Biographies · Vol. 204
Biographies CXXXI: The Shogunal Retainers, Part XIV: Hōjō Yasuie and Hōjō Nakatoki
Machine-assisted draft translation, checked for readability. For the classical Chinese text and the modern Japanese translation, see this volume in Japanese.
Hōjō Yasuie
¶Hōjō Yasuie, styled Shirō, was a full younger brother of Hōjō Takatoki (Note: following the Taiheiki; that he was a full brother follows the Hōryaku Kanki). His original name was Tokitoshi, and he became Sakonoe-no-shōgen, Lieutenant of the Left Palace Guards (Note: following the Hōjō Keizu). When Takatoki resigned as Shikken, Regent, the one who ought to have succeeded to the office was Yasuie, but Nagasaki Takasuke, the Uchi-kanrei, Chief Steward of the Hōjō house, on his own authority installed Kanazawa Sadaaki in the post. When Yasuie's mother heard of this she was furiously angry; she had Yasuie shave his head and changed his name to Eshō (Note: following the Hōryaku Kanki; the name Eshō follows the Taiheiki and the Hōjō Keizu). In the third year of Genkō (1333) Nagoe Takaie was killed in battle at Kyoto. When Ashikaga Takauji went over to the imperial side, Takatoki raised troops from six provinces, Musashi, Kōzuke, and others, placed them under Yasuie, and meant to send him west. Before he had set out, Nitta Yoshisada raised an army and attacked. Takatoki sent Sakurada Sadakuni, Nagasaki Takashige, and others to meet him, but they were defeated and fell back to Bubai. He therefore ordered Yasuie to lead troops to support them. At dawn he drew up three thousand archers and had them loose arrows like rain. Yoshisada's army fell into disorder, and Yasuie, taking advantage of this, loosed his troops in an assault. Yoshisada was heavily defeated, and Yasuie, puffed up with pride, supposed that among the enemy there would surely be someone who would cut off Yoshisada's head and bring it in. He therefore drew back his line and rested. His soldiers all took off their armor and unsaddled their horses, and sent for courtesans and gave themselves up to wine and feasting. Just then Miura Yoshikatsu of Sagami gathered troops and joined Yoshisada, and the next morning Yoshisada made Yoshikatsu his vanguard and advanced with banners furled; scouts came to report it. Yasuie said, "That may be so. It is only that men of the Miura clan, called up for service, have taken the field and have now arrived here." The soldiers believed him and no longer cared to make their defenses firm. Suddenly Yoshisada and Yoshikatsu pressed upon the camp, beating their drums and charging, and Yasuie, shocked and panicked, abandoned his position and fled. Yoshisada's pursuit was fierce, and by the time Yasuie reached Sekido he was nearly overtaken. A certain Yokomizo and Abo Dōkan (Note: in the main text of the Taiheiki, in the Saigenin manuscript, and in the Baishōron, the character 堪 in his name is written 潭), several hundred in all, turned back, fought, and died in battle, and thanks to them Yasuie was able to escape. Yoshisada at last entered Kamakura. Takatoki fled to Kasaigayatsu, and Yasuie's retainer Suwa Moritaka, having been beaten in battle, returned and urged Yasuie to take his own life. Yasuie sent everyone away and said, "That it has come to such a rout is nothing but what our elder brother's daily conduct brought upon himself. Still, the benefactions of several generations remain in the hearts of the people. If the blessings that have been left to us are not yet exhausted, would Heaven ever cut off his descendants forever? Manjū I have already entrusted to Godaiin Munetsugu. You take Kamejū and go, hide him well, and plan to rise again at a later day." Moritaka wept and took his leave. Manjū and Kamejū were the childhood names of Takatoki's sons Kunitoki and Tokiyuki. Yasuie then summoned more than twenty of his close attendants and instructed them: "Give me time enough to get far away, then quickly set fire to the residence and make it look as though I have killed myself." Thereupon he lay down in a palanquin and had a blood-stained robe thrown over him. Nambu Tarō and Date Rokurō, disguised as palanquin-bearers, carried it. Two soldiers in armor, mounted, imitated the watchword of the Nitta army and left the residence as though escorting him. The retainers who remained set fire to the residence, went outside, and cried out that their lord was already dead. All of the more than twenty men cut open their bellies and died. Three hundred soldiers likewise took their own lives. Yasuie finally escaped to Mutsu, and later came secretly to Kyoto and hid in the residence of Fujiwara-no-Kinmune, Gon-dainagon, Provisional Major Counsellor; he let his hair grow, changed his name to Tokioki, styled himself Gyōbu-no-shō, Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, and day after day plotted rebellion with Kinmune. In the second year of Kenmu (1335) Kinmune at last arranged that Tokioki should lead the troops of the Home Provinces, Hōjō Tokiyuki the troops of the Kantō, and Nagoe Tokikane the troops of the northern provinces, and that they should attack Kyoto all at once. Before long, however, the plan was discovered, and Kinmune was put to death. Tokioki escaped (Note: following the Taiheiki), and nothing is known of him afterwards.
