Hōjō Tokimune

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Hōjō Tokimune (北条 時宗, 1251 - 1284) was the eighth shikken (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate (reigned 1268 - 84), best known for leading the Japanese forces against the invasion of the Mongols.

Born as the eldest son of the regent Tokiyori, Tokimune became a shikken at age 18. It is due to him that Zen Buddhism became firmly established in Kamakura, then later in Kyoto, and in the whole of Japan, especially among the warrior class.

The Mongol invasion had been stopped by a typhoon (Kamikaze or "divine wind"), and the resistance of the new warrior class known as samurai. Tokimune planned and led the defence. Tokimune wanted to defeat cowardice, so he asked Bukko (his Zen master) for advice. Bukko replied he had to sit in meditation to find the source of his cowardice in himself.

When the Mongols invaded Japan Tokimune went to Bukko and said: "Finally there is the greatest happening of my life." Bukko asked, "How do you plan to face it?" Tokimune screamed "Katsu!" ("Victory!") as if he wanted to scare all the enemies in front of him. Bukko responded with satisfaction: "It is true that the son of a lion roars as a lion!"

When Tokimune died, Bukko said he had been a bodhisattva, looked at people's welfare, betrayed no signs of joy or anger and studied Zen so that he reached enlightenment.

NHK's 2001 taiga miniseries highlighted the dramatic events just prior to Tokimune's birth and up to his death in 1284. Tokimune was portrayed by Noh actor, Motoya Izumi.