Akutagawa Ryunosuke:1892-1927 Novelist.

Akutagawa Ryunosuke was born in Tokyo. While studying at Tokyo University, he became a member of the 3rd and 4th Shinshicho along with Kume Masao and Kikuchi Kan and published "Rashomon" and "Hana", espousing the interest of Natsume Soseki . He derived many of his tales from historical Japanese sources, but told them with psychological insights in an individualistic style. He adhered to art of art' sake. In addition to the failure of his health and nerve, his delicate nerve could not accept disquieting trend of the time and commit suicide.

Ashikaga Takauji :1305-1358 The first shogun of Muromachi bakufu.

Takauji was a son of Ashikaga Sadauji. He attempted to resuscitate the Minamoto family and rebelled against bakufu at Shinomura Hachiman Shrine in Tanba when he was commissioned to defeat the imperial army in Kyoto in Genko war . He destroyed Rokuhara Tandai I and was accredited by the emperor as the most meritorious vassal and promoted to "sangi", one of emperor's consultants and rewarded the governorship of Musashi Province. He was also granted a permission to use one of kanji characters in name of Emperor Go-Daigo and changed kanji of Taka in his name. In 1335, he entered Kamakura to suppress the revolt of Hojo Tokiyuki, and re-entered Kyoto in an excuse to suppress Nitta Yoshisada, disregarding the commitment from Kenmu government. He was defeated by Kitabatake Akiie the next year and escaped to Kyushu, but herose his army again and destroyed Kusunoni Masashige at Minato-gawa and conquered Kyoto. In Kyoto, he appointed Emperor Komyo and was titled Seiitaishogun and establishe Muromachi bakufu. On Takauji's establishment of Muromachi bakufu, Emperor Go-Daigo fled to Yoshino and established the South Court, and this started the Nanboku-cho Conflict. Takauji came to be at feud with his younger brother Naoyoshi and poisoned him. Takauji died while he was planning how to suppress the revolt of Yoshinao's son, Yoshifuyu in Kyushu. He believed in Muso Soseki and his teaching of Zen, and contributed Ankoku-ji Temples and risho towers widely.

Arishima Takeo: 1878-1923 Novelist

Arishima Takeo was brought up in Tokyo until he entered Sapporo Agricultural College after graduating from Junior course in Gakushuin High School. He was baptized during his years in Sapporo, and in 1903, he went to the USA to study at Harvard University. After spending some more years in Europe, he returned to Japan in 1907 and became a teacher at his alma mater. While in Europe, he was influenced by Whitman, Turgenev, and Kropotkin and their advocacy for socialism. Takeo became one of the first members of the literary magazine Shirakaba which launched in 1910, and established his career as a writer with orthodox realism writing style such as "Kain no Matsuei" and "Aru Onna" after 1917. His believed that bourgeoisie obstruct the improvement of the laboring class, and actually converted his large farm in Hokkaido where his father had founded into a cooperative. His movement drew people's attention, but he died with Hatano Akiko in 1923 in Karuizawa.

Izumi Kyoka: 1873-1939 Novelist

Izumi Kyoka was born in Kanazawa city and his real name was Kyotaro. He went to Tokyo in 1890 and studied writing under Ozaki Koyo. His idealistic style of writing later changed to be romantic and mysterious accomplishing a unique style of his own. Many of his novels including "Teriha Kyogen," "Onna-keizu," "Uta-andon" were rewritten into scripts and performed by acting troop, the Shinpa .

Kawabata Yasunari: 1899-1972 Novelist

Yasunari Kawabata was born in Osaka. He started his literature studies while in Tokyo University, and joined the coterie Bungei Shunju. In 1924. Kawabata founded the journal Bungei Jidai with a group of young writers such as Yokoyama Riichi, and became a leading writer in the Neo-Sensualist movement. He gained his first success with "Yukiguni ". Even the imperialism during the war could not change his conviction and Kawabata remained neutral. "Senba-zuru" and "Yama no oto" are some of his best novels written after the World War II. He received the Order of Cultural Merit in 1961, the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968. He committed suicide in April, 1972.

Kunikida Doppo:1871-1908 Poet, novelist

Kunikida Doppo, a poet and a novelist , was born in 1871 in Chiba Prefecture. While a student at Tokyo Career College, Doppo started to attend church and became Christian. He developed an interest in politics also, but was disappointed at their lack of humanity and went back to his home town. He joined the news staff of the Kokumin Shinbun as a war correspondent, and his reports from the front in Japan-Chine War, published after his death as "Aitei Tsushin," found high favor among the readers. He made his debut in world of letters with his lyrical essay "Musashino," and established his uniqueness in portraying the people who fall behind the times. In his later years, he came to criticize the society. "Unmei" and his diary ,"Azamukazaru no Ki" are some of his main works.

