Who Is Hojo Tokiyuki in The Elusive Samurai? Explained

After only a few episodes, it’s pretty clear that The Elusive Samurai is set to be one of the best shows of the summer season, but some people may not be familiar with the real-life history of its protagonist, Hojo Tokiyuki. Here’s everything you need to know about him.

Who Is Hojo Tokiyuki From The Elusive Samurai?

Hojo Tokiyuki was the son of Hojo Takatori, who was not only the head of the Hojo clan but also the regent of the Kamakura Province of Japan on behalf of the emperor, who they themselves appointed. Takatori was the ninth Hojo regent, but, despite his status as a regent, they held the real power during the Kamakura Period, which lasted from 1192 C.E. – 1333 C.E. They weren’t exactly the nicest of rulers though, oftentimes described as being authoritarian and Takatori in particular being erratic and self-centered. This caused a loss of confidence in the Hojo rule, leading to the Siege of Kamakura in 1333 C.E., which resulted in the death of every Hojo clan member — either through battle or suicide — except for Tokiyuki.

Tokiyuki, who was either 11 or 12 years old at the time, was able to survive the Siege and fled to the nearby Shinano Province, a territory that the Hojo clan had previously ruled. While there, he was offered shelter and was able to hide from both the forces of Ashikaga Takauiji and Emperor Go-Daigo, both of whom were responsible for the Siege of Kamakura. Tokiyuki would then spend the following two years assembling an army in an attempt to retake Kamakura, which would be known as the Nakasendai War, or the Nakasendai Rebellion.

His efforts to retake Kamakura were only partially successful though. On one hand, he was able to push out Ashikaga Tadayoshi, the younger brother of Ashikaga Takauji who was put in charge of Kamakura. But on the other hand, he wasn’t able to rule that area for long, as Takauji returned and reclaimed the territory from Tokiyuki. This caused Tokiyuki to flee once more and go into hiding. However, he requested a pardon from Emperor Go-Daigo shortly after, as Takauji had refused to give back Kamakura after he reclaimed it from Tokiyuki and had declared himself the new shogun, which caused Go-Daigo to label him a rebel and begin a period of civil war between the Ashikaga shogunate and Go-Daigo and his successors, known as the Nanboku-cho Period, or Northern and Southern Courts Period.

From there, Tokiyuki would be in service to Emperor Go-Daigo, and the emperors who succeeded him, in an effort to defeat the Ashikaga. Tokiyuki would loyally serve the emperors and even assist in reclaiming Kamakura once again in 1352. Sadly, much like the earlier attempt, Ashikaga Takauji would reclaim the territory for himself, forcing Tokiyuki to flee once again. This time, he fled to the Sagami Province but was found by soldiers loyal to the Ashikaga shogunate, who captured him and brought him back to Kamakura. Then, in 1353, he was beheaded for his crimes against the Ashikaga shogunate, ironically in the very same territory he spent most of his life trying to reclaim.

In truth, the history of Hojo Tokiyuki is a footnote in the grand scheme of history. Other people, such as Ashikaga Takauji, Emperor Go-Daigo, and even the preceding Hojo Clan rulers, all factored in more to the state of Kamakura and the history of Japan than Tokiyuki did. But that’s kind of what makes The Elusive Samurai such an interesting watch and read. It’s breathing life into a tiny portion of Japanese history and bringing more attention to major historical events, albeit from a different perspective. As someone who loves a good historical epic, I can appreciate that and encourage anyone who loves some historical fiction to give The Elusive Samurai a chance.

The Elusive Samurai is streaming on Crunchyroll.