjō Takatoki |
| Founding Year: | 12th century |
| Dissolution: | 1333 |
| Ruled Until: | 1333 |
The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of shikken (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this period compared to both the Kamakura shoguns, or the Imperial Court in Kyoto, whose authority was largely symbolic. The Hōjō are known for fostering Zen Buddhism and for leading the successful opposition to the Mongol invasions of Japan. Resentment at Hōjō rule eventually culminated in the overthrow of the clan and the establishment of the Ashikaga shogunate.
The Hōjō are alleged to have been an offshoot of the Taira of the Kanmu branch, originating in Izu Province. On the other hand, modern theories question whether the Hōjō clan was really descended from the Taira clan.[1] [2] [3]
They gained power by supporting the defeat of the Taira by supporting the warlord Minamoto no Yoritomo in the Genpei War through both military assistance and by marriage to his blood relatives. Yet, when Yoritomo died eighteen years later, the Hōjō usurped power from his family.
Hōjō Tokimasa helped Minamoto no Yoritomo, a son-in-law, defeat the forces of the Taira to become Japan's first shōgun. Hōjō Masako, Tokimasa's daughter, was married to Yoritomo. After the death of Yoritomo, Tokimasa appointed himself as shikken (regent) to the former shōguns young son, thus effectively transferring control of the shogunate to his clan permanently.[4] Consequently, the shōguns became puppets and hostages of the Hōjō.
The Imperial court at Kyoto resented the decline in its authority during the Kamakura shogunate, while the clan, in turn, came to despise the weak Emperor Go-Toba. In 1221, the Jōkyū War broke out between forces loyal to the recently retired Go-Toba and the second regent Hōjō Yoshitoki. The Hōjō forces easily won the war; the imperial court was brought under the direct control of the shogunate, while the emperor was exiled "to a remote island off western Japan."[5] The shōguns constables were granted extensive civil powers, and the court was obliged to seek the shōguns approval for all of its actions. Although deprived of political power, the court was permitted to maintain its estates in Kyoto since it conveyed needed legitimacy on the otherwise unlawful rule of the shogunate.
Several significant administrative achievements were made during the Hōjō regency. In 1225 the third regent, Hōjō Yasutoki, established the Hyōjōsho (Council of State), which ended the threat of civil war by enabling potential rivals of the Hōjō to share in the shogunate's decision-making and political power. The Hōjō regent presided over the council, which was a successful form of collective leadership. The adoption of Japan's first military code of law — the Goseibai Shikimoku — in 1232 reflected the profound transition from an era of direct Imperial rule to the military dictatorship of the shōgun. While legal practices in Kyoto were still based on 500-year-old Confucian principles, the new code was a highly legalistic document that stressed the duties of stewards and constables, provided means for settling land disputes, and established rules governing inheritances. It was clear and concise, stipulated punishments for violators of its conditions, and remained in effect for the next 635 years.
Aside from the regents above, those who played an important role among the Hōjō clan are: