In the comparatively brief period—about a century—since the emergence of the Japanese from seclusion, the West has shown a surprising degree of interest in the culture of the Japanese. Far from having lessened this interest, the late war appears to have stimulated in the West a greater interest in things Japanese, particularly in such aspects of Japanese culture as art, architecture, literature, drama, and religion.
Although this interest has resulted in a number of notable studies and translations, the greater part of the vast store of materials which constitute the written legacy of the Japanese remains untranslated and unknown in the West. In the field of history alone, despite an excellent start by Western scholars nearly three quarters of a cen- tury ago, resulting in the translation and annotation of the two oldest extant chronicles of the Japanese, literally dozens of works still await the translator's hand and the examination of the Western scholar. Granted that not all of this literature merits serious atten- tion, a more representative list of translations of Japanese historical writing than presently exists is most certainly to be desired.
Something of the magnitude of the task of introducing Japanese historical writing to the West may be seen in the example of this study. It purports to cover but five short years of the history of the Kamakura shogunate which lasted for one hundred and fifty years.
T h e author has found it expedient, if not necessary, to translate several chapters of an indispensable historical work covering these years. But these chapters, five of which pertain to the years under examination, constitute but a fragment of a larger work of fifty-two chapters. T h e present study, in other words, takes up only one tenth of a single historical work.
Nevertheless, it is hoped that in this small way the Western
student of Japanese civilization may be introduced to a little-known
V I I I
Preface period of its history as well as to an important historical work. In order that such a dual purpose might be realized within the covers of a single volume the translations are presented in Part Two of this study.
The work in question is the Azuma kagami [Mirror of Eastern Japan] concerning which a detailed explanation is provided in the Introduction. For the moment it is well to point out that the Azuma kagami is a compilation made by the Kamakura shogunate itself, and hence this studv of the founding of the shogunate proposes to pre- sent largely the point of the view of the founders. It makes no claim to a thorough consideration of other points of view, except insofar as they are referred to in the Azuma kagami. Nevertheless, it is felt that, however narrow its purpose and scope, the explanation and clarification of the aims of the founders themselves and the circum- stances surrounding the founding are ample justification for the study.
T o facilitate reference to the Japanese text of the Azuma kagami the original Japanese dates and era names have been retained. The Western dates and the corresponding Japanese era designations are as follows:
1180—Jisho 4 1184—Juei 3
1181—Jisho 5 Genreki 1, as of Fourth Yowa 1, as of Seventh Month, 16th day
Records for Juei 2 ( 1 1 8 3 ) are not extant.
Beginning with Chapter III the footnote citations are, for the most part, to the Azuma kagami, and they are given simply as dates.
Thus the citation "Jisho 5:2,9" is a reference to the entry in the Azuma kagami for that date, which is the Fifth Year of Jisho
( 1 1 8 1 ) , Second Month, Ninth Day. So that the reader may locate the translation easily, a key consisting of the era name and the Western year has been provided at the top of each page of Part Two.
Although diacritical marks have been placed on most of the Japanese words which appear in these pages, they have been
Month, 14th day 1182—Yowa 2
Juei 1, as of Fifth Month, 27th day
1185—Genreki 2
Bunji 1, as of Eighth
Month, 14th day
Preface ix omitted from some of the better-known names and terms, such as
Kvoto, Kanto, Honshu, Kvushu, shogun, and the like.
A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S
1 lie present work, particularly the middle chapters, represents a substantial revision of the dissertation submitted in January, 1 9 5 7 . to the Faculty of Political Science, Columbia University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements tor the degree of Doctor of Phi- losophy. Errors of fact or interpretation in the original and particu- larly in this revision are mine and not those of my advisers and friends who have assisted me in various vvavs in the preparatory stages. I am especially indebted to three teachers and scholars, all lately of Columbia University: Sir George Sansom, under whom I was privileged to study and who first suggested the Azuma kagami as an object of study; M r . Rvusaku Tsunoda, w h o patiently intro- duced me to the intricate style and contents of the Azuma kagami and who has imparted to me what appreciation of the work I now have; and Dr. H u g h Borton, now President of Haverford College, who, with characteristic patience and understanding, guided me through the final and crucial stages of the undertaking. Others who have read the manuscript in part or in whole and who have made valuable suggestions are: Dr. Martin Wilbur, Dr. W m . Theodore de Barv, Dr. Donald Keene, Dr. Austin P. Evans, Dr. John H . M u n d y , and Dr. James Morley. Dr. Morley has been especially helpful, and I am happy to state that his suggestions, in the main, have been adopted in the present work. T o Mr. Howard Linton anil Miss M i w a Kai of the East Asiatic Collections lor their cooperation over the years in placing the necessary references at my disposal I owe a special vote of thanks. I wish also to acknowledge the gen- erous financial assistance given to me in the past by the American Council of Learned Societies, John H a y W h i t n e y Foundation, Japan Society of N e w York, Inc., and the History Department of Columbia University, the sponsors of the Records of Civilization, of which this volume is a part. Finally, a special word of thanks and appreciation goes to my wife, Emiko, for performing the tedious task of typing every draft of this work from beginning to end.
University of Hawaii MINORU SIIINODA Honolulu