Hōjō Nakatoki
¶Hōjō Nakatoki was a son of Sagami-no-kami Mototoki, Governor of Sagami, and became Echigo-no-kami, Governor of Echigo. In the second year of Gentoku (1330) he guarded Rokuhara together with Hōjō Tokimasu. Nakatoki resided in the north office and Tokimasu in the south. Tokimasu was a son of Echigo-no-kami Tokiatsu, and became Sakonoe-no-shōgen (Note: following the Heishi Keizu and the Shōgun Shikken Shidai. I observe that the Taiheiki's "second year of Gentoku" is an error for the second year of Genkō (1332). The view that Tokiwa Norisada guarded both Rokuhara offices at once from Gentoku through the first year of Genkō (1331) is mistaken). In the first year of Genkō (1331) Hōjō Takatoki sent Nikaidō Sadafuji and Jō Echigo-no-kami, leading three thousand troops, to go up to the capital (Note: the names of the two commanders follow the Tenshō text). He ordered Nakatoki and Tokimasu to depose the emperor and to do away with Prince Moriyoshi. The order had not yet been opened when the matter leaked out (Note: following the Taiheiki), and the emperor secretly left the palace, had Fujiwara-no-Morokata, Dainagon, Major Counsellor, pose as the imperial carriage, and set off for Enryaku-ji (Note: following the Masukagami and the Taiheiki). Nakatoki and Tokimasu did not notice, and the next morning sent Sadafuji and others to move the imperial carriage to Rokuhara. Just then the Enryaku-ji monk Gōyo came and reported that the emperor was staying at Enryaku-ji (Note: following the Taiheiki. Gōyo is written Gōkan or Gōgei in other texts. The Kōmyōji Zōsho Zanpen says that a Rokuhara official, Jin Gozaemon, reported the incident. It is not known which is correct). Nakatoki and Tokimasu then sent Oda Tokitomo (Note: Tokitomo's surname follows the Sonpi Bunmyaku) to lead troops in a sweeping search of the palace, but the emperor was indeed not there (Note: following the Masukagami). They therefore arrested Fujiwara-no-Nobufusa, Dainagon, Fujiwara-no-Kin'akira, Chūnagon, Middle Counsellor, Fujiwara-no-Saneyo, Gon-chūnagon, Provisional Middle Counsellor, Taira-no-Nariyuki, former Sangi, Consultant, and others (Note: following the Kōmyōji Monjo Zanpen and the Masukagami), moved the Retired Emperor, the New Retired Emperor, and the Crown Prince Kazuhito to Rokuhara, and sent Sasaki Tokinobu, military governor of Ōmi, and Kaitō Nakaie (Note: Nakaie's name follows the Mōri-ke text and the Tenshō text) with more than ten thousand troops to attack Enryaku-ji. Nakaie was defeated and killed, and Tokinobu and the others barely escaped and returned. Soon they heard that the emperor was at Kasagi, and Kusunoki Masashige and Sakurayama Shigetoshi both raised the standard of righteousness, so they sent Tokinobu again, to Ōtsu, to guard against Enryaku-ji. They sent the kendan, police officials, Kasuya Muneaki and Suda Michiharu (Note: Michiharu's name follows the Konshōin text; in this book the character 治 is sometimes written 倫 or 業), who surrounded Kasagi with more than a hundred thousand troops, but the fortress was strong and could not be taken (Note: following the Taiheiki). Just then Ōsaragi Sadanao and Ashikaga Takauji arrived with the troops of the eastern provinces, and were at once sent to attack Kasagi (Note: following the Kōmyōji Zōsho Zanpen; the Genkō Nikki Uragaki was also consulted). Suyama Yoshitaka, Omiyama Ujizane, and others (Note: Ujizane's name follows the Taiheiki in the Mōri-ke and Tenshō texts), fifty-odd men in all, climbed in the night up a precipitous cliff by means of wisteria vines. It was raining and dark all around, and they secretly followed behind the patrolling soldiers and went around the various camps; someone challenged them, and they promptly answered "Night rounds," soothed the sentries, and passed on. When they reached the side of the temporary palace they set fires and raised an uproar. The troops outside the fortress supposed