Genkō War

Part of the 14th century Imperial-Shogunal conflicts

A statue of Kusunoki Masashige outside the Imperial Palace
in Tokyo, Japan

Date	1331–1333
Location	Kamakura, Japan
Result	Imperial victory; Kamakura shogunate falls

Belligerents

Imperial forces loyal to
Emperor Go-Daigo

Forces of Kamakura shogunate

Commanders and leaders

Ashikaga Takauji
Nitta Yoshisada
Kusunoki Masashige

Hōjō Mototoki
Hōjō Takatoki
Hōjō Sadaaki
Hōjō Moritoki

The Genkō War (元弘の乱, Genkō no Ran^?) (1331–1333) also known as the Genkō Incident (元弘の変, Genkō no Hen^?) was a civil war in Japan which marked the fall of the Kamakura shogunate and end of the power of the Hōjō clan. The war thus preceded the Nanboku-chō period and the rise of the Ashikaga shogunate. Genkō is the name of the Japanese era corresponding to the period 1331-1334.

Throughout much of the Kamakura period, the shogunate was controlled by the Hōjō clan, whose members held the title of shikken (regent for the shogun), and passed it on within the clan. The Emperor was little more than a figurehead, holding no real administrative power.

In 1331, Emperor Go-Daigo plotted to seize power and overthrow the shogunate in Kamakura. However, he was betrayed by a trusted adviser Fujiwara Sadafusa. The Emperor fled Kyoto with the Sacred Treasures and sought refuge in a secluded monastery overlooking the Kizu River, called Kasagi. The monastery was attacked by Bakufu troops in the Siege of Kasagi. The emperor managed to escape, but only temporarily, and was subsequently banished to the Oki Islands. The shogunate then enthroned Emperor Kōgon.

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Wikipedia