Emperor Go-Daigo’s preparations to overthrow the Hōjō-led Kamakura bakufu were discovered in 1331, triggering open conflict that would become known as the Genkō War (1331–1333).
Imperial loyalist Kusunoki Masashige defended Akasaka Castle against shogunate forces in a major early campaign of the Genkō War, highlighting the growing armed resistance to the Hōjō regency.
Go-Daigo’s refuge at Kasagi-dera was besieged and taken by shogunate forces, a major setback that nevertheless failed to end the wider rebellion against the Kamakura regime.
After his rebellion was suppressed in 1331, Go-Daigo was captured and sent into exile on the Oki Islands; fighting continued as his supporters kept the anti-bakufu cause alive.
In 1333, Go-Daigo escaped from Oki and re-entered the struggle, raising forces in Hōki Province—setting the stage for decisive defections among shogunate commanders and the final collapse of Kamakura rule.
With the Kamakura bakufu destroyed in 1333, Go-Daigo reasserted direct imperial governance—known as the Kenmu Restoration—ending the Kamakura period and reshaping political authority (briefly) around the court in Kyoto.
Kusunoki Masashige’s defense of Chihaya Castle in 1333 forced the bakufu to commit major resources to an ultimately unsuccessful siege, aiding the spread of pro-imperial revolts during the war’s climax.
Nitta Yoshisada’s forces defeated shogunate-aligned troops at Kotesashi, beginning a rapid series of engagements in Musashi Province that pushed toward Kamakura itself.
Nitta Yoshisada won again at Kumegawa, maintaining momentum in the Kōzuke–Musashi campaign and further weakening the Hōjō regency’s ability to defend Kamakura.
At Bubaigawara (May 15–16, 1333), Nitta Yoshisada defeated Hōjō-led forces, clearing the way for the final approach and assault on Kamakura.
Imperial loyalists under Nitta Yoshisada attacked Kamakura and breached the city (May 18–22, 1333), a decisive victory that shattered the Hōjō regency’s power base.
As Kamakura fell, leading Hōjō figures (including Hōjō Takatoki) withdrew to Tōshō-ji and died by suicide, symbolizing the end of the Hōjō regency that had dominated the Kamakura shogunate for generations.
Ashikaga Takauji, originally dispatched under bakufu orders, switched allegiance to Go-Daigo and moved against shogunate positions in the Kyoto area (including the Rokuhara Tandai), a pivotal defection that unraveled Kamakura control in central Japan.
The Fall of the Kamakura Shogunate and the Kenmu Restoration (1321–1333)
