Fujiwara no Yoritsune, the 4th Kamakura Shogun

An epic “Game of Thrones” like story of political intrigue and military action of the early Shogun clans

Fujiwara no Yoritsune, also known as Kujo Yoritsune, was born February 12, 1218, the third son of Kampaku, Regent, Fujiwara Michiie in the auspicious Year of the Tiger, in the Month of the Tiger and on the Day of the Tiger. As such, his parents named him Mitora, Three Tigers. Both of his parents were the grandchildren of Minamoto no Yoritomo's half-sister, Bomon-hime, and as such they were distantly related to the previous three Minamoto clan shogun.

On the assassination of the third shogun, Minamoto no Sanetomo in 1219, the Kamakura shogunate sent a messenger to Kyoto to welcome the son of the Retired Emperor Go-Toba to the position of shogun, but thiswas rejected by Go-Toba, who reluctantly offered a compromise, stating that if the position of Shogun was not to be the prince, it could instead be a son of the Fujiwara clan.  For that reason, the two-year-old Mitora was welcomed into Kamakura. For several years after the infant Mitora left Kamakura, Hojo Masako acted as shogun on behalf of Mitora as his guardian.