Japan's history, social structure and socio-cultural background, compared to Europe, seen and experienced through the eyes of a Daimyo Lord family for more than 2,650+ years
1185-1333; History of the Daimyo Sheriff Yamana-Itotani: The Kamakura Shogunate
As some of you may have discerned, the decisive battles took place further and further away from Kyoto and further and further south-west of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu.
The two regions on Honshu consist of a total of 16 provinces, which are divided into two regions of 8 provinces each; Sanindo (Tanba, Tango, Tajima, Inaba, Hōki, Izumo, Iwami and Oki) and Sanyodo (Harima, Mimasaka, Bizen, Bitchū, Bingo, Aki, Suō and Nagato).
Sanindo was primarily main Taira lands and Sanyodo was secondary Taira lands.
Some provinces in Sanindo had been Taira county area for more than 6 generations.
To secure these provinces, they were now taken over by Seiwa Minamoto, who was given this main task.
In addition, both Nitta brothers were recognized as two of the Seiwa Minamoto clan's total of six main Bunke clan heads, and thus independent clans with shogun and emperor stamp.
Then they also received the honorary titles of Daimyo of Izu, fighting under Yoshitsune, and Ashikaga Yoshikane (1154 – April 5, 1199), fighting under Noriyuki.
Yoritomo's AND Ashikaga Yoshikane's father-in-law, Hojo Tokimasa was the last.
The Nitta brothers Nitta Yamana and Nitta Satomi were given large counties and the title of Daimyo in the old Taira counties.
Nitta Yamana in Sanindo: Izumo, Hoki, Inaba and Tajima and Nitta Satomi in Hoki and Awa.
Father Minamoto Nitta Yoshishige and brothers had their county territories in Kozuke extended to also include neighboring provinces.
But Father Yoshishige and their brothers never fully re-entered Yoritomo's chalk house, as in Yoritomo's eyes they only recognized him late as the head of the Seiwa Minamoto, when they could see which way the wind was blowing.
The Nitta brothers Nitta Yamana and Nitta Satomi still had their old estates in Kozuke.
Things looked bright for Nitta Yamana as one of the six top leaders in Japan, and for the entire Seiwa Minamoto clan as a whole.
But then there was "the dark horse", - the politician and Shogun warrior king Yoritomo, whom many sources describe as a paranoid, jealous and ruthless politician and leader, just like his father-in-law Hojo.
Yoritomo's brothers; Yoshitsune and Noriyori had been Yoritomo's loyal military arm on the battlefield, where Yoritimo and his father-in-law Hojo Tokimasa had been the civilian political leadership.
It went great and the alliance was legendarily close, right up until Yoshitsune had won the decisive battles against the Taira and the war was coming to an end.
Then Yoritomo suddenly turned a plate and humiliated his victorious brother several times by refusing to recognize and celebrate Yoshitsune's victories and reward him for his efforts with important and powerful positions in Yoritomo's government.
Kamakura Minamoto Yoritomo Procession
It didn't make matters any better that the Emperor Go-Shirakwa stepped in and elevated Yoshitsune to Rank 1 and Daimyo of Iyo Province on Shikoku, as thanks for his rescue from his cousin Yoshinaka.
Yoritomo was enraged and immediately canceled the appointments, which both the Emperor and Yoshitsune felt and therefore had no choice but to rebel as Yoritomo wanted to kill him and his family.
When Noriyori refused to attack and arrest their brother, Yoshitsune on Yoritomo's order, both Yoshitsune, Uncle Yukiiie and Noriyori were killed in 1186 on Yoritomo's order.
After that, there was total calm on all lines within the Seiwa Minamoto and other clans.
In 1192 Go-Shirakawa died and the next emperor Go-Toba now confirmed the official foundation of the Kamakura Shogunate, and thus indirectly that the emperor now officially got the position of "Divine Pope" residing in Kyoto, with the actual ruler Shogun the warrior king residing in Kamakura.
In 1199, the first Seiwa Minamoto Shogun died, but only in 1203 was he succeeded by his son, Yoriie (September 11, 1182 – August 14, 1204), who was, however, quickly put to a coup by his grandfather; Hojo Tokimasa and his own mother who was the daughter of Hojo Tokimasa.
