Hōnen, the religious reformer and founder of the first independent branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism, had become a monk of the Tendai sect at an early age, but grew disaffected, and sought an approach to Buddhism that anyone could follow, even during the perceived Age of Dharma Decline.

After discovering the writings of Chinese Buddhist Shan-tao, he had undertaken the teaching of rebirth in the Pure Land of Amitabha through reciting the Buddha's name, or nembutsu.

Hōnen had relocated to the district of Ōtani in Kyoto where he started addressing crowds of men and women, establishing a considerable following and attracting fortune-tellers, ex-robbers, samurai and other elements of society normally excluded from Buddhist practice.

Many priests and nobleman ally with him, and visit him for spiritual advice.

Among them is an imperial regent named Kujō Kanezane.

The increasing popularity of his teachings draws criticism from noted contemporaries as Myōe and Jōkei among others, who argue against Hōnen's sole reliance on the nembutsu as a means of rebirth in the Pure Land.

Additionally, some disciples interpret Hōnen's teachings in unexpected ways, leading to disreputable behavior, criticism of other sects, or other forms of antinomianism.

The monks at Mt.

Hiei had in 1205 implored the head priest to ban the teachings of exclusive nembutsu and to banish any adherents from their principality.

The temple of Kōfuku-ji, located in Nara, had in 1205 implored the Emperor Go-Toba to sanction Hōnen and his followers, providing the emperor with nine charges alleging unappeasable differences with the so-called eight schools.

Hōnen's detractors cite examples of Hōnen's followers, such as Gyoku and Kōsai who committed vandalism against Buddhist temples, intentionally broke the Buddhist precepts, or caused others to intentionally turn away from established Buddhist teachings.

In response, Hōnen censures Kōsai's single-nembutsu teaching, and his followers agree to sign the Shichikajo kishomon ("Seven Article Pledge"), which calls for restraint in moral conduct and in interactions with other Buddhist sects.

The controversy surrounding Hōnen's teachings had dissipated for a time until 1207, when Go-Toba implements a ban against exclusive nembutsu, stemming form an incident where two of his ladies in waiting had converted to Jōdo Shū while the emperor was away.

As part of the ban, Hōnen and some of his disciples are exiled, while the priests responsible for the conversion, Juren and Anrakubo, are executed.

Hōnen is exiled to Tosa, but the movement in Kyoto has not completely gone away.

The Jokyu War, also known as the Jokyu Disturbance or the Jokyu Rebellion, is fought in Japan between the forces of Retired Emperor Go-Toba and those of the Hojo clan, regents of the Kamakura shogunate, whom the retired emperor is trying to overthrow.

The main battle occurs at Uji, just outside Kyoto; this is the third battle to be fought there in less than half a century.

It takes place in 1221, that is, the third year of the Jokyu era.

The hereditary shogun has become a puppet ruler much like the emperor, as real power in Japan has passed into the hands of the Hojo family, whose leaders take the title of shikken (regent) and direct the Emperor in his appointments of puppet shoguns.

The imperial court and the Bakufu, the military government at Kamakura, now function virtually independently of each other.

Japan’s house of Genji perishes with the third shogun Ninamoto-no-Sanetomo, assassinated in 1219.

Emperor Go-toba (Toba II), realizing that his influence is severely limited, abdicates in hope of gaining more by manipulating, from off his throne, important officials.

Having gained the backing of large, militarily strong monasteries, he attempts in 1221 to raise an imperial army to break the power of the Bakufu in Kamakura.

Samurai forces loyal to Hojo Masako, Yoritomo’s widow and Sanetomo’s mother, quickly counter an uprising in Kyoto.

The samurai army marches to Heian and crushes the rebellion in 1221.

The emperor is banished, and the Hojos install two of their own as military governors in Kyoto, assume command of the court and the imperial succession, and confiscate the estates of the emperor’s adherents and distribute them among their own loyalists.

The result of this so-called Jokyu War is the entrenchment of the feudal system and the strengthening of control by the Japanese military establishment.