Stories of the Japanese 00657 [Mid-Kamakura Period] The Short-Lived Administration of Hojo Tsunetoki

June 15, 1242. Yasutoki, who had been in poor health for some time, passed away. Since Yasutoki's son, Tokiuji, had died young, Tokiuji's son, Tsunetoki, became the fourth regent.
At this time, rumors spread that a battle was about to break out in Kamakura, and it is said that the Shogun's palace was heavily guarded and the passageways were blocked. The Azuma Kagami is strangely tight-lipped about the cause and tells us nothing, but it is likely that there was a plot to support Shogun Yoritsune and eliminate the regent, Tsunetoki.
Regent Tsunetoki was 19 years old, and Shogun Yoritsune was 25. This age gap naturally increased the Shogun's authority, and it seems that some gokenin (shogunal retainers) began to cozy up to the Shogun, bypassing the Hojo. Although the Azuma Kagami does not explicitly state his name, it is speculated that Nagoshi Tomotoki was one of them.
Nagoshi Tomotoki was the second son of Yoshitoki and was a figure who invaded Kyoto from the Hokuriku Road during the Jokyu War. He was likely dissatisfied with not being able to succeed to the position of regent and was aiming to usurp the headship of the Hojo family.
In response, Tsunetoki succeeded in seizing actual power for himself using a surprising method. On April 28, 1244, he dismissed Shogun Yoritsune and installed his young son, Yoritsugu (1239–1256), as the fifth Shogun.
From this point on, although Yoritsune remained in Kamakura and was called the 'O-dono' (Great Lord), Regent Tsunetoki was 20 and Shogun Yoritsugu was 4, so looking at the age difference, the situation once again favored the regent.
In the Azuma Kagami, this is only lightly mentioned as:
'April 21, 1244. Shogun Yoritsune suddenly decided to resign and stepped down as Shogun. On April 28, his son Yoritsugu became Shogun.'
It is not written as Tsunetoki's conspiracy. Some researchers interpret it differently, saying,
'Yoritsune tried to seize actual power by becoming the father of the Shogun,'
but the majority view remains that
'Because Nagoshi Tomotoki had allied with Yoritsune to form an anti-Hojo faction, Tsunetoki was wary of this and dismissed the Shogun.'
On July 26, 1245, Tsunetoki's younger sister, Hiwada-hime, married Yoritsugu. Tsunetoki became the Shogun's brother-in-law, likely intending to deepen the blood ties between the Shogun and the regent while increasing the regent's authority, but it can be said that it was a somewhat forced marriage between a 7-year-old husband and a 16-year-old wife.
However, on March 23, 1246, Regent Tsunetoki, due to a serious illness, handed over the position of regent to his younger brother, Tokiyori, and passed away shortly thereafter on the first day of the intercalary fourth month. He was 22 years old. It was a premature death after only four years in office.