Prince Munetaka

Prince Munetaka (1242–1274), a son of Emperor Go-Saga, became Kamakura’s sixth shogun in 1252. He replaced Kujō Yoritsugu and was the first imperial prince to hold the office. Bringing an emperor’s son from Kyoto gave the military government a ruler of exceptional court status. The Hōjō regents retained governing power, however, and the prince’s title did not place their household decisions under his sole command. [S01, S02, S03]

Munetaka made Kamakura a centre of poetic activity as well as a seat of government. He studied with poets including Fujiwara no Mitsutoshi and hosted gatherings and contests. These occasions brought court forms of learning into the eastern ruler’s household. His poems survive in collections such as the Keigyoku Wakashū. He gave poets a place to meet and compete around his household. [S01, S02]

In 1266 the government removed him and sent him back to Kyoto under suspicion of plotting against the Hōjō. His return initially left him without access to his father; that relationship was later restored. Munetaka took Buddhist vows in 1272 and died in 1274. The poetry continued to circulate after the political position that had supported his Kamakura household was lost. [S01, S02, S03]