there were men inside who had turned, and beat drums in answer; their shouts shook the mountains and valleys, and the imperial army, startled, broke and collapsed. The emperor, together with Fujiwara-no-Morokata, Fujiwara-no-Fujifusa, Minamoto-no-Tomoyuki, and others, slipped secretly out of the encirclement and tried to go to Akasaka. Sadanao and the others pursued them and captured the emperor and one hundred and sixty civil and military ministers and monks (Note: following the Taiheiki; the figure of one hundred and sixty follows the Mōri-ke text. I observe that this book says Muneaki's men Suyama Yoshitaka and a certain Omiyama, hearing that Sadanao and the others were coming to the rescue, first set fire to the fortress and climbed in to attack, but according to the Hōryaku Kanki, the Genkō Nikki Uragaki, the Kōmyōji Zōsho Zanpen, the Kōnendai Ryakki, and the Masukagami this is not so, so the account in this book is not adopted). Nakatoki and Tokimasu led troops, escorted the imperial carriage, and moved it to the south office of Rokuhara (Note: following the Kōmyōji Zōsho Zanpen, the Kōnendai Ryakki, the Masukagami, and the Taiheiki). Only Fujiwara-no-Fujifusa and Minamoto-no-Tadaaki were allowed to attend upon the emperor; the princes, court nobles, and all below them were confined in the houses of the various commanders (Note: following the Taiheiki). They ordered Ōsaragi Sadanao and Ashikaga Takauji to attack Kusunoki Masashige at Akasaka castle (Note: following the Kōmyōji Zōsho Zanpen. The Taiheiki says that Sadanao and the others, hearing on the way that Kasagi had fallen, went straight on to Akasaka). Masashige burned the castle and feigned death, and Sakurayama Shigetoshi, his troops scattered, killed himself. Nakatoki and Tokimasu had Yuasa Jōbutsu hold Akasaka. The following year, on Takatoki's instructions, they moved the emperor to Oki, and the princes and all below them were all exiled or put to death. Soon Masashige attacked Jōbutsu and forced his surrender, advanced, and encamped at Shitennō-ji. At this time the soldiers of the neighboring provinces gathered in great numbers at Rokuhara. Nakatoki and Tokimasu, relying on their overwhelming strength, held Masashige in contempt, and sent Suda Michiharu and Takahashi Muneyasu (Note: Muneyasu's name follows the Konshōin text; in this book Muneyasu is sometimes written Michitoshi. The Saigenin text gives the number of troops as seven thousand) with more than five thousand troops to attack Shitennō-ji, but they were badly beaten and returned. They sent Utsunomiya Kintsuna to attack again, but Masashige withdrew his army and retired. At this time Prince Moriyoshi had built a fortress at Yoshino, Akamatsu Norimura had raised troops in Harima, and Kusunoki Masashige held the two castles of Chihaya and Akasaka. Takatoki therefore mobilized tens of thousands of troops from the provinces and sent Aso Tokiharu (Note: Tokiharu's name follows the Hōjō Keizu), Ōsaragi Takanao (Note: Takanao's name follows the Hōryaku Kanki; the "Sadanao" in this book is an error), Nikaidō Sadafuji, and others to the capital as commanders-in-chief. The next year Nakatoki and Tokimasu sent the commanders out in separate directions. Tokiharu went to Akasaka, Sadafuji to Yoshino, and Takanao to Chihaya. Tokiharu attacked the castle for more than ten days, and the garrison commander Hirano Shōgen led his troops and surrendered. Nakatoki and Tokimasu had them all beheaded as a warning to others. The imperial forces in the other castles heard of this and held out all the more stubbornly. Sadafuji soon took Yoshino, joined forces with Tokiharu, and with Takanao attacked Chihaya together. They attacked by every means, but the army was constantly at a disadvantage, and more than half of the officers and men died. The righteous troops of Yoshino gathered further in their rear and cut their supply lines. Morale in the army was greatly