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Hatakeyama Shigetada and the Battle of Futamatagawa: The 1205 Conspiracy That Killed the Model Warrior of Bando
In the sixth month of 1205, Hatakeyama Shigetada was killed at Futamatagawa in Musashi Province through the machinations of Hojo Tokimasa. Celebrated as the model warrior of Bando for his integrity, this article examines his life, death, and the political significance of the incident through primary sources.
武
Author
Taketoki
| Samurai History
Contents
MOKUJI
1
Origins and Alliance with Yoritomo
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2
The 1205 Conspiracy
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3
The Historic Site at Futamatagawa
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4
Related Spots to Visit
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5
Frequently Asked Questions
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Hatakeyama Shigetada, celebrated as the model warrior of Bando
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
On the twenty-second day of the sixth month of 1205, Hatakeyama Shigetada was killed by Hojo forces at Futamatagawa in Musashi Province (present-day Asahi Ward, Yokohama). The Azuma Kagami praised him as “peerless in valor across the Bando provinces,” and his death stands in the record as a political purge made inevitable by the Hojo consolidation of power.
Origins and Alliance with Yoritomo
Hatakeyama Shigetada (1164–1205) initially fought on the Taira side at the siege of Kinugasa Castle in 1180. After Yoritomo regrouped in Boso, Shigetada sought reconciliation and was accepted. He became a key figure in the shogunate’s founding and fought on the Hojo side in suppressing the Hiki clan in 1203.
Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun to whom Shigetada devoted loyal service
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
The 1205 Conspiracy
After engineering the assassination of the second shogun Yoriie in 1204, Hojo Tokimasa held effective control of the shogunate. The Azuma Kagami records that his wife Maki no Kata sought to install her son-in-law Hiraga Tomomasa as shogun. Shigetada — with his strong base in Musashi Province — became an obstacle to be eliminated.
On the twentieth day of the sixth month of 1205, Shigetada’s son Shigeyasu was killed near Kamakura — a provocation designed to force Shigetada toward the capital. Shigetada led just 134 horsemen from Sugaya toward Kamakura, where he encountered the vastly larger Hojo forces under Yoshitoki and Tokifusa at Futamatagawa.
Hojo Tokimasa, who orchestrated Shigetada's death and was himself ousted by Yoshitoki and Masako in the ninth month of the same year
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Shigetada fought valiantly against overwhelming numbers before dying in battle at forty-two. The Azuma Kagami records that even Hojo Yoshitoki acknowledged he had been killed on a false charge. Tokimasa’s conspiracy was subsequently exposed, and in the ninth month of the same year he was forced into retirement and exile. Shigetada’s unjust death thus precipitated his killer’s downfall.
The Historic Site at Futamatagawa
The battlefield is now preserved as Hatakeyama Shigetada Commemorative Park in Asahi Ward, Yokohama — a nationally designated historic site with a bronze statue and explanatory monuments, accessible from Tsurugamine Station on the Sotetsu Line.
Hojo Yoshitoki, the second regent who participated in his father's conspiracy yet reportedly acknowledged Shigetada's innocence
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Shigetada’s death had complex consequences for the Hojo power structure. It exposed Tokimasa’s conspiracy, triggering his removal by Yoshitoki and Masako. At the same time, eliminating so powerful a vassal consolidated Hojo supremacy over the eastern provinces.
Hojo Masako, who together with Yoshitoki condemned her father's conspiracy and made the decision to exile him
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Related Spots to Visit
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Hatakeyama Shigetada Commemorative Park (Asahi Ward, Yokohama) — National historic site on the battlefield
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Kinugasa Castle (Yokosuka) — Castle Shigetada besieged in 1180
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Nuttajo Castle Ruins (Yokosuka) — Miura naval base from the same period
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Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (Kamakura) — Spiritual center of the Kamakura shogunate
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Ganjojuin Temple (Izu no Kuni) — Prayer temple built by Hojo Tokimasa
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Hatakeyama Shigetada called the model warrior of Bando?
He was praised in his own lifetime for integrity and valor, with the Azuma Kagami calling him “peerless.” The fact that even Hojo Yoshitoki acknowledged he was killed on false charges underpins his posthumous reputation.
How many men did Shigetada lead at Futamatagawa?
The Azuma Kagami records 134 horsemen, against thousands in the Hojo force.
What happened to his descendants?
His son Shigeyasu was killed the same day, ending the main line. Cadet branches survived and the Hatakeyama name was carried by a powerful constable family in the Muromachi period.
How did this incident relate to Hojo Tokimasa’s downfall?
Recognizing Shigetada had been killed unjustly, Yoshitoki and Masako exposed Tokimasa’s conspiracy and expelled him from Kamakura in the ninth month of 1205.
Last updated: May 22, 2026
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武
Author
Taketoki（たけとき）
Samurai History
Toku editorial team — samurai history. Insists on primary sources and castle-layout diagrams, walking battlefields from Yoritomo's Izu exile sites to the late-Edo battlegrounds.
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Visit Related Places
History truly comes alive when you visit in person. Choose your next destination from the related sites and pilgrimage courses below.
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1. Hatakeyama Shigetada Historic Park
National Historic Site marking where Hatakeyama Shigetada — 'the mirror of Bando warriors' — was ambushed and killed by Hojo Tokimasa's forces at Futamatagawa in 1205
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2. Kinugasa Castle
The Miura clan's stronghold where Yoshiaki died at 89 enabling Yoritomo's entry into Kamakura — a medieval mountain castle embodying Miura loyalty
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3. Nutta Castle Ruins
The Miura naval base at Nutta Castle — after Kinugasa Castle fell in 1180, Miura Yoshizumi retreated here and escaped by ship to join Yoritomo in Awa, a pivotal moment for the Kamakura shogunate's founding.
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4. Ganjojuin Temple
Founded by Hojo Tokimasa, housing five National Treasure sculptures attributed to master Unkei
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