Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo (1288–1339) was the 96th emperor of Japan. After two failed uprisings against the Kamakura shogunate led to his exile to the Oki Islands, he escaped and rose again; in 1333, with the help of Ashikaga Takauji and Nitta Yoshisada, he brought down the shogunate and began the Kenmu Restoration, a return to direct imperial rule centered in Kyoto. But he could not satisfy the samurai who had fought for him, and a dispute over rewards drove him into conflict with Ashikaga Takauji. Defeated in 1336, he was forced out of Kyoto and fled to Yoshino in Yamato province (present-day Yoshino, Nara Prefecture), where he established a rival court — the Southern Court — beginning the Nanboku-chō (Northern and Southern Courts) period.
Historical Stories
The Kenmu Restoration, and an Exit from Kyoto
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Tenryū-ji, Tahōden Hall
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