depressed. Nakatoki and Tokimasu again sent Utsunomiya Kintsuna to help, but he could not win. At that time troops of the San'yō provinces were being levied, but on the way they were broken by Akamatsu Norimura, and their commander Itō Koremura and the others (Note: Koremura's name follows the Konshōin text) soon surrendered. Norimura then took his stand on Mitsuishi-yama in Bizen and blocked the two roads of San'yō and San'in; the military governor Kaji Sadasue attacked him (Note: Sadasue's name follows the Konshōin text), but was likewise defeated. Norimura's strength grew ever greater, and he advanced and took his stand on Maya-san in Settsu. Nakatoki and Tokimasu planned to wait for the arrival of the troops of Shikoku and then attack Norimura. Just then Doi Michiharu and Tokuno Michitoki of Iyo raised troops and broke Hōjō Tokinao, the Nagato Tandai, Commissioner of Nagato. The road from Shikoku was thereby closed, so they sent Sasaki Tokinobu and Oda Tokitomo to attack Norimura with more than five thousand troops (Note: this book says these two were sent on hearing of the emperor's progress to Senjōsan, but these two attacked Norimura on the eleventh day of the intercalary second month, whereas the emperor's progress to Senjōsan was on the twenty-eighth; it is therefore recorded here), but they were badly beaten and returned. Nakatoki and Tokimasu, seeing that all quarters were in turmoil and urgent reports arriving daily, feared that someone might take advantage of the confusion to seize the imperial carriage, and sent a letter to Sasaki Kiyotaka, military governor of Oki, making him tighten the guard still further. Soon the emperor secretly crossed the sea and went to Senjōsan, and Chinzei (Kyushu) answered the call. Nakatoki and Tokimasu again sent ten thousand troops to attack Akamatsu Norimura, but were defeated once more. Norimura, pressing his advantage, advanced setting fires, the city was in uproar, and the soldiers almost all scattered. Nakatoki and Tokimasu rang the bell to gather troops, but only a few hundred assembled, and those were all petty officials unaccustomed to military affairs, who could barely cling to their horses and run about. Nakatoki, seeing that his troops had no will to fight, and judging that sitting and waiting for the enemy was no good plan, sent Suda Michiharu and Takahashi Muneyasu with more than twenty thousand troops (Note: the Tenshō text gives five thousand) to defend at the Katsura River, but they were badly beaten. Norimura advanced into Kyoto, and the new emperor and the two Retired Emperors, Go-Fushimi and Hanazono, hurried into Rokuhara and moved to the north office. Nakatoki and Tokimasu sent out all their troops and drew up at the Shichijō riverbed. Norimura formed his lines and did not advance, but set fires and raised an uproar. Nakatoki and the others, seeing that the enemy were few, sent Michiharu and Muneyasu to draw up at Hachijō with more than three thousand troops. Suyama Takamichi (Note: Takamichi's name follows the Tenshō text; in the Banba Rengeji Kakochō, Takamichi is written Kiyofusa) and Kōno Michiharu, with two thousand and more men, went to the Rengeō-in. Takamichi, thinking, "The troops I lead are a mixed rabble and of no use," divided his troops and stationed them at Hachijō, beating drums to give encouragement, and with Michiharu led several hundred picked horsemen out to the east of the Rengeō-in. Norimura was about to fight the army at Hachijō. Takamichi and the others struck from behind without warning, Norimura's infantry were exhausted, and at last fled. At this time Michiharu and Muneyasu, together with Sa-emon-no-suke Fujiwara-no-Tadatoshi (Note: Tadatoshi's name follows the Konshōin text), fought on Suzaku Ōji and were almost in retreat. When Michiharu was about to go to their rescue, Takamichi stopped him and said, "If we go in to help now and win, they will never say that