Kanezane no Fujiwara was a Statesman of the early Kamakura period.
Background
Kanezane no Fujiwara was born in 1149. He was a son of Fujiwara no Tadamichi, he took the surname Kujo from the Kujo area of Kyoto where his mansion was situated. In similar fashion, his elder brother Motozane took the surname Konoe; Motozane’s descendants continued to serve as close personal associates of the emperor down to the time of the Second World War.
Career
In 1166 Kanezane was promoted to the position of minister of the right and became a man of importance in the political world of the time, but he did not get along well with Taira no Kiyomori, and when the latter moved the capital to Fukuhara at the site of the present-day city of Kobe in 1180, Kanezane chose to remain behind in Kyoto. When the great struggle between the Taira and the Minamoto families broke out, he sided with the latter, joining the forces that supported its leader, Minamoto no Yoritomo.
In return, when the Minamoto family emerged victorious and founded the Kamakura shogunate, Kanezane was able with their backing to climb to the highest position at court. However, because of interference from Retired Emperor Goshirakawa, he was not always able to have his way, and it was not until the death of Goshirakawa in 1192 that he could exercise control freely.
In the same year Minamoto no Yoritomo was appointed seii- taishogun, the highest military title that could be conferred by the court, indicating that the emperor both in name and in fact recognized the existence of the Kamakura government. The move came about through the efforts of Kanezane, who saw it as a symbol of harmony between the court and the military power.
Kanezane married his daughter to Emperor Gotoba, hoping to have the son that was born from the union made ruler so that he might further consolidate his power, but the machinations of Minamoto no Michichika drove him from office in 1196. He made an attempt to regain his position in the government, but because of the death of Yoritomo in 1199, his efforts ended in failure.
Religion
In his late years he became a Buddhist monk with the religious name Ensho, rendering assistance to Honen, the founder of the Jodo sect.
Personality
He was fond of learning, and his diary, known as the Gyokuyo, is one of the most important sources for the history of the period.