Sekke shogun (摂家将軍)

Sekke shogun designates two seii taishoguns (great generals) among the shoguns in the Kamakura bakufu (Japanese feudal government), that is, the fourth FUJIWARA no Yoritsune and his legitimate son, the fifth FUJIWARA no Yoritsugu.

The third shogun MINAMOTO no Sanetomo was assassinated and the shogun family of the direct descendant of the Minamoto clan (MINAMOTO no Yoshitomo line with Kawachi-Genji) came to an end because Sanetomo had no child. The regent Hojo clan in the Kamakura bakufu without a shogun of the Minamoto clan origin, accepted two-year-old Yoritsune, a great-grandson of a younger sister of MINAMOTO no Yoritomo, as Kamakura-dono (lord of Kamakura). FUJIWARA no Yoritsune is called this name because he was from the Kujo family, distinguished court nobles with the social status of Sekke (line of regents and advisers).

FUJIWARA no Yoritsune assumed the role of shogun for eighteen years (1226-1244) and FUJIWARA no Yoritsugu for eight years (1244-1252), comparatively long periods, but from childhood until attaining manhood without any political power because the Hojo clan fully controlled the bakufu and the shoguns were just puppets, especially FUJIWARA no Yoritsune was an unfortunate shogun since he hated being a puppet and was a threat to the Hojo clan.

Both regents, the fourth Tsunetoki HOJO and fifth Tokiyori HOJO, were granted use of a portion of the superior's real name by Shogun FUJIWARA no Yoritsune.

Imperial Prince Munetaka, the prince of Emperor Gosaga, was accepted as shogun after Yoritsugu in 1252 and since then miyashoguns (shoguns from the Imperial court) assumed positions in the Kamakura bakufu. However, even this was without power as shogun, since they assumed the form in childhood and were forced to abdicate when they attained manhood.

[Original Japanese]