Hōjō Yasutoki

Hōjō Yasutoki (北条 泰時; 1183 – July 14, 1242) was the third shikken (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. He strengthened the political system of the Hōjō regency.

Hōjō Yasutoki 北条 泰時
Shikken
In office 1224–1242
Monarch	Go-Horikawa Shijō
Shōgun	Fujiwara no Yoritsune
Rensho	Hōjō Tokifusa
Preceded by	Hōjō Yoshitoki
Succeeded by	Hōjō Tsunetoki
Personal details
Born	1183
Died	(1242-07-14)July 14, 1242
Spouse(s)	Yabe Zenni daughter of Abo Sanekazu
Children	Hōjō Tokiuji Hōjō Tokizane three other daughters
Mother	Awa no Tsubone
Father	Hōjō Yoshitoki

He was the eldest son of second shikken Yoshitoki. According to Azuma Kagami, he was liked by the first shōgun, Minamoto no Yoritomo. In 1218 he became the chief (bettō) of the military office (samurai-dokoro).

In the Jōkyū War of 1221, he led shogunate forces against the imperial court in Kyoto.[1] After his victory, he remained in Kyoto and set up the Rokuhara Tandai. Yasutoki and his uncle Tokifusa became the first tandai.

When his father Yoshitoki and aunt Hōjō Masako died, he succeeded to become shikken in 1224. He installed Hōjō Tokifusa as the first rensho. In 1225 he created the Hyōjō (評定), the council system of the shogunate. In 1232 he promulgated the Goseibai Shikimoku, the legal code of the shogunate. He has highly praised for his impartial justice.

In 1242 he ordained as a Buddhist monk and took the Dharma name Jōshōbō Kan'a (上聖房観阿).

He died in the same year. His grandson Tsunetoki succeeded him to the post of shikken.