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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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.
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Okudaira Sadamasa
Sadamasa was the son of Okudaira Sadayoshi and took part in several battles under Tokugawa Ieyasu, distinguishing himself in the Battle of Anegawa in 1570, where he took two heads. Around 1572 he was forced to enter the service of the Takeda clan, but after the death of Takeda Shingen in 1573 he returned to Tokugawa, leaving Tsukude Castle together with his men. As a result of this defection, Takeda Katsuyori ordered the execution of Sadamasa’s wife and brother, who were being held as hostages.
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Okubo Tadatika
Tadatika, the son of Okubo Tadayō, entered the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu at the age of eleven, and took his first head in battle when he was sixteen. After the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, he was appointed as a rōjū — a senior bakufu official — and was regarded as one of Ieyasu’s most trusted advisors, alongside Honda Masanobu. He is also known for his military chronicle Mikawa Monogatari, which describes Ieyasu’s rise to power and the early years of the Tokugawa shogunate.
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Okubo Nagayasu
Nagayasu was the second son of Okura Nobuyasu, a sarugaku theater actor from the Takeda clan. Takeda Shingen recognized the young man’s potential and took him into service, appointing him as a vassal to his general, Tsuchiya Masatsugu. During this period, Nagayasu changed his family name to Tsuchiya. He was entrusted with developing the Takeda clan’s gold mines as well as handling matters related to taxation.
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Nitta Yoshisada
Nitta Yoshisada was a loyal soldier of Emperor Go-Daigo, who in the 1330s attempted to restore direct imperial rule in Japan. The Nitta family was related to the Ashikaga house and was older in lineage. However, they did not join Minamoto Yoritomo at the start of his war with the Taira, as the Ashikaga did, and therefore did not receive high positions in the Kamakura shogunate. This may have been one of the reasons why Yoshisada rose against the Hōjō clan in 1333.
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Natsume Yoshinobu
Yoshinobu, a long-time vassal of the Matsudaira and Tokugawa clans, governed Hamamatsu Castle on behalf of the Tokugawa house. During the clashes between the Imagawa, Takeda, and Matsudaira clans, he served in the garrison of Nagasawa Castle and in 1562 took part in raids under the command of Itakura Shigezane. When, in 1563, a revolt of the Sōtō-shū sect followers broke out in Mikawa Province, Yoshinobu joined the rebels together with Honda Masanobu and Hachiya Sadatsugu.
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Nambu Nobunao
The Nambu clan was an ancient and powerful family that traced its lineage back to the Minamoto shoguns and had controlled a significant part of the Tohoku region in northern Honshu since the 12th century. Nobunao was born in Ikatai Castle, located in what is now the city of Iwate. He was the second son of Ishikawa (Nambu) Takanobu, the 22nd head of the Nambu clan. In 1565, Nobunao’s uncle, Nambu Harumasa, adopted him, brought him to Sannohe Castle, and named him his heir, later giving his daughter in marriage to him.
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Naito Ienaga
Ienaga was the son of Naitō Kiyonaga and served Tokugawa Ieyasu from an early age. Like his father, he was exceptionally brave, and thanks to his remarkable skill with the bow, he earned the nickname “the unrivaled archer.” Although both the elder and the younger Naitō belonged to the Jōdo Shinshū (“True Pure Land”) sect, during the Ikkō-ikki uprising in Mikawa Province in 1565, Ienaga did not support his fellow believers and instead sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu, earning his special trust. He later took part in the battles of Mikatagahara, Nagashino, and many other engagements while accompanying Ieyasu.
