Prince Hisaaki

2.1. Birth and Early Life

Prince Hisaaki was born on October 19, 1276, as the seventh son of Emperor Go-Fukakusa. His mother was Sanjō Fusako (三条房子_{Sanjō Fusako}^Japanese), the daughter of Sanjō Kimichika, who held the high court rank of former Naidaijin. Although her lineage was prominent, she was considered to have a relatively lower status compared to the direct Saionji imperial consorts within Emperor Go-Fukakusa's court. Due to his mother's position, Prince Hisaaki had not received the formal declaration of his princely status (親王宣下_Shinno-Senka^Japanese) until his selection as shogun was finalized.

2.2. Appointment as Shogun and Political Climate

In September 1289, Prince Hisaaki was appointed as the eighth shogun of the Kamakura shogunate, succeeding his cousin, Prince Koreyasu, who was sent back to Kyoto. The exact reasons for Koreyasu's dismissal remain unclear, but it is believed to have been influenced by political maneuvers from both the imperial court and the bakufu. The Jimyōin line of the imperial family, to which Hisaaki belonged, likely sought to install one of their own as shogun to strengthen their position, especially following the enthronement of Hisaaki's elder half-brother, Emperor Fushimi, two years prior and the naming of Crown Prince Tanihito (later Emperor Go-Fushimi) in April 1289.

From the bakufu's perspective, there were internal power struggles. 平頼綱_{Taira no Yoritsuna}^Japanese, who had eliminated Adachi Yasumori in the Shimotsuki Incident of 1285, viewed the Daikakuji line's ex-Emperor Emperor Kameyama, who was close to Adachi's Kōan Reforms, as a threat. Prince Koreyasu was perceived to be aligned with the Daikakuji line through his sisters' marriages into the court of Emperor Go-Uda, potentially contributing to his removal.

Upon his appointment, Prince Hisaaki underwent a series of formal ceremonies. On October 1, 1289, he officially received his princely proclamation. On October 6, he underwent his coming-of-age ceremony (Genpuku), and on October 9, he was formally declared 征夷大将軍_{Seii Taishogun}^Japanese. The very next day, October 10, he departed for Kamakura. The task of welcoming Prince Hisaaki to Kamakura fell to Iinuma Sukemune, Taira no Yoritsuna's second son, who notably held the unprecedented position of 検非違使_Kebishii^Japanese (an officer of the imperial police) as a 御家人_Gokenin^Japanese (bakufu retainer), demonstrating his father's powerful influence.

The early period of Prince Hisaaki's shogunate was marked by what historians refer to as the "reign of terror" under Taira no Yoritsuna. However, this oppressive political climate ended four years later in 1293 with the Heizen Gate Incident, which led to the downfall and death of Yoritsuna and his son Sukemune. Following this, the 得宗_Tokusō^Japanese (Hōjō Sadatoki) consolidated his dominant leadership within the bakufu. Despite these shifts in the bakufu's power structure, the shogun's position remained largely nominal throughout Prince Hisaaki's tenure.

2.3. Cultural Activities During Reign

Although his political power was limited, Prince Hisaaki emerged as a central figure in the cultural life of Kamakura. He received instruction in 和歌_waka^Japanese poetry from Reizei Tamesuke and frequently hosted 歌合_Utaawase^Japanese (poetry competitions) at his residence, fostering a vibrant poetic circle. Even the powerful regent, Hōjō Sadatoki, composed several waka poems at Prince Hisaaki's gatherings. Prince Hisaaki's own poetic talent was recognized; twenty-two of his waka poems were included in eight imperial anthologies, including the Shin Gosen Wakashū, Gyokuyō Wakashū, and Zoku Senzai Wakashū.

2.4. Retirement and Death

In August 1308, Prince Hisaaki was dismissed from his shogun duties by Hōjō Sadatoki and sent back to Kyoto, where he subsequently became a Buddhist monk. His eight-year-old son, Prince Morikuni, was appointed as his successor. The precise reasons for this change in leadership are not explicitly recorded, but historians speculate that it may have been linked to the 嘉元の乱_{Kagen no Ran}^Japanese (1305), an internal Hōjō conflict where 北条時村_{Hōjō Tokimura}^Japanese was assassinated. Although the order for assassination was formally attributed to the shogun, it was effectively Hōjō Sadatoki's decision. The shogun's replacement might have been an effort to resolve the lingering instability and secure the succession for Hōjō Takatoki, the future Tokusō, or to further normalize the succession of shoguns from the Jimyōin imperial line.

