Nikaido Yukikata (二階堂行方)
Yukikata NIKAIDO (1206 - 1267) was a governmental official responsible for practical works in the mid Kamakura period. He was a grandson of Yukimasa NIKAIDO and a son of Yukimura NIKAIDO who was a hyojoshu (member of Council of State). He was a gosho (Imperial Palace) chuzatsuji bugyo (commissioner of Shogunate affairs) of the sixth shogun Prince Munetaka.
When hikitsuke (Court of justice) was established in 1249, he became a hikitsukeshu (Coadjustor of the High Court) and went up to Kyoto to salute Prince Munetaka in 1252. He became a number 4 hikitsuke tonin (chairman of the court of justice) in 1253, but Masamura HOJO, Tomonao HOJO, Tokiaki HOJO and only the Hojo family close to the Tokuso family became tonin at this time, which indicates the high position of Yukikata NIKAIDO as a governmental official responsible for practical works.
He became a hyojoshu (member of Council of State) in September, 1259, and transferred Morotsura NAKAHARA to Gosho Ｃhuzatsuji Bugyo on July 5, 1263. He entered into priesthood on October 8 in the same year. The real name of 'Yukikata' was found frequently in addition to 'IZUMI no Zenji' which was a courtesy title in a lot of articles of "Azuma Kagami" in the corresponding period and there were no elder persons who were mentioned in the same way, thus the articles of "Azuma Kagami" in this period seem to be based on the records written by Yukikata NIKAIDO.