Born in 1180, fourth son of Emperor Takakura. When Emperor Antoku drowned with the Taira at Dan-no-ura (1185), Go-Toba ascended the throne without the imperial regalia—an exceptional circumstance. He was extraordinarily multi-talented: martial arts, waka, kemari, music, and calligraphy, with warrior instincts sharp enough that he personally forged swords. In 1201 he ordered the compilation of the Shin Kokin Wakashu, working alongside Fujiwara no Teika and others as a co-compiler. The anthology is regarded as one of the pinnacles of Japanese poetry. Long-simmering tension with the shogunate reached a breaking point in 1221, when he issued a declaration branding regent Hojo Yoshitoki an enemy of the court, launching the Jokyu War. But the shogunate rallied its warriors through Masako's famous speech and sent three great armies converging from the Tokaido, Tosando, and Hokuriku roads. The court forces were crushed in under a month. Go-Toba was exiled to Oki Island, where he died in 1239 at age 60 after 19 years in exile. The defeat permanently diminished imperial authority and historically established warrior supremacy.