Later his grandfather also killed him.
Then Hojo Tokumasa made himself Shikken – regent, which was made hereditary within the Hojo clan and ended up with a total of 15 Hojo shikkens from 1199-1333.
However, always with a "puppet" as official Shogun.
But first he installed Yoriie's brother Sanetomo, who was also his grandson, and he was allowed to hold the shogun post until 1219, after which he was also killed.
Slowly, the Hojo regents tightened their grip on Japan, leading to sporadic rebellions that were all put down with a heavy hand.
In 1221 the rebellion with an emperor at the head was put down after a month and this led to Japan's two government systems with an Emperor-Pope in Kyoto and a Shogun absolute King in Kamakura, which had previously been balanced, tipping completely over until the "Pope" was totally subordinated "The king".
The same thing also happened in Europe.
The kings were irritated by the Pope's constant political interference and the Pope's bandbulls against his enemies or those who were not right.
It is probably not wrong to say that there is no other structure in society throughout history that has caused as much war, death and destruction as religion has.
And where the banner of war has been raised and sanctioned in the name of "God" or the Pope!
Therefore, the kings in the 12th-13th century began to directly recommend the appointment of the Pope's cardinals in their own country, thus the cardinals "de facto" became subject to the king's power.
Yonago Castle, which was also a Yamana-Itotani Castle for a period.
This process culminated in the Reformation in the 16th century.
But the facts are that after the 1221 rebellion came a peaceful period of approx. 40-50 years in Japan, where a government and a government council were established in 1215 with a law in 1229, where not only Seiwa Minamoto, but also other Daimyo lords could be involved, consulted and power distributed.
It meant a consolidation of power and fiefdom for the Nitta Yamana family, and all other related Daimyo fiefdom families.
As the Nitta Yamana family developed from brothers to cousins to great cousins together with the main Nitta branch and the main side branches, such as Nitta Yamana and Nitta Satomi, despite constant marriages into each other's families, they became more and more separated from each other.
In addition, both Nitta Yamana and Nitta Satomi had in 1185 effectively, with emperor and shogun dictate, already gone from Nitta Bunke (side branches) to Yamana Honke (main branch) and Satomo Honke.
It is also reflected in the fact that both branches had been given extensive estate districts to underline their Honke status in the former Taira provinces, outside the Nitta clan's main province: Kozuke.
In addition, they were also both members of the government council, together with Ashikaga and others, under Hojo's chief rule as shikken and regent.
Due to the first shogun, Yoritomo, the main Nitta branch was not a member, despite Seiwa Minamoto genealogically ranking higher than both Yamana, Satomo and Ashikaga, driving a wedge between Ashikaga and Nitta increasing from generation to generation, culminating in the fall of the Kamakura Shogunate in 1333.
Politically, Hojo Shikkens could easily reverse Yoritomo's original order for Seiwa Genji, but Hojo had no political interest in that.
Da Nitta was the most powerful Daimyo lord family in Japan, along with the Ashikaga Daimyo lord family and their Bunke sidelines, such as the Yamana, Satomi, Hosogawa, Hatekeyama, and Takeda and Ishiiki.
In addition, Hojo's original ancestor was from – Taira!
Nitta Yamana's great estates in the former Taira strongholds of provinces; Hoki, Inaba and Tajima, were constantly expanded and consolidated through local wars, as this was Nitta Yamana's task, to make the Taira county areas loyal to Seiwa Minamoto, - and it was done with both "whip and carrot".
Nitta Yamana's larger estate district was taken care of by the eldest son or the chosen heir, while the younger sons, nephews and uncles took turns of 5-10 years to take care of the Sanindo estate districts.
Tajima Yamana Castle
It was a very good time for the Nitta Yamana Daimyo lords and both Nitta Yamana Yoshinori's son, Yoshitsune and grandson, Shigekuni were members of Japan's Supreme Government Council.
It was a peaceful period until approx. 1260s, but then three important things happened in 1268:
The accession of the eighth and 18-year-old Hojo Shikken, Hōjō Tokimune (Shikken from 1268–1284), two Kublai Khan Mongol invasions in 1274 and 1281 and the introduction of Zen Buddhism as official Shogun Buddhism in Japan.