Shizuka Gozen

Shizuka Gozen was a shirabyoshi dancer and a daughter of Iso no zenshi, and she was a wife of Minamoto Yoshitsune. When Yoshitsune came to be at feud with Yoritomo, she fled from Kyoto, but was captured in Yoshino-yama and sent to Kamakura. She was expecting at the time, but because the baby was a boy, Yoritomo drowned the baby at Yui no hama beach and returned her to Kyoto. Her dancing in Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine at the demand of Yoritomo and his wife is a famous episode as she danced and sang her love to Yoshitsune.

Shimazaki Toson:1872-1943 Poet and novelist

Shimazaki Toson was born in 1872 in Nagano prefecture. His real name was Haruki. Toson was baptized when he was a student at Meiji Gakuin University. He was influenced by Kitamura Tokoku and became one of the members on founding Bungaku-kai in 1893. He started as a poet and portrayed inner thirst and agony in romantic vein. He published his first collection of poems "Wakana-shu" in 1897 and four other collections in sequence, and these brought him to the public eye and left his mark on the world of modern poetry . Later he turned his talent into prose fiction and in "Hakai", published in 1906, he pursued the agony of a youth from outcast and the inner truth, and granted as a proponent of naturalism. With following "Haru," "Ie," "Sakura no Mi no Jukusuru Toki," and "Shinsei", he established the literature of his own style that is explicitly, and often painfull autobiographical, investigating on the realities of life. He completed "Yoake Mae," a voluminous chronological novel in the beginning of Showa era but "Toho no Mon" was interrupted by his death in 1943. Toson also wrote many travels works, essays and stories for children .

Takahama Kyoshi:1874-1959 Haiku poet and novelist

Takahama Kyoshi was born in 1874 in Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku. His real name was Takahama Kiyoshi. Takahama dropped out of Dai-Ni Highschool. He shared the reputation of being the best haiku poet with Kawahigashi Hekigoto who also was a disciple of Masaoka Shiki. He assumed the direction of the haiku magazine "Hototogisu". He wrote novels such as "Furyuzenpo" and "Haikaishi" in Parnassians vein. But he returned to haiku, and advocated a strict observance of haiku conventions, and encouraged objective observation and topics based on nature while Hekigoto began to move towards the "shinkeiko-ku" (new trend haiku), which ignored the traditional meter and seasonal words . Kyoshi established the basis of haiku in Taisho and Showa era and led modern haiku for 50 years after the renewal of haiku by his master Masaoka Shiki. He became a member of Japan Academy of Arts and received the Order of Cultural Merit in 1954.

Natsume Soseki:1867-1916 Novelist

Soseki was born in Tokyo and named Kinnosuke. He graduated from Tokyo University, and taught at Tokyo Educational College, Matsuyama Middle School and Dai-Go Highschool before he went to UK to study English Literature. After coming back from UK he became a teacher again at Dai-Ichi Highschool. He contributed "Wagahai ha Neko de aru" to a literature magazine "Hototogisu" in 1905, and drew people's attention as a writer. After publishing some more novels including "Bocchan" and "Kusamakura", he became a novel writer for Asahi Newspaper in 1907. His early works opposed to Naturalism which was a trend in Japanese literature at that time. He observed life with a kind of detached interest. However, his later trilogy "Sanshiro," "Sorekara," and "Mon" were written in psychological vein, and in "Higan Made," "Gyojin," and "Michikusa," he examined inner self explicitly , depicting the egoism within modern intelligentsia. With "Meian" he seemed to look forward to the enlightenment overcoming the egoism but never achieved because of his death.

Nitta Yoshisada:1301-1338 Warrior in later Kamakura and Nan-boku-choperiod.

Yoshisada, a son of Tomouji, fought in Kogen war in attacking Chihaya Castle, but rose a revolt in Kamakura and overthrown bakufu. He was granted from Kenmu government Ueno, Echigo and Harima Province as his property and became the Head of Musha-dokoro of these prefectures, but Ashikaga Takauji did not like Yoshisada's thriving and defeated his armyin the battle Takenoshita in Hakone in 1335. He was defeated by Takauji again in Hyogo the next year, who was on his way from Kyushu in attempt to attack Kyoto. He supported Prince Tsunenaga and went to Echizen Kanazaki in Hokuriku where he had to escape from pursuing battle. He attempted to challenge again but was killed by Shiba Takatsune in Fujishima in 1338.