they borrowed our strength, but will only boast to others that we deceived them. It will not be too late to rescue them after the outcome is already decided." Soon Michiharu and his men were routed, and Takamichi and Michiharu rushed in, rescued them, and broke the enemy. Norimura again gathered his remaining troops and urged them to fight. Takamichi and Michiharu broke them again. The troops of Michiharu and Muneyasu wantonly killed townspeople, took their heads, and busied themselves exaggerating their merit to seek reward. The next day, when all these heads were exposed at the Rokujō riverbed, there were five heads marked with tags reading "Akamatsu Enshin." Enshin was Norimura. The people of the capital commented, "They borrowed men's heads and used them, and sure enough, children were born. They are Enshin's other selves, and the rebels will never be exhausted." Norimura again gathered his scattered troops, took his stand at Yawata and Yamazaki, and blocked both the water and land routes. The merchants of Kyoto no longer came and went, and transport of provisions grew harder day by day, so Nakatoki and Tokimasu sent more than five thousand troops to attack Yamazaki, but they failed and returned. The monks of Enryaku-ji rose again and came to attack, upholding the order of Prince Moriyoshi. They were said to number more than a hundred thousand. Nakatoki and Tokimasu, reasoning that the monks fought on foot and could be beaten by cavalry, divided seven thousand horsemen into seven units, striking the front and covering the rear, retreating and advancing to wear the monks out. When they judged them tired, they had arrows concentrated upon them, and the monks fled. Nakatoki and Tokimasu further donated thirteen estates to Enryaku-ji. They also gave each of the higher-ranking monks one or two convenient places, and had them pray for the settling of affairs. In truth they were baiting them with profit in order to draw them away from the plot, and as a result those who returned to obedience became somewhat more numerous. Even so, fearing that they might revolt again, they had Sasaki Tokinobu and others lead three thousand troops and draw up at the Tadasu riverbed as a guard. Suyama Takamichi, Kōno Michiharu, and others defended against Akamatsu Norimura south of Kyoto, broke him decisively, and cut off more than eight hundred heads. Minamoto-no-Tadaaki, Sakonoe-no-chūjō, Middle Captain of the Left Palace Guards, attacked, escorting Prince Tsuneyoshi. Nakatoki and Tokimasu built watchtowers west of Kyoto and had soldiers stand on the walls to defend. Just then fires broke out in several places in the town, smoke and flames covered the sun, the soldiers looked back in alarm, and the imperial army, taking advantage of this, pressed forward in a race. Tokinobu and the others defended with five thousand troops and again broke them decisively. The deputy commander Ōta Morinobu was killed in battle, and Tadaaki withdrew his army and returned. Nakatoki and Tokimasu, trusting in their victory, relaxed somewhat, but just then the valiant commander Yūki Chikamitsu suddenly went over to the imperial army, and from then on officers and men deserted one after another. Nakatoki and Tokimasu repeatedly sent urgent word to Takatoki, and Takatoki at once sent Nagoe Takaie, Ashikaga Takauji, and others to support them. Before long, however, Takaie fought Akamatsu Norimura at Koganawate and was defeated and killed. Takauji submitted to the imperial side and, together with Norimura and Minamoto-no-Tadaaki, joined forces and attacked Rokuhara in turn. Earlier, various commanders had been sent to attack Chihaya, but it had long not fallen. The troops at Rokuhara were few and the roads of relief were cut off. Nakatoki and Tokimasu discussed it and said, "Level ground is inconvenient for firm defense," and so they dug moats and built stockades, divided their sixty thousand troops into