Born in 1242, son of Emperor Go-Saga. Following Hojo Tokiyori's decision to replace the sekke (Fujiwara) shogun tradition with an imperial prince, the 10-year-old Munetaka was brought to Kamakura in 1252 as the sixth shogun—the first imperial prince to hold the title. Raised in Kyoto's court culture, he was a skilled waka poet whose verses were included in imperial anthologies; he compiled the poetry collection Ryuyoshu and helped spread court culture in Kamakura. Throughout his 14-year tenure, the Hojo regents held all real power and Munetaka was a shogun in name only. In 1266, citing suspicions of rebellion, the shogunate under Hojo Tokimune and Tokiyori removed him from office and returned him to Kyoto. The true reasons remain unclear; many historians believe it was the Hojo's wariness of the prince cultivating ties with vassals. He died in 1274 at age 32. As the first imperial prince shogun, he established the precedent for all subsequent Kamakura shoguns to be drawn from the imperial family.

An imperial prince shogun who loved waka and excelled in culture, more inclined to the arts than political ambition.

As the first imperial prince shogun, he set the pattern for subsequent Kamakura shoguns. He also left behind notable works as a poet.