Ota Tokitsura (太田時連)
Tokitsura OTA (1269 - March 21, 1345) was a governmental official responsible for practical works in the latter half of Kamakura bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun). After the Kamakura bakufu fell, he served the Muromachi bakufu. He was a descendant of MIYOSHI no Yasunobu and his father was Yasuari OTA. He was the author of "Einin sannen ki" (record of the year of 1295) and is considered to have been the main compiler of "Azuma Kagami" (The Mirror of the East).
The Miyoshi clan succeeded the position of the head of Monchujo (Board of Inquiry) from generation to generation. At the beginning, the Machino clan succeeded the position of the head of Monchujo for 2 generations, but MIYOSHI no Yasumochi, who used the name Machida, got involved in the miya sodo (palace disturbance) and lost his position. After that, MIYOSHI no Yasutsura using the name Ota became the head of Monchujo and the position was succeeded by Yasunori OTA, and then by Tokitsura OTA.
He was dismissed after the Shimotsuki Incident in 1285, but in 1293, Sadatoki HOJO got his revenge on TAIRA no Yoritsuna in the Heizenmon Incident and threw out the personnel structure that TAIRA no Yoshitsuna had set up after the Shimotsuki Incident. On November 25 in the same year, Tokitsura OTA was appointed as the head of Monchujo again at the age of 25 and further as hyojoshu (a member of Council of State).
After the fall of Kamakura, he served Takauji ASHIKAGA, becoming the first head of Monchujo in the Muromachi bakufu.
Career
In 1283, he assumed the position of head of Monchujo at the age of 15. In 1285, he was dismissed after the November Incident. On November 25, 1293, he was appointed as the head of Monchujo again at the age of 25. On January 7, 1294, he became hyojoshu. An ancient document (324) in the Kanazawa Library confirmed that he was a member of Yoriaishu (the top decision-making organ) in 1309. In 1312, he was exiled at the request of Enryaku-ji Temple, but was reinstated in the following year. In 1321, he handed over the position of head of Monchujo to Sadatsura OTA, his legitimate son. In 1326, following in Takatoki HOJO's footsteps, he entered into priesthood (his Buddhist name was Dodai) while holding the position of high official of Bakufu.
In 1333, after the fall of the Kamakura bakufu, he was appointed Zassho-Ketsudanshoshu (member of the agency of Kenmu government to file lawsuits). In 1336, he became the first head of Monchujo in the Muromachi bakufu. In 1341, he passed his position on to Akiyuki OTA, his grandson. On March 21, 1345, he died at the age of 77.