three, and held Takauji off in front of the Jingikan, Norimura at Tō-ji, and Tadaaki at Takeda. But they were beaten in battle and withdrew to defend Rokuhara. The imperial army pressed upon the stockades, and Tadaaki's troops set fire to the gate and made a sudden attack, but just then the warrior monks held off and drove back Fujiwara-no-Masatada at Gojō. Soon the troops in the fortress opened the gates in the night and raced one another to flee; they could not be stopped, and those who remained were only a thousand or so. Kasuya Muneaki said to Nakatoki and Tokimasu, "The fortress cannot be held. Fortunately the encirclement on the east side has not yet closed, so we should escort the imperial carriage to Kamakura and plan to rise again later." Nakatoki and Tokimasu followed this advice. That night they sent out the empress and the other women in the fortress, and, guarding the new emperor, the Retired Emperors, the New Retired Emperor, and the Crown Prince, raced eastward. Tokimasu went at the head, but on the road he was separated from his soldiers, and only Kasuya Tokihiro followed him (Note: Tokihiro's name follows the Konshōin text). Militiamen of the district shot arrows at them from all sides like rain, a stray arrow struck Tokimasu in the neck, and he fell from his horse and died. Tokihiro also killed himself. The Crown Prince and those with him scattered in all directions, and their whereabouts are not known. A stray arrow struck the new emperor in the left elbow, but Suyama Takamichi sucked out the blood, put him on a horse, and went on supporting him. Soon day broke, and on the road they met several hundred militiamen, fought, and broke them. The following warriors fled one after another, and those who remained were more than six hundred. Kasuya Muneaki led the way, Nakatoki guarded the new emperor, and Sasaki Tokinobu defended the rear. The next day, when they reached Bamba Pass, militiamen stood on both sides of the road with their bows drawn, waiting. Muneaki broke their vanguard, but their following troops, several thousand, stretched out in a line and held the ridge. Muneaki, seeing that his arrows were gone and his men exhausted, could do nothing, and entered a Buddhist hall by the roadside; when Nakatoki arrived he said, "I still have strength for one more battle. But the Toki and Kira clans have all gone and joined the Ashikaga, and when they hear that we are going down to the east they will surely send troops to block us. If we advance along this dangerous road with so few and weak a force now, there seems no chance of breaking through. I suggest that you consult Tokinobu, withdraw to Ōmi, hold a strong point, and wait for relief from Kamakura." Nakatoki said, "I too have already thought of that. But in the present situation, even of Tokinobu I cannot guarantee that he has no disloyal thought. Still, in today's affair we have no choice but to follow your counsel." So he halted his troops to await Tokinobu's arrival. But Tokinobu happened to have remained behind, and hearing on the way that Nakatoki was already dead in battle, he went over to the imperial army. Nakatoki judged that Tokinobu had already turned traitor, and realizing that there was no way left to escape, said to the warriors accompanying him, "You have not forgotten our old friendship and have followed me this far. But my fate and strength are exhausted, and I have no way to repay you. I ask only that you take my head, surrender to the Genji, apologize for the offense, and avoid punishment." Then he committed seppuku and died (Note: following the Taiheiki). He was twenty-eight years old. Those who died with him, from Kasuya Muneaki on down, numbered four hundred and thirty-two (Note: following the Taiheiki and the Rengeji Kakochō; the Tōji Chōja Bunin gives more than two hundred and eighty). Nakatoki's son Tomotoki (Note: following the Hōjō Kafu) is not known afterwards.