Kujō Yoritsune, also known as Fujiwara no Yoritsune, was the fourth shōgun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan. His father was kanpakuKujō Michiie and his grandmother was a niece of Minamoto no Yoritomo. His wife was a granddaughter of Minamoto no Yoritomo and daughter of Minamoto no Yoriie. He was born in the year of the Tiger, in the month, on the day, and so his given name at birth was Mitora. Yoritsune was a member of the great Fujiwara clan. The Kujō family was one of the five branches of the historically powerful Fujiwara clan of courtiers.
At the age of seven, in 1226, Yoritsune became Sei-i Taishōgun in a political deal between his father and the Kamakura shogunate regentHōjō Yoshitoki and Hōjō Masako who set him up as a puppet shogun.
1225 : At Kamakura, Yoritsune's coming of age ceremonies took place at age 8; but control of all bakufu affairs remained entirely in the hands of Hōjō Yasutoki, the regent.
1230 : Yoritsune is married to the daughter of Minamoto no Yoriie. She is 15 years older than he is.
1231 : Yoritsune is raised to the second rank of the 4th class in the dōjō kuge.
1231 : Yoritsune is created a general of the left.
1231 : Yoritsune is raised to the first rank of the 4th class in the dōjō kuge.
1232 : Yoritsune is raised to the second rank of the 3rd class in the dōjō kuge.
1233 : Yoritsune is granted the court post of provisional Middle Counselor
1234 : Yoritsune is raised to the first rank of the 3rd class in the dōjō kuge.
1235 : Yoritsune is raised to the second rank of the second class in the dōjō kuge.
1236 : Yoritsune is raised to the first rank of the second class in the dōjō kuge.
1237 : Yoritsune ordered the building of a mansion in the Rokuhara section of Miyako.
1238 : Yoritsune leaves Kamakura en route to Miyako, accompanied by Yaskutoki and the troupes of several provinces. Fujiwara no Yukimitis stays at Kamakura to preserve order in the land.
1238 : Yoritsune arrives in Miyako and begins to live in his new palace at Rokuhara.
1238 : Yoritsune leaves Miyako to return to Kamakura.
July 14, 1242 : Hōjō Yasutoki died at age 60. From Gennin 1, or during 19 years, Yasutoki had been the regent or prime minister of the Kamakura shogunate. Yasutoki's son, Hōjō Tsunetoki succeeded him as shikken, but Yoritsune himself took charge of the bakufu.
1244 : In the spring of this year, a number of extraordinary phenomena in the skies over Kamakura troubled Yoritsune deeply.
1244 : Yoritsune's son, Yoritsugu, had his coming-of-age ceremonies at age 6. In the same month, Yoritsune asked Emperor Go-Saga for permission to give up his responsibilities as shogun in favor of his son, Kujō Yoritsugu.
