Kenmu Restoration

Kenmu Restoration
建武の新政
Kenmu no shinsei
1333–1336
CapitalHeian-kyō
Common languagesLate Middle Japanese
Religion
Shinbutsu-shūgō
GovernmentAbsolute monarchy
Emperor 
• 1318–1339
Go-Daigo
Shōgun 
• 1333
Moriyoshi
• 1335–1336
Narinaga
History 
• Genkō War begins
1333
May 18, 1333
• Ashikaga Takauji captures Kyoto
February 23 1336
CurrencyRyō
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Kamakura shogunate
Imperial Court in Kyoto
Ashikaga shogunate
Northern Court
Southern Court

The Kenmu Restoration (建武の新政, Kenmu no shinsei) was a three-year period of Imperial rule in Japanese history between the Kamakura period and the Muromachi period from 1333 to 1336.[1] The Kenmu Restoration was an effort made by Emperor Go-Daigo to overthrow the ruling Kamakura Shogunate (de facto ruled by Hōjō clan) and restore the Imperial House to power in Japan, returning to civilian government after 148 years of de facto military government from Kamakura.[2] Go-Daigo launched the Genkō War in 1331 against the Kamakura Shogunate but was defeated and forced to exile to the Oki Islands. Go-Daigo launched a second uprising, and with the assistance of the defected Kamakura general Ashikaga Takauji and rebel leader Nitta Yoshisada, defeated the Kamakura Shogunate at the siege of Kamakura in 1333. The Imperial House was restored to power but Go-Daigo's policies failed to satisfy his major samurai supporters and most Japanese people.[2] The Kenmu Restoration was ultimately overthrown when Takauji became Shōgun and founded the Ashikaga Shogunate in 1336, beginning the "Northern and Southern Courts" period and the Muromachi period.[2]

The Kenmu Restoration was the last time the Emperor of Japan held significant power until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.[2]

  1. ^ Spelling note: A modified Hepburn romanization system for Japanese words is used throughout Western publications in a range of languages including English. Unlike the standard system, it maintains the "n" even when it's followed by "homorganic consonants" (e.g., shinbun, not shimbun).
  2. ^ a b c d Sansom 1977: 22-42.