Shikken facts for kids

The shikken was a very important job in ancient Japan, held by a leader from the Hōjō clan. From 1199 to 1333, during the Kamakura period, the shikken was officially a "regent" for the shōgun. A regent is like a stand-in ruler who helps govern when the main ruler is too young or unable to lead. The shikken was actually the head of the bakufu, which was the shogun's government. This time was even called "Regent Rule" because the shikken held so much power.

For a big part of this time, the shikken was the real leader of Japan, almost like a military dictator. Later, in 1256, the shikken's role changed a bit, becoming second in command to another important Hōjō leader called the Tokusō. Even though the job wasn't completely removed, it wasn't as powerful anymore by the time of the Muromachi period (1333–1573). The position of shikken eventually disappeared completely after this period.

What Does Shikken Mean?

The word shikken comes from two Japanese characters. The first character means "to hold" or "to administer," and the second means "power" or "authority." So, when you put them together, shikken literally means "to hold power" or "to hold authority." This name perfectly describes what the shikken did!

History of the Shikken's Power

The Shikken as Japan's Main Ruler (1199–1256)

Even though the shikken was supposed to be just a regent for the shōgun in the Kamakura shogunate, they actually held most of the power. The shōgun became like a "figurehead," which means they had the title but not the real control. This was similar to how the emperor and his court had lost their real power to the first shōgun, Minamoto no Yoritomo. Both the shikken and the Tokusō positions were always held by members of the powerful Hōjō clan.

Hōjō Tokimasa was the father-in-law of Minamoto no Yoritomo. After Yoritomo died, Tokimasa became the very first shikken in 1203. At this time, the shikken was also the chief of the mandokoro, an important government office. Tokimasa quickly became the true ruler of the shogunate. He made all the big decisions for the young shōguns, Minamoto no Yoriie and Minamoto no Sanetomo, who were Yoritomo's sons and Tokimasa's grandsons. Tokimasa was very determined to keep his power, and he removed anyone who stood in his way, even family members. He replaced the more independent Yoriie with his younger brother Sanetomo as shōgun, and sadly, both Yoriie and his son (Tokimasa's great-grandson) were later removed from power.

Tokimasa's son, Hōjō Yoshitoki, made the shikken's position even stronger. He took control of the Samurai-dokoro, another important military office, after defeating the strong Wada clan who used to lead it. The shikken then became the highest position, controlling the shōguns who were just puppets. In 1224, Yoshitoki's son, Hōjō Yasutoki, created a new position called rensho, which was like an assistant regent.

The Shikken Under the Tokusō (1256–1333)

Later, Hōjō Tokiyori decided to separate the two main Hōjō family roles: the Tokusō (who was the head of the Hōjō clan) and the shikken. In 1256, he appointed Hōjō Nagatoki as the shikken, but he chose his own son, Hōjō Tokimune, to become the next Tokusō. This change meant that the real power shifted from the shikken to the Tokusō.

Tokimune, who was the Tokusō during the Mongol invasions of Japan, became incredibly powerful. At one point, he personally held all three of the most important jobs in the shogunate and in Japan: Tokusō, shikken, and rensho. This shows how much power the Tokusō could have.

List of Shikken Leaders

Here is a list of the people who held the title of shikken:

• Hōjō Tokimasa (ruled 1199–1205)
• Hōjō Yoshitoki (ruled 1205–1224)
• Hōjō Yasutoki (ruled 1224–1242)
• Hōjō Tsunetoki (ruled 1242–1246)
• Hōjō Tokiyori (ruled 1246–1256)
• Hōjō Nagatoki (ruled 1256–1264)
• Hōjō Masamura (ruled 1264–1268)
• Hōjō Tokimune (ruled 1268–1284)
• Hōjō Sadatoki (ruled 1284–1301)
• Hōjō Morotoki (ruled 1301–1311)
• Hōjō Munenobu (ruled 1311–1312)
• Hōjō Hirotoki (ruled 1312–1315)
• Hōjō Mototoki (ruled 1315–1316)
• Hōjō Takatoki (ruled 1316–1326)
• Hōjō Sadaaki (ruled 1326)
• Hōjō Moritoki (ruled 1326–1333)
• Hōjō Sadayuki (ruled 1333)

See also

• Rokuhara Tandai