- Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
was the 3rd
shogun of theAshikaga shogunate who reigned from 1368 to 1394 during theMuromachi period ofJapan . Yoshimitsu was the son of the secondshogun Ashikaga Yoshiakira . [Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). [http://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PP9&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran#PRA1-PA307,M1 "Annales des empereurs du japon," p. 307.] ]In the year after the death of his father Yoshimitsu in 1367, Yoshimitsu became "Seii Taishogun" at age 11. [Titsingh, [http://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PP9&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran#PRA1-PA308,M1 p. 308.] ] Significant events shape the period during which Yoshiakira was shogun:
* 1368 -- Yoshimitsu appointed shogun; Chōkei ascends southern throne.Ackroyd, Joyce. (1982) "Lessons from History: The "Tokushi Yoron"," p. 329.]
* 1369 --Kusunoki Masanori defects to Ashikaga. [see above] ]
* 1370 --Imagawa Sadayo sent to subdue Kyushu. [see above] ]
* 1371 -- Attempts to arrange truce. [see above] ]
* 1373-1406 -- Embassies between China and Japan. [see above] ]
* 1374 -- En'yū ascends northern throne. [see above] ]
* 1378 -- Yoshimitsu builds Hana-no-Gosho. [see above] ]
* 1379 --Shiba Yoshimasa Kanryō. [see above] ]
* 1380 --Kusunoki Masanori rejoins Kameyama; southern army suffers reverses. [see above] ]
* 1382 -- Go-Komatsu ascends northern throne; resurgence of southern army. [see above] ]
* 1383 -- Yoshimitsu's honors; Go-Kameyama ascends southern throne. [see above] ]
* 1385 -- Southern army defeated atKoga . [see above] ]
* 1387-89 -- Dissension in Toki family in Mino. [see above] ]
* 1389 -- Yoshimitsu pacifies Kyushu and distributes lands; Yoshimitsu opposed by Kamakura Kanryō Ujimitsu. [see above] ]
* 1390 -- Kusunoki defeated; Yamana Ujikiyo chastises Tokinaga. [see above] ]
* 1391 -- Yamana Ujikyo attacks Kyoto -- Meitoku War.Ackroyd, p. 330.]
* 1392 -- Northern and Southern courts reconciled under Go-Komatsu. [see above] ]
* 1394 -- Yoshimitsu officially cedes his position to his son; [Titsingh, [http://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PP9&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran#PRA1-PA321,M1 p. 321.] ] Yoshimochi appointed shogun. [see above] ]
* 1396 -- Imagawa Sadayo dismissed. [see above] ]
* 1397 -- Uprising in Kyushu suppressed. [see above] ]
* 1398 -- Muromachi administration organized. [see above] ]
* 1399 --Ouchi Yoshihira andAshikaga Mitsukane rebel -- Ōei War. [see above] ]
* 1402 -- Uprising in Mutsu suppressed. [see above] ]
* 1406 -- Yoshimitsu appointed "Nippon Koku-Ō" (King of Japan) by Chinese emperor.