Unlike his predecessors, Prince Munetaka and Prince Koreyasu, who were virtually expelled from Kamakura, Prince Hisaaki maintained a relatively peaceful relationship with the bakufu even after his return to Kyoto. When he passed away on November 16, 1328, at the age of 53, the Kamakura shogunate observed a 50-day period of suspended affairs in mourning. The following year, a 100-day memorial service for him was held in Kamakura, indicating the bakufu's respect for the former shogun.

3.1. Immediate Family

• Father:** Emperor Go-Fukakusa
• Mother:** Sanjō Fusako (三条房子_{Sanjō Fusako}^Japanese), daughter of Sanjō Kimichika
• Principal Wife:** Nakagoso (中御所_Nakagoso^Japanese), a daughter of Prince Koreyasu. They married in 1295, establishing a formal, albeit symbolic, hereditary link between Koreyasu and Hisaaki. She gave birth to Prince Morikuni in 1301 but died in July 1306 due to complications from a miscarriage.
• Concubine:** A daughter of Reizei Tamesuke
• Children:**
  • 守邦親王_{Prince Morikuni}^Japanese (1301-1333): Born to Nakagoso, he succeeded his father as the ninth shogun.
  • Prince Hisayoshi (久良親王_{Prince Hisayoshi}^Japanese) (1310-?): Born to Reizei Tamesuke's daughter.
  • Prince Hiroaki (煕明親王_{Prince Hiroaki}^Japanese) (?-1348)
  • Prince Kiyozumi (清澄親王_{Prince Kiyozumi}^Japanese)
  • 聖恵_Shōkei^Japanese (聖恵): Later became Tendai-zasu (head of the Tendai sect of Buddhism); some theories suggest he was also a son of Prince Hisaaki.

3.2. Ancestry

Prince Hisaaki's ancestry traces back through several generations of imperial and influential noble families, linking him directly to the Japanese throne.

• Grandfather (Paternal):** Emperor Go-Saga
• Grandmother (Paternal):** Saionji Kimiko (西園寺姞子_{Saionji Kimiko}^Japanese)
• Grandfather (Maternal):** Sanjō Kimichika (三条公親_{Sanjō Kimichika}^Japanese)
• Great-Grandfather (Paternal-Paternal):** Emperor Tsuchimikado
• Great-Grandmother (Paternal-Paternal):** Minamoto no Michiko (源通子_{Minamoto no Michiko}^Japanese)
• Great-Grandfather (Paternal-Maternal):** 西園寺実氏_{Saionji Saneuji}^Japanese
• Great-Grandmother (Paternal-Maternal):** Shijō Sadako (四条貞子_{Shijō Sadako}^Japanese)
• Great-Grandfather (Maternal-Paternal):** Sanjō Sanemasa (三条実親_{Sanjō Sanemasa}^Japanese)
• Great-Grandmother (Maternal-Paternal):** Second daughter of 西園寺公経_{Saionji Kintsune}^Japanese
• Great-Great-Grandfather (Paternal-Paternal-Paternal):** Emperor Go-Toba
• Great-Great-Grandmother (Paternal-Paternal-Paternal):** Minamoto no Zaishi (源在子_{Minamoto no Zaishi}^Japanese)
• Great-Great-Grandfather (Paternal-Paternal-Maternal):** Minamoto no Michimune (源通宗_{Minamoto no Michimune}^Japanese)
• Great-Great-Grandfather (Paternal-Maternal-Paternal):** 西園寺公経_{Saionji Kintsune}^Japanese
• Great-Great-Grandmother (Paternal-Maternal-Paternal):** Ichijō Zenshi (一条全子_{Ichijō Zenshi}^Japanese)
• Great-Great-Grandfather (Paternal-Maternal-Maternal):** 四条隆衡_{Shijō Takahira}^Japanese
• Great-Great-Grandmother (Paternal-Maternal-Maternal):** Daughter of Bōmon Nobukiyo (坊門信清_{Bōmon Nobukiyo}^Japanese)
• Great-Great-Grandfather (Maternal-Paternal-Paternal):** Sanjō Kimifusa (三条公房_{Sanjō Kimifusa}^Japanese)
• Great-Great-Grandmother (Maternal-Paternal-Paternal):** Eldest daughter of Nakayama Tadachika (中山忠親_{Nakayama Tadachika}^Japanese)

