The Jokyu War and Swords: Retired Emperor Gotoba's Sword Passion and the Turning Point in Kamakura Sword History

The "Jokyu Rebellion" (Jokyu no Ran) launched by retired Emperor Gotoba (Gotoba Jouko) in 1221 appears in Japanese history textbooks as a power struggle between the imperial court and the Kamakura shogunate. However, from the perspective of Japanese sword history, this event carries an entirely different significance. Retired Emperor Gotoba was one of the most passionate sword lovers among all Japanese monarchs in history, and the Jokyu Rebellion was also an incident where his love of swords intersected with political action. This article reexamines the Jokyu Rebellion as a "turning point in sword history."

Retired Emperor Gotoba's Love of Swords—The Unprecedented Achievement of an Emperor and Retired Emperor Engaging in Sword Forging Themselves

Retired Emperor Gotoba (1180–1239) is known as a versatile ruler skilled in poetry, music, kemari, and martial arts, but his passion for swords was exceptional. Remarkably, records show that Retired Emperor Gotoba did not merely appreciate and collect swords—he established his own forge and personally engaged in blacksmith work.

Historical documents from the time, including the "Meigetsuki" (Diary of Fujiwara no Teika), contain records of Retired Emperor Gotoba establishing a system called "Goban Kaji" (Imperial Monthly Smiths). This system summoned renowned sword makers from across the country on a rotating monthly basis to forge swords in the retired emperor's presence. The called-upon smiths were known as "Ban Kaji" (Monthly Smiths), and this honor became the highest mark of prestige for a sword maker.

What is particularly noteworthy is the record of Retired Emperor Gotoba personally wielding the hammer. Historical documents contain passages stating that "the retired emperor himself faced the anvil and struck the blade several times." It was unprecedented for an emperor or retired emperor to directly engage in blacksmith work, demonstrating Retired Emperor Gotoba's extraordinary devotion to swords.

Among the sword makers especially favored by Retired Emperor Gotoba were those of the "Fukuoka Ichimonji" school from Bizen. Ichimonji blades are characterized by a dynamic, exuberant hamon called the "Oofu Choji" (large bud choji), and Retired Emperor Gotoba was said to have been deeply captivated by its beauty. This retired emperor's taste became a driving force for further refining the techniques of the Bizen Ichimonji school.

The Goban Kaji System—Court Organization of Sword Makers Nationwide

The Goban Kaji system established by Retired Emperor Gotoba held significant importance in Japanese sword history. It was an unprecedented attempt at "organization of sword makers nationwide by the imperial court."

The sword makers summoned for Goban Kaji were elite artisans selected from the foremost smiths of the country. Historical records confirm that Goban Kaji included master craftsmen from major production areas such as Bizen, Yamashiro, Yamato, and Bicchu. When they forged swords at the imperial court, they were honored with the privilege of engraving their signatures with the "Kiku Ichimonji" (Chrysanthemum Ichimonji)—the imperial mon marking representing Retired Emperor Gotoba's crest—on the tang.

Blades bearing this "Kiku Ichimonji" signature were later prized as "swords of national renown." Today, some early Kamakura Ichimonji blades designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties are believed to be products of this system.

The Goban Kaji system also contributed to raising the social status of sword makers. Previously, sword makers had been relegated to low social status as mere "craftsmen," but the honor of forging swords in the retired emperor's presence greatly elevated the social evaluation of the sword-making profession. This shift in consciousness became the foundation for the technical advancement and social establishment of sword makers during the mid to late Kamakura period.

The Jokyu Rebellion—The Day the Retired Emperor's Sword Policy Collapsed

In May of 1221 (Jokyu 3), Retired Emperor Gotoba attacked Iga Mitsusue, an influential shogunal vassal, and declared war against the Kamakura shogunate. However, the shogun's side rallied under the speech of Hojo Masako and defeated the imperial court forces with overwhelming military superiority. In merely one month, the rebellion ended in the shogunate's victory.

Retired Emperor Gotoba was exiled to Oki (present-day Shimane Prefecture), never to return to the capital, and died in 1239 (Jokyu 19). This defeat fundamentally transformed Retired Emperor Gotoba's sword policy.

Historical documents from after his exile to Oki contain records indicating that Retired Emperor Gotoba maintained his interest in swords even there. Some retainers accompanied the retired emperor to the place of exile, and he is said to have composed poems expressing his sentiments toward calligraphy and swords. His famous poem "Ware koso wa shinjima mori yo Oki no umi no / arakikaze kaze kokorosite fuke" ("I am the guardian of this island; O sea winds of Oki, blow with consideration") is imbued with pride in solitude, and according to tradition, one of his beloved swords lay at his side when he composed this poem.

The Disposition of Swords After the Rebellion—The Dispersal and Redistribution of Renowned Blades

After the Jokyu Rebellion, many of the renowned swords collected and kept by Retired Emperor Gotoba were seized by the shogunate. The blades that formed the core of the "Gomotsu" (Imperial Treasures) of Retired Emperor Gotoba's court were dispersed in three directions: as rewards to military allies of the shogunate, as dedications to shrines and temples, and as additions to the shogunate's treasure repository.

This "redistribution of renowned swords" had long-term implications for Japanese sword history. As the excellent examples of Bizen Ichimonji blades that Retired Emperor Gotoba had gathered came into the hands of Eastern military governors and warlords after the rebellion, Ichimonji swords, which had previously circulated mainly in the western regions, now spread throughout Eastern samurai society. This became the foundation for the "renowned sword collecting culture" in the Eastern regions from the mid-Kamakura period onward.

Additionally, the Goban Kaji system was discontinued or became nominal after the rebellion. However, as its legacy, the technical lineages of the sword makers selected for Goban Kaji were preserved in each production region. In particular, the Bizen Ichimonji school transmitted techniques refined through Retired Emperor Gotoba's patronage to the next generation, laying the groundwork for the "golden age of Bizen swords" of the late Kamakura and Nanboku-Cho periods.

Retired Emperor Gotoba's Perspective on Swords—Opposition Consciousness Toward the Samurai and the Spirituality of Blades

Retired Emperor Gotoba's love of swords carried political and spiritual implications transcending mere aesthetic interest. At a time when the samurai regime was coming to control the sword as a "symbol of martial prowess," the retired emperor's personal engagement in blacksmith work and his organization of sword makers nationwide through the Goban system represented a declaration that "the imperial court is the legitimate guardian of the sword."

Some researchers argue that one motivation behind the "Jokyu Rebellion" was opposition consciousness to the shogunate's monopoly on martial power. Retired Emperor Gotoba's sword policy can be interpreted as an attempt to counteract the shogunate's military monopoly by culturally "court-ifying" martial matters through the medium of swords. If this interpretation is correct, his defeat in the Jokyu Rebellion was also a defeat of the imperial court in "authority struggle mediated by the sword."

Conclusion—The Legacy in Sword History Left by Retired Emperor Gotoba

Though the Jokyu Rebellion is remembered in political history as a shogunal victory and imperial court defeat, from the perspective of Japanese sword history it left the following legacy:

The Goban Kaji system became the foundation for elevating the social status of sword makers and refining their techniques, fostering the prosperity of the Bizen Ichimonji school. The redistribution of renowned swords after the rebellion realized the dissemination of celebrated blades throughout Eastern samurai society. And Retired Emperor Gotoba's own love of swords became the first example of emphasizing from the court's perspective the dual nature of the sword as both "weapon and work of art," representing a crucial passage in the process by which the Japanese sword transcended its function as a mere instrument of warfare to ascend to the status of a cultural artifact.