Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (September 25, 1358 – May 31, 1408) held the esteemed position of the third shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, governing from 1368 to 1394 during the Muromachi period in Japan. Born as the third son of Ashikaga Yoshiakira, he was the eldest son to survive, bearing the childhood name Haruo. Yoshimitsu ascended to the role of shogun, a hereditary title symbolizing leadership of the military estate, at the tender age of ten. By the age of twenty, he was recognized in the imperial court as the Acting Grand Counselor (Gon Dainagon).
In 1379, Yoshimitsu instigated a reorganization of the institutional framework of the Gozan Zen establishment. Two years later, he achieved a groundbreaking milestone as the first individual from the warrior (samurai) class to host a reigning emperor at his private residence. His most remarkable diplomatic feat was in 1392, when he successfully negotiated the conclusion of the Nanboku-cho imperial schism, which had plagued Japanese politics for over fifty years. Subsequently, he was appointed Grand Chancellor of State (Dajo daijin), the highest-ranking position within the imperial court.
In 1395, Yoshimitsu retired from all public offices and took the tonsure, moving to his retirement villa, Kitayama-dono. This villa boasted a pavilion, two-thirds of which was adorned in gold leaf (Kinkaku shariden). At this serene location, he received envoys from the Ming and Joseon courts on several occasions and played a pivotal role in establishing a long-lasting Sino-Japanese trade agreement. As a mark of recognition for his diplomatic endeavors and displays of allegiance, the Chinese sovereign bestowed upon Yoshimitsu the title of "King of Japan" (Nihon kokuo).
In 1407, Yoshimitsu initiated a bold plan to assume the title of "Dajo tenno," a customary term for a retired emperor. Unfortunately, this aspiration remained unfulfilled due to his sudden demise the following year. It is noteworthy that Yoshimitsu never actually occupied the Japanese throne. Towards the end of his career, he endeavored to legitimize his transcendent authority through Buddhist kingship, utilizing rituals, symbols, and monumentalism to position himself as a universal monarch or dharma king, akin to his counterparts in Southeast Asia. He was posthumously honored with the name Rokuon'in.
In 1368, the same year Yoshimitsu was appointed shogun, Emperor Chokei ascended to the southern throne. The following year witnessed the defection of Southern Court samurai Kusunoki Masanori, initially under the employ of the emperor, to the Ashikaga bakufu. However, Kusunoki's loyalty wavered again in 1380, leading him to join royalist forces under Emperor Kameyama. This period also saw commander Imagawa Sadayo dispatched to quell unrest in Kyushu, a region that would eventually be pacified by 1389, with land distribution carried out under Yoshimitsu's direction. Uprisings in Kyushu and Mutsu were effectively quelled in 1397 and 1402, respectively.
In 1392, reconciliation between the Northern and Southern courts was achieved under Emperor Go-Komatsu. Subsequently, Yoshimitsu formally relinquished his shogunal position to his son, Ashikaga Yoshimochi, in 1394, who took on the role of shogun. The organization of the Muromachi administration took shape in 1398. Nevertheless, Yoshimitsu, even in retirement, retained a substantial amount of authority over the shogunate until his passing. He was recognized as Nippon Koku-O (King of Japan) by the Yongle Emperor in 1404.
Yoshimitsu's sudden demise occurred in 1408 at the age of 49. His retirement villa, located near Kyoto, was subsequently transformed into Rokuon-ji, renowned for its iconic three-storied reliquary covered in gold leaf, famously known as the "Kinkaku." In fact, this structure became so renowned that the entire temple is often identified as the Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. A statue of Yoshimitsu can still be found at this location.
One of Yoshimitsu's most significant accomplishments was the resolution of the division between the Northern and Southern Courts in 1392. This achievement was marked by his persuasion of Go-Kameyama of the Southern Court to transfer the Imperial Regalia to Emperor Go-Komatsu of the Northern Court. Yoshimitsu's foremost political legacy was the establishment of Muromachi shogunate authority and the suppression of regional daimyos who posed a challenge to central authority.
During this period, Japan experienced a substantial influence from the Ming Dynasty in China, affecting its economic system, architecture, philosophy, religion, and writing. Diplomatic interactions between Japan and China took place from 1373 to 1406.
In 1378, Yoshimitsu commissioned the construction of the Muromachi palace in Kyoto's elite Kamigyo district, which occupied the site of the former residence of the nobleman Saionji Sanekane. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in the development of Noh theatre as a patron and admirer of Zeami Motokiyo, the actor recognized as Noh's founder. Yoshimitsu encouraged Zeami to elevate the artistic standards of Noh.