* 1408 -- Yoshimitsu dies. [see above] ]Muromachi
Yoshimitsu constructed his residence in the
Muromachi section in the capital ofKyoto in 1378. As a result, in Japanese, theAshikaga shogunate and the corresponding time period are often referred to as theMuromachi shogunate and Muromachi period. [Morton, W. Scott "et al." (2004). [http://books.google.com/books?id=NC1bDncgKCQC&pg=PA89&vq=Muromachi&dq=Muromachi&lr=&source=gbs_search_r&cad=1_1&sig=fvV2vnRnlycALH9bOhLF4h8qpZE "Japan: Its History and Culture," p. 89.] ]Yoshimitsu resolved the rift between the Northern and Southern Courts in 1392, when he persuaded Go-Kameyama of the Southern Court to hand over the Imperial regalia to
Emperor Go-Komatsu of the Northern Court. Yoshimitsu's greatest political achievement was that he managed to bring about the end to "Nanboku-cho " fighting. This event had the effect of firmly establishing the authority of the Muromachi shogunate and suppressing the power of the regionaldaimyo who might challenge that central authority. [Turnbull, Stephen. (2005). [http://books.google.com/books?id=EfevtkR8pJkC&dq=Ashikaga+Yoshimitsu&lr=&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 "Samurai Commanders," p. 31.] ]Although Yoshimitsu retired in 1394 and his son was confirmed as the fourth shogun
Ashikaga Yoshimochi , the old shogun didn't abandon any of his powers. Yoshimitsu continued to maintain authority over the shogunate until his death.Titsingh, [http://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PP9&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran#PRA1-PA325,M1 p. 325.] ] In 1404, ChineseMing Dynasty sentZheng He to Japan in a diplomatic trip. Ming Dynasty entitled Yoshimitsu "The King of Japan" and presented him a "The King of Japan" seal, which he accepted. Yoshimitsu replied in letter ending with "The King of Japan, yourvassal Yoshimitsu."( _ja. 日本国王臣源義満), willing to improve relations with China and profit from trades, in what the Chinese considered tribute. [Worden, Robert (1994). [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/jptoc.html "Kamakura and Muromachi Periods, 1185-1573,"] "A Country Study: Japan." Federal Research Division, Library of Congress.]Eras of Yoshimitsu's "bakufu"
The years in which Yoshimitsu was shogun are more specifically identified by more than one era name or "
nengō ". [Titsingh, [http://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PP9&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran#PRA1-PA308,M1 pp. 308] -321.]:"Nanboku-chō" southern court
*Eras as reckoned by legitimate Court (as determined by Meiji rescript):
** "Shōhei " (1346-1370)
** "Kentoku " (1370-1372)
** "Bunchū " (1372-1375)
** "Tenju " (1375-1381)
** "Kōwa" (1381-1384)
** "Genchū " (1384-1393):"Nanboku-chō" northern court
*Eras as reckoned by pretender Court (as determined by Meiji rescript):
** "Ōan " (1368-1375)
** "Eiwa " (1375-1379)
** "Kōryaku " (1379-1381)
** "Eitoku " (1381-1384)
** "Shitoku " (1384-1387)
** "Kakei " (1387-1389)
** "Kōō " (1389-1390)
** "Meitoku " (1390-1393)‡:"Post-Nanboku-chō" reunified court
*Eras merged as "Meitoku" 3 replaced "Genchū" 9 as Go-Kameyama abdicated.
** "Meitoku " (1393-1384)‡
** "Ōei " (1394-1428)Notes
References
* Ackroyd, Joyce. (1982) "Lessons from History: The
Tokushi Yoron ." Brisbane:University of Queensland Press . 10-ISBN 0-702-21485-X; 13-ISBN 978-0-702-21485-1 (cloth)
* Morton, W. Scott and J. Kenneth Olenik. (1973). "Japan: Its History and Culture." New York:McGraw-Hill . Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles. 10-ISBN 0-715-35768-9; 13-ISBN 978-071-535768-2 (cloth) [reprinted byMcGraw-Hill , New York, 2004. 10-ISBN 0-071-41280-8; 13-ISBN 978-0-071-41280-3 (paper)] [http://books.google.com/books?id=NC1bDncgKCQC&dq=Muromachi&lr=&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 ... Click for digitized, limited-view copy of this book.]
* Pier, Garrett Chatfield. (1914). [http://books.google.com/books?id=3wBDAAAAIAAJ&dq=Ashikaga+Yoshimitsu&lr=&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 "Temple Treasures of Japan."] New York: Frederick Fairchild Sherman.
* Titsingh, Isaac, ed. (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō , 1652] , "Nipon o daï itsi ran ; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon." Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. [http://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran ... Click for digitized, full-test copy of this book (in French.]
* Turnbull, Stephen. (2005). [http://books.google.com/books?id=EfevtkR8pJkC&dq=Ashikaga+Yoshimitsu&lr=&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 "Samurai Commanders."] Oxford: Osprey Press. 10-ISBN 1-841-76743-3; 13-ISBN 978-1-841-76743-7 (paper)
* Worden, Robert L. (1994). [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/jptoc.html "Kamakura and Muromachi Periods, 1185-1573; Economic and Cultural Developments,"] "A Country Study: Japan." Washington, D.C.:Federal Research Division ,Library of Congress .
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