The Betrayal of Ashikaga Takauji. I've added some blunt commentary to the prayer for the overthrow of the shogunate that he offered at Shinomura Hachimangu Shrine.

Hello. I am roleplaying as Hojo Takatoki, the last Tokuso of the Kamakura Shogunate. On April 29, 1333 (the 29th day of the 4th month of the 2nd year of Shokei/3rd year of Genko), Ashikaga Takauji betrayed the Kamakura Shogunate. It is truly detestable, and just thinking about it makes me angry, but since I am frustrated, I would like to add some (pointless) commentary to the written oath Takauji made when he prayed for victory at Shinomura Hachimangu Shrine.

Ashikaga Takauji decides to betray

Originally, the atmosphere in the western provinces became tense all at once when Emperor Go-Daigo escaped from Oki. Kusunoki Masashige and Akamatsu Enshin gained momentum, and seeing the shogunate army struggling against them, the gokenin (vassals) also began to feel anxious, wondering, "Is the shogunate going to be okay?" For that reason, the shogunate staked its prestige on sending Nagoe Takaiye and Ashikaga Takauji, but... we were brilliantly outplayed. I thought Takauji was a loyal dog to the Hojo, but he was a tiger hiding its fangs.

Thinking about it now, letting Takauji leave Kamakura was like releasing a tiger into the wild. Moreover, during this time, although we captured his eldest illegitimate son, Takewakamaru, we let his essential legal wife, Toko, and his heir, Senjuo, escape. I don't know if the shogunate was incompetent or if the Ashikaga were thorough, but either way, it's too late to talk about it now.

It is not certain when Takauji decided to betray us. According to common theory, he obtained Emperor Go-Daigo's imperial decree in Omi Province and joined the Rokuhara war council with a straight face. When he went to the front, he pretended to fight against Chigusa Tadaaki, but as soon as he heard that the other commander, Nagoe Takaiye, had been killed in battle, he headed for Tanba and openly raised the banner of rebellion.

Ashikaga Takauji raises his banner at Shinomura Hachimangu Shrine

Ashikaga Takauji entered Shinomura Hachimangu Shrine (Kameoka City, Kyoto Prefecture). It is said that Takauji stayed here for 10 days. The "Baishoron," which favors the Ashikaga, reports Takauji's uprising as follows.

In short, it is a story that Takauji's desire to "destroy the Kanto for generations" was justified by the Emperor's decree, and he raised his banner openly while saying, "This is heaven's command!" It is very impressive, but from the perspective of Kamakura, it is simply betrayal. In the first place, it is clear defamation to create something like the Ashikaga Ietoki's will and spread a false history to later generations, as if "the Genji Ashikaga took back the government that the Hojo had monopolized and reformed the world."

It makes me angry that he adds spiritual logic to everything, saying things like "willows are a symbol of spring, so it's a good omen" or "starting from the east is a sign of a king." And then, once he raised the banner, soldiers gathered like clouds and mist from nowhere. It's as if ants swarming to honey, people who are clever with profit, gathered around.

In the capital, Hojo Tokimasu and Hojo Nakatoki of Rokuhara were protecting the Emperor and holed up there. However, our army, which was attacking Kusunoki Masashige on Mt. Kongo, was in chaos because the news that "Takauji is going to attack the capital!" reached them. It is said that even those who had sworn loyalty to the Kanto were in a mood of resignation, thinking, "Ah, maybe this is the end." The shogunate was trying to recover by sending reinforcements with my younger brother, Ieuji, as the commander. It is a pity that we could not do so because of Nitta Yoshisada's uprising.

Ashikaga Takauji's Prayer

Incidentally, the 'Taiheiki' records the prayer that Ashikaga Takauji offered to Hachiman Daibosatsu at Shinomura Hachimangu Shrine. While it is unclear how much of this content is true, it is certain that he gave a speech close to this to inspire his troops.

However, this prayer, despite being sworn to Hachiman Daibosatsu, is full of points that invite criticism. I cannot stay silent, so as the regent of Kamakura, I will say a word—no, several words.

"Hachiman Daibosatsu is the divine spirit of the restoration of the Minamoto clan!"

"In the first place, Hachiman Daibosatsu is the ancestral shrine that enshrines the successive emperors of the righteous eras, and he is the guardian deity of the revival of the Minamoto clan. His essence shines high in the heavens of countless worlds like the moon of Buddha's wisdom, and his divine function shines most brightly among the seven thousand and more gods. Although he changes his form according to various conditions, he never accepts offerings that lack propriety, and while he saves people with compassion, he especially guides those who have been honest since their past lives. What great virtue this is. That is why people devote their sincerity to him."