Nichiren:1222-1282Zen priest in Kamakura period. Founder of Nichiren sect.

Nichiren is said to be born in Awa Province and started to study Buddhism of Tendai sect at Mt.Seicho in Awa at the age of 12. He performed further ascetic practices in Kamakura, Mt.Hiei, Minami Gori, and Mt.Koya, and achieved the conclusion of "Hokekyo"( Lotus Sutra) being the essence of Buddhism. He went back to Mt.Seicho and founded Nichiren sect in 1253. He accused other sects severely and confuted them which made the other sects oppressive against his teachings. Nichiren did not pull in his eyes and wrote "Rissho-ankoku-ron" which he contributed a copyto bakufu. He warned that the nation would be stricken by disasters if they did not believe in Hokekyo and accused other sects, but because he accused bakufu at the same time, he was arrested and exiled to Izu. He was once released but as he did not change his attitude, he was exiled again to Sado Island in 1271. After he was released in 1274, he retired to Mt.Shinen in Kai Province and died in 1282 at Ikenoue in Musashi. Just before his death, he chose 6 major disciples (roku-ro). He wrote "Kainichi-sho" and "Kanshin Honzon-sho," also.

Minamoto Sanetomo:1192-1219The 3rd shogun of Kamakura bakufu.

Minamoto Sanetomo was the second son of Yoritomo and was called Senman when young. At his time, it was Hojos who seized the real power in bakufu, so Sanetomo's only wish was to be titled in higher posts and he became u-daijin. He was killed by his nephew Kugyo when he was holding a mass at Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine.

Minamoto Yorinori: Warrior in later Heian and early Kamakura period.

Yorinori was the sixth son of Yoshitomo, and was called Gama no kanja, the Youngster in Gama. Noriyori fought against Yoshinaka and the Taira Family under Yoritomo. He tried to win Yoritomo's favor after the tragic death of Yoshitsune, but was killed in Shuzen-ji Temple in Izu.

Minamoto Michichika:1149-1202 Aristocrat and poet in early Kamakura period.

Michichika served the court as naidaijin at the position of shoii, Senior Second Rank. He was a son of Masamichi and was called Tsuchi-Mikado Naidaijin. Having taken Fujiwara Hanshi, the wet nurse of Emperor Go-Toba, as wife and sending the step-daughter to the court, he managed to seize power allying with Tango no Tsubone who was Retired emperor Go-Daigo's favorite. He overthrown Kanpaku Kujo Kanezane, and backed up his grandchild Emperor Tsuchi-Mikado in assuming the title of emperor. He then became the Retired emperor's adviser and countered with Kamakura bakufu. He was also a brilliant poet where his talent was proven in "Senzai-shu" and other collections of poems.

Minamoto Yoshiie:1039-1106 The first son of Yoriyoshi.

Yoshiie was awarded the governorship of Dewa Province for his services at the Former Nine-Year War. When he boasted of the battle to Oe Masafusa, Masafusa commented that Yoshiie lacked the knowledge of strategies, but instead of being offended, Yoshiie took Masafusa as his master. In 1083, he was promoted to the governor of Mutsu Province and Chinjufushogun. He suppressed the Later Three-Year War, but as Yoshiie had not been commissioned by the emperor to fight, the Court viewed the conflict as outside the Court's responsibility, and no rewards were distributed to Yoshiie's men. Yoshiie remedied by paying them himself with his own lands, and this action greatly enhanced Yoshiie's reputation and secured lasting bonds of loyalty for the Minamoto in the Kanto region. Yoshiie won great confidence among vassals, so much so that the Court had to prohibit the farmers to contribute their lands to Yoshiie.

Minamoto Yoshitsune:1159-1189

Yoshitsune was born from Tokiwa as the ninth son of Yoshitomo. Ushiwaka-maru and Kuro were his childhood name. He went by the name of Genkuro. He was captured by Heike (Taira) after the Hogen Battle, but because he was just an infant, his life was saved and sent to Kurama Temple. When he grew up, he escaped from Kurama Temple and was guarded by Fujiwara Hidehira in Mutsu Province. He participated his brother Yoritomo's army in 1180, and fought with Minamoto Yoshinaka along with Noriyori. He destroyed Heike at Ichi-no-tani, Yashima and Dan-no-ura. Through those battles, he became at feud with Kajiwara Tokikage. Yoritomo was not happy at all with Yoshitsune's close relation with the imperial government. Yoshitsune rose a revolt with his uncle Yukiie against Yoritomo but failed. He destroyed Heike with superhuman strategies, but when he accepted a position in the Court from Retired emperor Go-Daigo without the approval of Yoritomo, he was convicted criminal and the punitive forces were sent Yoshitsune escaped to Mutsu Province where he was harbored by Hidehira. After Hidehira had died, Yoshitsune was attacked by Hidehira's son, Yasuhira, and killed himself at Koromo River at the age of 30.

