Azuma Kagami

The Azuma Kagami (吾妻鏡/東鑑 – Mirror of Eastern Japan) is a very important literary account of the Kamakura Shogunate written in an awkward form of Chinese aside from a few letters and documents.

Authorship for the book is believed to have been unknown shogunate scribes from the time.

The book itself comprises of 52 chapters covering the period from 1180 to 1266 written chronologically; though it was compiled between 1266 and 1301.

To compile the book a number of sources were drawn from, these being the gempei seisuiki, heike monogatari, meigetsuki, diaries and travel accounts, as well as military family and religious institutional records.

The most famous of the remaining copies is the Hōjō Edition as it was later used by Tokugawa Ieyasu as a manuel for government.¹

Footnotes

1. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

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• • Period: Kamakura Period / Muromachi Period
  • Occupation: shugo
  • Family: Akamatsu Norimura (father)
  • Birth: 1311
  • Death: 1371

Akamatsu Norisuke

Akamatsu Norisuke (赤松 範資) was a member of the Akamatsu Family living from 1311-1371. He was the son of Akamatsu Norimura.

During his life he aided his father against the Kamakura Shogunate and served as shugo in Harima, Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces.

Later in his life he became a Tendai Monk under the name of Jiten.¹

Footnotes

1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.

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• • First Ruler: Akamatsu Norimura
  • Final Ruler: –
  • Dissolution: –
  • Parent House: Murakami-Genji
  • For a full list of Clans: See Japanese Clans.

Akamatsu Family

The Akamatsu Family (赤松氏) was a descendant clan of the Minamoto, founded by Akamatsu Norimura in 1336 after he allied with Ashikaga Takauji to fight the Kamakura Shogunate; later being made shugo of Harima.

They were one of only four families who were eligable to head the Samurai Dokoro (Board of Retainers) during the Muromachi Shogunate. ¹

The family was all but destroyed by the Yamana and Hosokawa Families in 1441 after Akamatsu Mitsusuke assassinated the shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori. This was known as the Kakitsu Incident.

They did regain some power afterwards but finally lost their domain in 1521 after being attacked and defeated by their vassals the Uragami Family.¹

Members

• • Akamatsu Mitsusuke (1373-1441)
  • Akamatsu Noriyasu
  • Akamatsu Norimura (1277-1350)
  • Akamatsu Norisuke (1311-1371)
  • Akamatsu Yoshinori (1358-1427)

Footnotes

1. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

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Aki Province

Aki Province (安藝國/安芸国) was one of the many provinces in Japan.

Legendary Period

According to one version of events in the nihongi, the kami Susano-o comes to the River Ye in this province. Here he meets Ashi-nadzu-te-nadzu and his wife Inada no Miya-nushi Susa no yatsu-mimi.

They are both filled with sorrow as the kami is pregnant and soon Yamata no Orochi will come to consume the child. Susano-o makes them brew sake, which the dragon drinks and then falls asleep; after Susano-o calls the dragon an awful kami and offers to serve him.

He then cuts up the Dragon with his sword called, Orochi no Aramasa. When he cuts the Dragons tail, he finds inside of it Kusanagi.¹

The Emishi were sent to Harima, Sanuki, Iyo, Aki and Aha Provinces by Emperor Keikō as they were too violent and scared those that lived around Mount Mimoro.¹

Kamakura Period

Takeda Nobumitsu became shugo (military governor) of Aki Province in 1221, for aiding the Kamakura Shogunate during the Jōkyū Disturbance.²

Muromachi Period

There were at least 10 Takeda shugo during the Muromachi Shogunate from this province, this lineage having been started by Takeda Nobumitsu after his involvement in the Jōkyū Disturbance.²

Amago Tsunehisa extended his families power into Aki and Bingo Provinces fighting against the Mōri and Ōuchi Families.²

Footnotes

1. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697″. Tuttle Publishing.
2. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

Former Provinces of Japan
Kinai	Izumi * Kawachi * Settsu * Yamashiro * Yamato
Tōsandō	Dewa * Hida * Kōzuke * Mino * Mutsu * Omi * Shimotsuke * Shinano
Hokurikudō	Echigo * Echizen * Etchū * Kaga * Koshi * Wakasa
San’indō	Hōki * Inaba * Izumo * Tajima * Tamba * Tango
Tōkaidō	Ise * Kai * Kazusa * Mikawa * Owari * Sagami * Shimōsa * Suruga * Tōtōmi
Nankaidō	Awa * Iyo * Kii * Sanuki * Tosa
San’yōdō	Aki * Harima * Mimasaka
Saikaidaō	Bungo * Chikuzen * Hizen * Hyūga * Iki * Tsushima
Pre-Taihō Code	Kibi

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Kujō Yoritsugu

Kujō Yoritsugu (九条 頼嗣) was a member of the Kujō Family living from 1239-1256AD, he was the son of Kujō Yoritsune. During his life his was appointed shōgun of the Kamakura Bakufu in 1244 after suceeding his father. He would later be replaced by Prince Munetaka in 1252AD.¹

Footnotes

1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.