Takauji says something plausible like 'Hachiman Daibosatsu is the divine spirit of the restoration of the Minamoto clan,' and that may indeed be true, but in this era, it is generally recognized that the 'Minamoto clan' has already perished and no longer exists. It feels like he is bringing up something irrelevant at this late hour. There was not a single vassal who said, 'Lord Ashikaga is the direct descendant of the Minamoto!' In the first place, it was we, the Hojo, who supported Kamakura after the death of the third shogun, Lord Sanetomo. The Ashikaga did nothing. I find it hard to understand what he is trying to say now.

"The descendants of the Taira clan hold power... unprecedented evil!"

"Since the Jokyu War, my ancestors have served the shogunate while enduring hardships, and the descendants of the Taira clan living in remote lands have seized the power of the world as they pleased, wielding their fierce power for nine generations. Furthermore, now, they have exiled the holy emperor to the western sea and driven him into a plight where his head is covered by the clouds of the southern mountains. Such terrible rebellion is unprecedented in history, and they are truly the greatest enemy of the imperial court. As a subject, how can I not risk my life to defeat them? Also, as enemies of the gods, how can the principle of heaven not punish them?"

No, no, wait a minute. Who was it that took legitimate wives from those 'descendants of the Taira clan' for generations and enjoyed the benefits of being deeply related to them? The Ashikaga have prospered thanks to the Hojo. Takauji himself took a legitimate wife from the Akahashi branch of the Hojo clan, and it is quite something for him to ignore that and call the Hojo evil. The reason the Ashikaga have prospered this far is not because they are the 'direct descendants of the Minamoto' but because they are 'relatives of the Hojo.' Isn't that too selfish?

And the reason the former emperor (Emperor Go-Daigo) was exiled to Oki was for his own selfish desire to make his son the emperor. The 'new government' is just an excuse made after the fact. He started talking about overthrowing the shogunate because things didn't go his way, and he threw the world into chaos. Is there any principle of heaven in that?

When Emperor Go-Toba raised an army during the Jokyu War, the Ashikaga attacked Kyoto with us, so what is different from that time? We, the shogunate, were working hard in the Kanto region to support the reign of Emperor Kogon. The current emperor is the legitimate emperor, and the principle of heaven was on our side.

"It is the way of a subject to devote loyalty! Defeat the enemy of the imperial court!"

"Takauji, seeing these accumulated evils, no longer had the leisure to consider his own person. Prepared to face the blade like sacrificial fish or meat, he joined forces in the name of justice and finally raised an army toward the western provinces. Above, the Shogun (Emperor Go-Daigo) was at Kyurei; below, my army was at Shinomura. Both were under divine protection, both setting out from a heart of justice. Just as a lid fits a vessel perfectly, my righteousness is in accord with the divine will. What doubt could there be in this subjugation? I look up to the vow with the gods who have protected the successive Emperors, entrust my courage to the sweat of the stone horse (the shrine's horse statue), bet on the fate of my house which has taken refuge in Hachiman for generations, and rely on divine protection for a miracle."

What do you mean by the Hojo's "accumulated evils"? Even if such things existed, your ancestors were firmly complicit in them, weren't they? You talk big about loyalty and such, but what about that? Takauji was sent to the western provinces under the orders of the Kamakura-dono, so isn't this just a simple betrayal? Moreover, you switched sides when the shogunate was at its most desperate. You might call it brilliant as a military commander, but do you understand the pain of being turned on at the very last moment?

"Receiving divine power, my righteousness shall prevail!"

"Gods, please lend your strength to this righteous war and let your spiritual power shine. May the wind of virtue cause the enemy to retreat a thousand miles away, just as it bends the grass, and may the divine light replace the sword and bring victory in a single battle. My sincerity comes from a heart of truth. Please, may there be no error in the gods' profound judgment. I respectfully submit this."

Which mouth is saying this is a righteous war? They say that the victors are the imperial army, but it wasn't that the gods were on your side; it was just that the Imperial side won because the Ashikaga betrayed the shogunate. Furthermore, Takauji later betrayed the former Emperor as well, triggering the chaos of the Northern and Southern Courts, the greatest stain on our nation's imperial history. I don't see any justice in that at all. I think the Hachiman Great Bodhisattva must have been bewildered, too. This is neither divine power nor anything of the sort.

Takauji Ashikaga captures Rokuhara

In the end, I can only read Takauji's prayer as an attempt to justify his betrayal by using the gods and Buddhas as a shield. The prosperity of the Ashikaga was not due to the power of the Minamoto bloodline, but thanks to their connections with the Hojo. To betray them when the time came, turn into an enemy, and then make excuses to Lord Hachiman... is that really acceptable?