Minamoto Yoshinaka: Warrior in later Heian and early Kamakura period.

Yoshinaka was the second son of Yoshitaka. He was called Kiso Yoshinaka, being brought up in Kiso Province. He rose a revolt by Prince Mochihito's imperial decree, marched westward on Hokuriku-do and conquered Kyoto in 1183. He once shared power over the nation with Yoritomo in the east and Heike in the west, but soon he became at odds with Retired emperor Go-Daigo. He attacked the retired emperor at Hossho-ji Temple which gave a sufficient reason for Noriyori and Yoshitsune to charge his clan. He was killed in the battle at Kuritsuhara in Omi.

Minamoto Yoriie1182-1204 The second shogun The first son of Yoritomo and Hojo Masako.

He took over shogun in1199, but was over thrown by the Hojo family. He attempted to revenge Hojo with Hiki Yoshikazu but was arrested and killed after being confined in Shuzen-ji Temple in Izu.

Minamoto Yoritomo:The first shogun of Kamakura bakufu.

Yoritomo, the third son of Yoshitomo was captured in the Heiji Disturbance and was exiled to Hiruga-kojima for nearly 20 years. He rose his army in 1180 and set up the foundation of warrior government in Kamakura. He ordered his brother Noriyori and Yoshitsune to assault Kiso Yoshinaka and then destroy the Taira family. With an excuse to pursue Yoshitsune, he obtained the permission to install shugo and jito and started governing by warriors. He then destroyed the Fujiwara family in Oshu District and conquered Mutsu and Dewa Province. He became Seiitaishogun in 1192.

Muso Soseki1275-1351 A Zen priest in later Kamakura and Nanboku-cho period

Muso Soseki was born in Ise Province. He studied Zen under Issan Ichinei and Koho Kennichi after studying Tendai and Shingon. Soseki taught brilliant monks such as Shunoku Myoha and established Rinzai sect. Rinzai sect became at its mature stage with Soseki . He erected Erin-ji Temple in Kai and Tenryu-ji Temple in Kyoto. He became the resident monk of Nanzen-ji Temple twice. Soseki is also famous for the superb gardening of Saiho-ji Temple, Tenryu-ji Temple, Zuisen-ji Temple and Erin-ji Temple.

The Hojo family

The Hojo family is descendant of Kanmu Heishi (Taira family) and started to call themselves Hojos when Taira Tokiie, a descendant of Taira Sadamori started to dwell in Hojo in Izu Province. Tokimasa contributed greatly to the establishment of Kamakura bakufu and his descendants successively assumed regency and seized true reins of power in bakufu for 150 years.They established many branch families such as Nagoshi, Ema, Gokurakuji, Akahashi, and Amanawa. The Hojo family was destroyed in Genko war.

Hojo Takatoki: 1303-1333 The 14th regent of Kamakura bakufu

Takatoki, a son of Tokisada, became regent in 1316, but as he was too young, the reins of real power were seized by his father-in-law Tokiaki and chief adviser Takasuke. His governing fell in disorder, causing Seichu Incident and Genko War. He handed over his position to Kanazawa Sadaaki and became a priest in 1326 . In Genko War in 1331, he overthrown Emperor Go-Daigo and exiled him to Oki Island, and nominated Emperor Kogon. But successive uprising of revolt were much too fierce to suppress, and he committed suicide with his entire family in Tosho-ji Temple when Nitta Yoshisada invaded Kamakura in May, 1333.

Hojo Tokimasa:1138-1215 The first regent of Kamakura bakufu

Tokimasa, a son of Tokikata arranged his daughter Masako to marry Minamoto Yoritomo while Yoritomo was exiled to Izu. He thus played an important role in establishing bakufu from the first army rising of Yoritomo. After Yoritomo's death, he killed the second shogun Yoriie in conspiracy, and appointing Sanetomo as the third shogun, seized real power of bakufu as a regent. He paved the way for autocracy of the Hojo family, but failed to overthrow Sanetomo and retired.

