Hōjō Tokimasa

Hōjō Tokimasa (1138-1215) was a warrior of the early Kamakura period and the first regent (shikken) of the Kamakura Shogunate, establishing the political foundations of the Hōjō clan's power. From the Hōjō clan—provincial lords of Izu Province—he became deeply involved in the center of shogunal power when his daughter Masako married Minamoto no Yoritomo.

When Yoritomo raised his banner following Prince Mochihito's call to arms in 1180, Tokimasa joined with the warriors of Izu Province, playing an indispensable role in the founding of the Kamakura Shogunate. As Yoritomo's father-in-law, he secured his position within the shogunate and contributed to the establishment of administrative and judicial organs including the Samurai-dokoro and Mandokoro. After Yoritomo's death (1199), he held actual power in the shogunate alongside Masako and Ōe no Hiromoto.

In 1203, Tokimasa destroyed the Hiki clan through the Hiki Yoshikazu Incident, exiled the 2nd shogun Yoriie to Izu, and established his grandson Minamoto no Sanetomo as 3rd shogun. He had Yoriie assassinated the following year and consolidated the Hōjō clan's exclusive control. His time coincided with the blossoming of early Kamakura sword culture—skilled swordsmiths from across Japan gathered in Sagami Province (Kamakura), and the famous "Sagami tradition" (Sōshū-den) of Japanese swords was taking shape.