Nikaido Yukisada (二階堂行貞)

Yukisada NIKAIDO (1269 - March 3, 1329) was a Mandokoro Shitsuji (chief of Mandokoro, the Administrative Board) in the Kamakura Period. He was a grandson of Yukitada NIKAIDO and a child of Yukimune NIKAIDO.

The father of Yukisada, Yukimune NIKAIDO, was promoted to hikitsukeshu (Coadjustor of the High Court), but he died before his father, Yukitada, in 1286, and after the death of Yukitada, his grandson, Yukisada, became Mandokoro Shitsuji (chief of Mandokoro, the Administrative Board) at the age of 22. For the personnel affairs, he just acceded to the position at the time that hikan (low-level bureaucrat) of the Tokuso family, TAIRA no Yoritsuna of Uchi-Kanrei (head of Tokuso Family) held the real power after the Shimotsuki Incident in 1285.

In 1293, three years later, Sadatoki HOJO subjugated TAIRA no Yoritsuna (Heizenmon-no-ran [Heizen Gate Incident]), rejected the personnel affairs in the days of TAIRA no Yoritsuna and tried to restore the personnel affairs in the days of Tokimune HOJO before the Shimotsuki Incident. As its direct result, Yukisada NIKAIDO was dismissed from Mandokoro Shitsuji in October in the same year. Yukifuji NIKAIDO (a family of Dewa Bicchu), who was a grandson of Yukimura NIKAIDO (of Oki family line) and had no Mandokoro Shitsuji in the family before, became Mandokoro Shitsuji on October 19. After Yukifuji NIKAIDO died in August, 1302, Yukisada NIKAIDO was reassigned three months later, this bland period indicated aberrance of personnel affairs under Tokuso Sadatoki HOJO.

If Yukisada NIKAIDO, who was allegedly one of compilers of "Azuma Kagami" (the Mirror of the East), wrote the story of the birth of Yukitada, a son of Yukimori NIKAIDO and a grandfather of Yukisada in "Azuma Kagami", it was more than honoring of his ancestors, and he had sufficient motive for insisting on rightness of his family line from Yukimitsu NIKAIDO, Yukitada NIKAIDO to Yukitada NIKAIDO to himself as Mandokoro Shitsuji, on the contrary to the Oki family line of Yukifuji NIKAIDO and his child, Tokifuji NIKAIDO.

Yukisada NIKAIDO served as Mandokoro Shitsuji until he died at the age of 61 on February 2, 1329, and after his death, his son Sadahira NIKAIDO succeeded his post.

[Original Japanese]