Hojo Tokimune:1251-1284 The 8th regent of Kamakura bakufu

Tokimune was the first son of Tokiyori and a daughter of Hojo Shigetoki. He became rensho in 1264 and regent in 1268. Tokimune chased back the emissaries from Mongol and reinforced the guard at the coasts in the east. He had warriors in Kyushu to defend against the invasion of Mongol army in 1274, and ordered them to construct stone fortification along the coast in northern Kyushu and prepare for Mongol's revenge. He defended from the second invasion of Mongol in 1281, and led bakufu strictly, planning to send his men to China, for example. Tokimune believed in Zen and invited Mugaku Sogen from China and erected Enkaku-ji Temple in 1282. In March,1284 he fell ill suddenly and died on the evening of April 4th, at the age of 34. For the invasions of Mongol, he established Ikoku Keigo-yaku and Chinzei Tandai, and succeeded to defend with the help of typhoon. He erected Enkaku-ji Temple to ease the souls of war dead in both army.

Hojo Tokiyori:1227-1263 The 5th regent of Kamakura bakufu.

He was born between Tokiuji and Matsusita Zenni. As soon as he became regent in 1246, he invalidated the conspiracy by ex-shogun, Kujo Tokitsune, and dentroyed the Miura Family the next year (Hoji War). In 1249, Tokiyori made effort for the improvement of the bakufu governing and as he set up a judicial court, the Hikitsuke-shu, to secure greater impartiality and promptness in legal decisions, and the autocracy of the Hojo Family . He aimed the better governing of civil, and his attitude led to a legend of his nation wide inspection tour. He deeply believed in Zen, and erected Kencho-ji Temple, inviting Rankei Doryu from China for the opening. He handed over his post to one of his family while he was quite young and in "Taihei-ki," he is told to travel over Japan.

Hojo Masako:1157-1225

Masako was a daughter of Hojo Tokimasa and was married to Minamoto Yoritomo who had been exiled to Izu, in 1177 at the age of 21. She was the mother of Yoriie and Sanetomo. After Yoritomo had died in 1199, she participated in governing with her father Tokimasa and younger brother Yoshitoki, and in 1219, she invited Kujo Yoritsune from Kyoto to succeed to the 4th shogun. As she claimed herself as Kujo's guardian and handled the government business, she was called the Nun Shogun. In Jokyu Disturbance, she managed to lead her men and confirmed the regime of bakufu government.

Hojo Muramasa:1205-1273 The 7th regent of Kamakura bakufu.

Muramasa was a son of Yoshitoki, and Yasutoki's step-brother. In 1224, the Iga Family on the maternal side conspired with his elder brother Mitsumune, the Government Adviser to seize reins of power by appointing Muramasa regent and Fujiwara Sanemasa, one of sons-in-law, shogun. They had failed but with Muramasa's arrangement, the Iga Family escaped punishment. Muramasa became Hyotei-shu in 1239, Hikitsuki Zunin in 1249, rensho in 1256 and regent in 1264. Again in 1268, he became rensho again changing over with Tokimune. He retired and became a monk in 1273, and called himself Kakuso. He was a brilliant poet also and 37 of his poems are chosen in "Chokusen-shu."

Hojo Yasutoki:1183-1242 The 3rd regent of Kamakura bakufu.

Yasutoki was a son of Toshitoki. He invaded Kyoto as a bakufu army in Jokyu Disturbance and stayed there as Rokuhara Tandai for ex post management. Yasutoki became regent in 1224 appointing his uncle Tokifusa to be rensho and established hyoteishu the next year. He promulgated Goseibai-shikimoku in 1232and attained the profound transition from court to militarized society.

Hojo Yoshitoki:1163-1224 The 2nd regent of Kamakura bakufu

Yoshitoki was the first son of Tokimasa. Yoshitoki rose an army with his father to support Yoritomo. Yoshitoki succeeded to be regent in 1205 after his father's downfall by the Conspiracy of Maki no Kata. He was titled the additional post as samurai-dokoro betto with the success of suppression of the Wada Revolt in 1213. He managed governmental business with his elder sister Masako after Minamoto Sanetomo was killed, clearing the way to autocracy by the Hojo Family. And in 1221, he raided Retired emperor Go-Toba and the government by the Court in Jokyu Disturbance . This incident ended the struggle between Kamakura and Kyoto resulting in the supremacy of the Hojo regents in Kamakura.

Yosano Akiko: 1878-1942 Poet

Akiko was born in Sakai, Osaka. Her real name was Sho or Shiyo and her maiden name was Ho. After she graduated from Sakai Highschool for Women, she became a member of Shinshisha and was attracted by Yosano Tekkan's poems. She married Tekkan, and in her first collection of her poems "Midaregami," she openly celebrated the liberation of sensuality. She introduced her poems in the magazine "Myojo" and became the most successful and influential poet. She published "Kosen" and many other collections in which she passionately glorified romantic sensation. After studying in France in 1912, she translated "The Tale of Genji" and " The Tale of Eiga" into modern Japanese.

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