The term "Muromachi shogunate" or the "Muromachi period" is commonly used in Japanese historiography to refer to the Ashikaga shogunate and the corresponding time frame. This nomenclature derives from Yoshimitsu's establishment of his residence along Muromachi Road in the northern region of Kyoto in 1378.
See also
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Tachibana Dosetsu
Tachibana Dōsetsu is the name by which Hetsugi Akitsura is more widely known; the name of this lineage is also found read as Hekki or Bekki. For a long period, Akitsura served the Ōtomo clan, the daimyō of Bungo Province, and took part in wars against the Ōuchi family, the principal enemies of the Ōtomo in northwestern Kyushu. In the 1560s, Akitsura seized the castle of the Tachibana clan, which had rebelled against the Ōtomo, and thereafter adopted the surname Tachibana. Around the same time, he took Buddhist vows and assumed the name Dōsetsu, which means “Snowy Road.”
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Taira no Masakado
Taira no Masakado embodied the quintessential samurai of his era—self-assured, harsh, and unyielding. In his youth, he served in the palace guard and repeatedly proved his bravery while suppressing unrest. Thanks to these achievements, Masakado sought the post of chief of the capital’s military-police office (the kebiishi-chō), but he was rejected: by that time, nearly all court positions—now little more than privileged sinecures—were controlled by members of the powerful Fujiwara clan.
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Sakakibara Yasumasa
Yasumasa was the second son of Sakakibara Nagamasa and was born in Ueno in Mikawa Province. From a young age, he began serving Tokugawa Ieyasu and eventually rose to the position of one of his most trusted generals. His wife was the daughter of Osuga Yasutaka. Ieyasu first noticed the young Yasumasa during the suppression of the Ikkō-ikki uprising in Mikawa in 1564. Thanks to his demonstrated abilities, Yasumasa was granted the privilege of using the character “yasu”—the second character of Ieyasu’s own name—in his own. Although he was the second child in his family, he became his father’s heir, though the exact reasons for this remain unknown.
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Sakai Tadatsugu
Tadatsugu was one of the most renowned generals serving Tokugawa Ieyasu. After Ieyasu broke ties with the Imagawa clan, Tadatsugu—an ardent supporter of this decision—was granted command of Yoshida Castle in 1565, which controlled the coastal road from Tōtomi to Mikawa. During the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573, he held the right flank of the Tokugawa forces even when the troops sent by Oda fled under the assault of the Takeda army. In the Battle of Nagashino in 1575, he personally requested permission to carry out a night attack on the Takeda camp, which he executed brilliantly together with Kanamori Nagachika.
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Ryuzoji Takanobu
Takanobu was the eldest son of Ryūzōji Takaie and the great-grandson of Ryūzōji Iekane. His father was killed by a man named Baba Yoritiku in 1544. At a young age, Takanobu took Buddhist vows and received the monastic name Engetsu. However, around the age of eighteen, he returned to secular life, and in 1548, after the death of Ryūzōji Tanehide, he became the head of both branches of the Ryūzōji family.
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Ouchi Yoshihiro
Ōuchi Yoshihiro was the second son of Ōuchi Hiroyo, who headed the Ōuchi clan in the western part of Honshu. In 1363, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu confirmed the Ōuchi family in the position of shugo of Suō and Nagato Provinces. In his youth, Yoshihiro assisted his father in strengthening the influence of the Northern Court on the island of Kyushu — they served under Imagawa Ryōsun, who had been tasked with subjugating the nine provinces of Kyushu.
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Ouchi Yoshioki
Ouchi Yoshioki, the ruler of the provinces of Suo, Nagato, and Iwami, was one of the most capable military commanders and politicians of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The son of Ouchi Masahiro, he governed from his residence in Yamaguchi in the province of Suo. In 1499, Yoshioki gave refuge to Shogun Ashikaga Yoshitane, who had been driven out of Kyoto by Hosokawa Masamoto. Shogun Yoshizumi, Masamoto’s protégé, ordered the lords of Kyushu to unite their forces against Yoshioki; however, they did not dare to do so, fearing the power of a man who by that time controlled six provinces. Having gathered a substantial army, Yoshioki marched from his native Suo toward Kyoto in order to restore Shogun Yoshitane to power.
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Otomo Sorin
Ōtomo Yoshishige came from a noble lineage, being the eldest son of Ōtomo Yoshiaki, the ruler of Funai Province. The roots of the Ōtomo family traced back to Fujiwara Hidesato, the adopted son of Nakahara Chikayoshi. Fujiwara served Minamoto Yoritomo during the Genpei War and took part in battles in Mutsu Province in 1189. In 1193, he was appointed shugo of Buzen and Bungo Provinces, after which he adopted a new surname—Ōtomo.