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• Period: Kamakura Period
• Occupation: Shugo
• Family Takeda Nobuyoshi (father)
• Birth: –
• Death: 1248AD

Takeda Nobumitsu

Takeda Nobumitsu (武田信光) was a member of the Takeda Clan and son of Takeda Nobuyoshi. He is known to have died in 1248AD. In 1221, for the Kamakura Shogunate, he aided them during the Jōkyū Disturbance eventually being made shugo (military governor) of Aki Province.¹

Footnotes

1. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

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Hear about Fujiwara no Teika on Episode 15 of our Podcast, the Japan Archives.

• Period: Heian Period / Kamakura Period
• Occupation: Waka Poet
• Family: Fujiwara no Shunzei (father) Priest Jakuren (brother-in-law)
• Birth: 1162AD
• Death: 1241AD

Fujiwara no Teika

Fujiwara no Teika, also known as Fujiwara no Sadaie (藤原 定家) was a member of the Fujiwara Clan living from 1162 to 1241. He was the son of Fujiwara no Shunzei and during his life was a member of the Mikohidari House of poetry alongside Jakuren and Fujiwara no Ietaka. Physically he is said to have been a rather ugly man and is said to have had a rivallry with Fujiwara no Kiyosuke.¹

Connections

During his life he enjoyed the patronage of Emperor Go-Toba, taught poetry to Minamoto no Sanetomo and served as an offical to the Kūjo Family which held close ties to the Kamakura Shogunate.⁴

Poetry and Literature

He held the position of Acting Middle Counsellor and acted as one of the compilers of the Shin-kokinshū. He later was the sole compiler of the Shin-chokusenshū. With a keen interest in poetry and literature he collated and copied many Heian period pieces of literature which have survived to this day because of him. He also has a personal diary called the Meigetsuki and a private collection of poetry called the Shūigūso.

Due to his interest in poetry he was a great judge of poems as well as an accomplished poet himself and made the poetry compilaton book called the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. He held Inpumon’n no Tayū in high regard.

One of his poems he included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (No.97) and goes as follows:¹

Declining friendship with Emperor Go-Toba

During his life he was close to the Emperor Go-Toba, prior to as well as after his abdication as emperor. Though this friendship eventually found itself on rocky ground.

Many years prior to this Teika came into mourning after the passing of his mother, and one day (on the anniversary of his mothers death) the now retired Emperor called on Teika to recite poetry for him. Teika asked if he could not, so he may honour the anniversary of his mothers death, however the Emperor made him come to him none the less. Angered by this Teika wrote two poems.

These poems, though they fit into the poetic theme the Emperor had asked for, were full of hidden meaning to show the Emperor the anger Teika was feeling towards being made to be here reciting poetry instead of honouring his mother.

It is noted Teika was sent from the palace after angering the Emperor and it is fortunate that this was all that happened to him. Such a break of decorum could easily have seen Teika stripped of his lands and titles because of this.³

The two poems go as follows:

Footnotes

1. MacMillan, P. (2018) ”One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse”. St. Ives: Penguin Classics.
2. Suzuki, H. et al. (1997) ”Genshoku: Ogura Hyakunin Isshu”. Tokyo: Bun’eidō.
3. Atkins, P.S. (2017) “Teika: The Life and Works of a Medieval Japanese Poet.” Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
4. Kodansha. (1993) “Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopaedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

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• See also: List of Provinces

Sagami Province

Sagami Province (相模国) was an old Province in Japan, situated in what is now Kanagawa Prefecture, established during the Taika Reforms in 645.⁴

This area is called Sagami in the Kojiki¹, but Suruga in the Nihongi².

Legendary Period

Yamato Takeru travelled through here on his way to subduing the Emishi. Here he encounters a chieftain there who tries to kill him in a grass fire. Takeru mows the grass around him with the sword Kusanagi, lighting a back fire to escape and then kills the chieftain.³

Later Periods

During the Heian Period many large estates (shōen) in this area came under the control of local magnates, and these followers were later important during the formation of the Kamakura Shogunate in 1192 by Minamoto no Yorimoto. The later shogunal government, located at Kamakura flourished as an economic and cultural center.

By the Muromachi Period the capital had been moved to Kyoto leading to Sagami becoming the administrative center for 10 Provinces.

The Sengoku Period saw the Sengoku Daimyō of the Gō-Hōjō Family establish a headquarters in this Province at Odawara.

The province finally fell under the control of the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo Period.⁴

Footnotes

1. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.
2. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.
3. Littleton. C.S. (1995) “Yamato-takeru: An Arthurian Hero in Japanese Tradition”. Asian Folklore Studies, Vol. 54, No.2, pp.259-274.
4. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

Former Provinces of Japan
Kinai	Izumi * Kawachi * Settsu * Yamashiro * Yamato
Tōsandō	Dewa * Hida * Kōzuke * Mino * Mutsu * Omi * Shimotsuke * Shinano
Hokurikudō	Echigo * Echizen * Etchū * Kaga * Koshi * Wakasa
San’indō	Hōki * Inaba * Izumo * Tajima * Tamba * Tango
Tōkaidō	Ise * Kai * Kazusa * Mikawa * Owari * Sagami * Shimōsa * Suruga * Tōtōmi
Nankaidō	Awa * Iyo * Kii * Sanuki * Tosa
San’yōdō	Aki * Harima * Mimasaka
Saikaidaō	Bungo * Chikuzen * Hizen * Hyūga * Iki * Tsushima
Pre-Taihō Code	Kibi

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