In 1333, immediately after the
Kamakura Shogunate's fall, Emperor
Go-Daigo wanted to re-establish his rule in Kamakura and the east of the country without sending there a
shōgun, as this was seen, just a year from Kamakura's fall, as still too dangerous. Since he ruled without interference from Kyoto and the area in itself was in effect a miniature shogunate, this event can be considered the first embryo of what was going soon to be the Ashikaga shogunate.
Ashikaga Takauji, founder of the Ashikaga shogunate which, at least nominally, ruled Japan during the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, at first established his residence deliberately at the same site in Kamakura where Yoritomo's
Ōkura Bakufu had been, but in 1336 he left Kamakura in charge of his son
Yoshiakira and went west in pursuit of Nitta Yoshisada. Persistent problems with
Emperor Go-Daigo then convinced Takauji of the necessity to stay in the East. The Ashikaga ended up residing permanently in Kyoto, making Kamakura instead the capital of the , a region including the provinces of
Sagami,
Musashi,
Awa,
Kazusa,
Shimōsa,
Hitachi,
Kōzuke,
Shimotsuke (the so-called
Hasshū), plus
Kai and
Izu. The
Kamakura-fu was therefore the equivalent of today's Kantō, plus the
Shizuoka and
Yamanashi Prefectures. In 1391
Kubō Ashikaga Ujimitsu was rewarded by
shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu for his help against the
Yamana clan with the two huge provinces of Dewa and Mutsu, bringing the total to twelve provinces. The
de facto beginning of the
Kamakura-fu can be considered the arrival in Kamakura
Ashikaga Takauji's son
Yoshiakira. As already mentioned, Yoshiakira had been sent by his father to the Kantō in 1336 as his representative. The first official
Kamakura-fu however was born in 1349 when
Ashikaga Motouji was sent to Kamakura by his father to replace Yoshiakira, who was wanted in Kyoto. The problems that had characterized the institution from its beginning culminated in 1439, when Mochiuji was deposed and the
Kamakura-fu retaken by force. ==See also==