From Kamakura's perspective, Takauji's prayer is full of points to criticize, but the various generals praise it one after another. Takauji took up the brush himself, signed it, stamped it, and added a whistling arrow to be placed in the treasure hall. Then, starting with his younger brother Tadayoshi, various generals such as Kira, Ishito, Niki, Hosokawa, Imagawa, Arakawa, Ko, and Uesugi followed suit, each offering an arrow one after another, saying "Me too, me too." As a result, arrows piled up on the shrine altar like a mountain, looking just like a burial mound.

Wait a minute. What is this self-praise about "the writing is logical, so the gods are convinced!"? Lord Hachiman is not a judge for a writing contest. First of all, there is the matter of one's daily conduct. Everyone here is just flattering him.

And they are all happy that they "piled up arrows like a mound," but this isn't a school festival before a battle. Do you really think the gods will be impressed by the number of arrows? I've never heard of a Lord Hachiman like that.

Eventually, when dawn broke, the vanguard departed and waited for the rearguard. And when Takauji crossed the pass of Oe-yama, a mountain dove flew down and fluttered over the white flag. The Ashikaga army rejoiced at this auspicious sign.

"This is proof that the Hachiman Great Bodhisattva has appeared to protect us. We must advance in the direction this dove flies."

Following his orders, he hurried his horse, which carried the banner, and pursued the dove. The dove flew quietly and landed on a Japanese ailanthus tree in front of the Jingikan at the site of the old Dairi. Seeing this mysterious omen, the Ashikaga side raised their morale and pushed forward into Uchino.

As they marched, enemy troops appeared in groups of five or ten, but they rolled up their banners, took off their helmets, and surrendered one after another. It is surprising that while Takauji had only a little over 20,000 horsemen when he left Shinomura, the force had grown to over 50,000 by the time they reached Ukon-no-Baba.

There it is! A dove!! It has been a convention since the Azuma Kagami that whenever something important happens, a dove appears, whether it is a good omen or a bad one. 'A dove flew over the Ashikaga's white banner!'—this is a complete rip-off of the Azuma Kagami. It's not even worth discussing.

The enemy surrendered on the way to Uchino? The troops increased from 20,000 to 50,000? Aren't they just a rabble drawn by profit? Those who gather under the Ashikaga banner are not led by a dove, but by greed and schemes. This is the wretched principle of action behind the Northern and Southern Courts chaos that Takauji sparked; in truth, there is no loyalty or pride in it. Why did it turn out like this? Please ask the Ashikaga people.

I really cannot forgive the Ashikaga!

Then, on May 8th, Rokuhara was attacked by Ashikaga Takauji and others and fell. And on the fateful day of May 22nd, Kamakura was also attacked by Nitta Yoshisada, and the Hojo clan was destroyed. I was frustrated, so I added some unrefined commentary to Takauji's prayer, but as I did so, it started to feel ridiculous. It was the virtue of the Hojo to calmly and gracefully commit seppuku as a clan, accepting all such unreasonableness. I apologize for writing such trivial things at length.

Furthermore, the true intention behind Takauji's decision to overthrow the shogunate is still not well understood. The Taiheiki and Baishoron claim he was irritated because he was forced to go to war without being able to properly hold a memorial service for his late father, Ashikaga Sadauji, but of course, that is not the case. This is my own assessment, but as the atmosphere in the world tilted against the Hojo, the Ashikaga, who had been deeply involved with the Hojo and enjoying the benefits, felt that 'things would be bad if they continued like this,' and I suspect the truth is that they took the death of Nagoe Takaie in battle as an opportunity to switch sides.

After this, Takauji also betrayed Emperor Go-Daigo, sparking the chaos of the Northern and Southern Courts. He deposed the Northern Court emperor and crown prince whom he had supported for his own convenience, killed his younger brother Tadayoshi for his own convenience, and killed his house steward Ko no Moronao for his own convenience. Of course, Takauji may have his own side of the story, but is this really a person who had the protection of Hachiman Daibosatsu? Namu Hachiman Daibosatsu, even if the Ashikaga are of the Minamoto bloodline, where on earth were you looking?

Returning to the subject: for the Hojo, both the Ashikaga and the Nitta are no different as traitors. However, I wonder about the Ashikaga and the Muromachi Shogunate, who returned evil for the Hojo's kindness, painted me as a 'dark ruler' and a 'tyrant,' and justified their own seizure of power. Of course, Takauji was also made into a villain by the Imperial historiography and the Mito school, but the Ashikaga did the same thing to the Hojo.

My son, Hojo Tokiyuki, known as 'The Elusive Samurai,' tried to resist such Ashikaga and strike back, but... I have rambled on for too long, so I will talk about that another time.