Teruji Hagiwara (Japan Artists Association member)

Transfers of headquarters of the Kamakura government





Monument to the government house at Okura (1180-1225)
Minamoto Yoritomo, founder of the Kamakura government, set up his public residence in 1180 at Okura, on the premises of which a network of governmental agencies was formed to handle security, political and legal affairs. Their respective headquarters are believed to have been concentrated at the area around the monument, bounded by the monuments of the East and West Gates and Kanazawa Street.


Monument to the government house at Utsunomiya Zushi (1225-1236)
After the death of Minamoto Sanetomo, Hojo invited Fujiwara Yoritsune from Kyoto to make him take the office of Shogun, head of the government, to continue the Kamakura government.
After the death of Hojo Masako - wife of Minamoto Yoritomo and mother of Minamoto Sanetomo -, Hojo Yasutoki transferred the governmental headquarters to this site in 1225.
Zushi means a lane that connects streets.The area extending 200 meters from the monument at Utsunomiya Zushi between Wakamiya Oji and Komachi Oji is considered to be the location of the governmental headquarters during this period.


Monument to the government house at Wakamiya Oji(1236-1333)
This is a monument to the headquarters of the Kamakura government, called Shinno Yashiki, or royal residence, which existed during the rule of its fourth Shogun Fujiwara Yoritsune through its ninth Morikuni Shinno. Opinion
is divided on the location of the headquarters. One is that, as shown on the monument, the residence faced Yoko Oji street on the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu side. Another is that it was located at the same site as the Utsunomiya Zushi headquarters, except that the entrance faced Wakamiya Oji street.