3.3. Descendants

Prince Hisaaki's most notable descendant was his eldest son, Prince Morikuni, who followed him as the ninth shogun of the Kamakura shogunate. Other children also contributed to various lineages. Prince Hisayoshi's second son, for instance, eventually departed from imperial status through a process called 臣籍降下_shinsuikaika^Japanese and attained the high court rank of Junior First Rank (従一位_Juichii^Japanese) as a provisional Great Counselor (権大納言_Gon-Dainagon^Japanese). Prince Hiroaki, also known as Gotsuji-no-miya (五辻宮_{Gotsuji-no-miya}^Japanese), founded a lineage whose descendants included Prince Tomiaki, the Kuze family, and various Buddhist monks such as Gotsuji Nyudo-no-miya, Chikushi-no-miya Sō, and Narihisa. The Tendai-zasu Shōkei is also considered a possible son of Prince Hisaaki, reflecting his potential influence on the religious establishment.

4.1. Major Official Titles

Prince Hisaaki received numerous court ranks and official appointments during his life:

• October 1, 1289:** Received Imperial Prince proclamation and was conferred the Junior Third Rank (三品_Sanmi^Japanese). He also underwent his coming-of-age ceremony on this day.
• October 9, 1289:** Received the formal declaration as 征夷大将軍_{Seii Taishogun}^Japanese (Generalissimo who Conquers the Barbarians).
• c. 1295:** Was conferred the Junior Second Rank (二品_Nii^Japanese).
• December 17, 1297:** Was conferred the Junior First Rank (一品_Ippon^Japanese) and appointed as the Minister of Ceremonial (式部卿_Shikibu-kyō^Japanese).
• August 4, 1308:** Resigned from the position of Seii Taishogun.

4.2. Era Names During His Shogunate

The period of Prince Hisaaki's shogunate (1289-1308) spanned several Japanese era names (nengō):

• Shōō (1288-1293)
• Einin (1293-1299)
• Shōan (1299-1302)
• Kengen (1302-1303)
• Kagen (1303-1306)
• Tokuji (1306-1308)
• Enkyō (1308-1311)

4.3. Shikken During His Reign

During Prince Hisaaki's time as the nominal shogun, the actual political authority within the Kamakura shogunate was held by the Shikken (regents) from the Hōjō clan:

• Hōjō Sadatoki (9th Shikken, also Tokusō, the head of the Hōjō clan)
• Hōjō Morotoki (10th Shikken)

5.1. Historical Evaluation

Historical perspectives generally characterize Prince Hisaaki's reign as a period where the shogun was a mere figurehead. His political influence was severely limited, with true power concentrated in the hands of the Hōjō Tokusō and Shikken. He served as a crucial component of the Hōjō regency system, providing a veneer of imperial legitimacy to the bakufu's rule. His presence as an imperial prince from the Jimyōin line also played a role in the ongoing power struggles between the Jimyōin and Daikakuji imperial factions, as his appointment and eventual removal were often linked to these larger court and bakufu political maneuvers.

5.2. Legacy and Influence

Despite his lack of direct political authority, Prince Hisaaki left an indirect legacy, particularly in terms of his cultural activities and the symbolic interactions between the imperial court and the shogunate. His role as a patron of 和歌_waka^Japanese poetry and his central position in the Kamakura poetry circles significantly contributed to the cultural landscape of the era. His own poetic works, included in imperial anthologies, underscore his influence in the artistic realm.

Furthermore, Prince Hisaaki participated in the practice of 偏諱_Hen'i^Japanese (name granting), where he granted one character from his name to important figures. Notably, Hōjō Hisatoki, a member of the influential Akahashi-ryu Hōjō branch, received the character `久<sub>hisa</sub><sup>Japanese</sup>` from Prince Hisaaki. This practice symbolized a foster parent-child relationship (烏帽子親_eboshi-oya^Japanese) between the imperial shogun and the heads of prominent Hōjō branches, reinforcing the political ties and loyalties that underpinned the regency system. This practice ensured the continuation of symbolic bonds between the imperial shoguns and the powerful Hōjō clan, even as the latter wielded de facto control.