"Ashikaga Yoshimasa" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. was the eighth ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1449 to 1473 during the

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. His actions led to the

Ōnin War The , also known as the Upheaval of Ōnin and Ōnin-Bunmei war, was a civil war that lasted from 1467 to 1477, during the Muromachi period in Japan. ''Ōnin'' refers to the Japanese era name, Japanese era during which the war started; the war ende ...

(1467–1477), which triggered the

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

. His reign saw a cultural flourishing in the arts, the development of tea ceremony,

Zen Buddhism Zen (; from Chinese: '' Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka ph ...

and wabi-sabi aesthetics.

Biography

Yoshimasa was the son of the sixth shōgun Ashikaga Yoshinori. His childhood name was Miharu (三春). His official wife was Hino Tomiko. On August 16, 1443, the 10-year-old ''shōgun'' Yoshikatsu died of injuries sustained in a fall from a horse. He had been shōgun for only three years. Immediately, the ''bakufu'' elevated Yoshinari, the young shōgun's even younger brother, to be the new ''shōgun''. Several years after becoming shōgun, Yoshinari changed his name to Yoshimasa, by which he is better known. Also in 1443, supporters of the Southern Court orchestrated the theft of the Imperial regalia. Following this event, in 1445, Hosokawa Katsumoto assumed the role of Kyoto '' kanrei''. The year 1446 marked a significant development as the Southern army faced a crushing defeat, leading to the subsequent suppression of remnants from the Southern dynasty in 1448. In 1449, Yoshimasa was appointed shōgun, and Ashikaga Shigeuji became '' Kantō kubō''. While the period between 1450 and 1455 experienced disturbances in

Kamakura , officially , is a city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 people per km2 over the tota ...

between ''Kantō kubō'' Ashikaga Shigeuji and his Uesugi ''Kanrei''.Ackroyd, Joyce. (1982) ''Lessons from History: The Tokushi Yoron'', p. 331. Ashikaga Yoshimasa letter

The 1450s saw several events unfolded which set the stage for the impending

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. In 1454, dissension arose in the Hatakeyama succession. Discord in Kamakura between the ''Kubō'' and his Uesugi ''Kanrei'' line, resulting in the establishment of "Koga ''Kubō''" (1455–1583) in 1455. Following this in 1457, the "Horikoshi ''Kubō''" (1457–1491) was established. The Imperial regalia, which had been stolen, was restored to the

Northern Court The , also known as the Ashikaga Pretenders or Northern Pretenders, were a set of six pretenders to the throne of Japan during the Nanboku-chō period from 1336 through 1392. Even though the present Imperial House of Japan is descended from the ...

in 1458. In 1460, Hatakeyama rebelled against Yoshimasa. The latter adopted Ashikaga Yoshimi in 1464. The year 1466 saw the birth of Yoshihisa, and Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado ascended the throne during the same year. Additionally, dissension over the Shiba succession occurred in 1466.

Ōnin War

By 1464, Yoshimasa had no heir, so he adopted his younger brother, Ashikaga Yoshimi, in order to avoid any conflicts which might arise at the end of his shogunate. However, in the next year, Yoshimasa was surprised by the birth of a son, Ashikaga Yoshihisa. The infant's birth created a conflict between the two brothers over who would follow Yoshimasa as ''shōgun''. Yoshimasa's wife, Hino Tomiko, attempted to get

Yamana Sōzen was originally before becoming a monk. Due to his red complexion, he was sometimes known as ''Aka-nyūdō'', "the Red Monk". He was one of the ''shogun'' ''daimyōs'' who fought against Hosokawa Katsumoto during the Ōnin War in Heian-kyō. Bi ...

to support the infant's claim to the shogunate. By 1467 the simmering dispute had evolved, encouraging a split amongst the powerful '' shugo'' ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

s'' and clan factions. The armed conflict which ensued has come to be known as the

. This armed contest marks the beginning of the

of Japanese history, a troubled period of constant military clashes which lasted over a century. A number of developments affect the unfolding battles of the war such as the moment Yoshimi joins Yamana Sōzen in 1468; Yoshihisa appointed heir to shogunate in 1469; appointed ''shugo'' of

Echizen Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan in the area that is today the northern portion of Fukui Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Echizen bordered on Kaga Province, Kaga, Wakasa Province, Wakasa, Hida Province, Hida, and Ōmi Provin ...

in 1471 and when

and Hosokawa Katsumoto both die in 1473. In the midst of on-going hostilities, Yoshimasa retired in 1473. He relinquished the position of ''Sei-i Taishōgun'' to his young son, who became the ninth ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshihisa; but effectively, Yoshimasa continued to hold the reins of power. With the leaders of the two warring factions dead and with the ostensible succession dispute resolved, the rationale for continuing to fight faded away. The exhausted armies dissolved and by 1477 open warfare ended.

Yoshimasa's heirs

When Yoshimasa declared that Yoshihisa would be the next ''shōgun'' after he stepped down from that responsibility, he anticipated that his son would out-live him. When ''shōgun'' Yoshihisa died prematurely, Yoshimasa reassumed the power and responsibility he had wanted to lay aside. ''Shōgun'' Yoshimasa adopted the son of his brother, Yoshimi. In 1489, ''shōgun'' Yoshitane was installed; and Yoshimasa retired again. Before Yoshimasa died in 1490, he again adopted a nephew as heir, this time the son of his brother, Masatomo. Although Yoshitane did outlive Yoshimasa, his shogunate would prove short-lived. Yoshitane died in 1493.Ackroyd, p. 298. Also, before he married Hino Tomiko, sister of Hino Katsumitsu, he had a concubine, Lady Oima, who was 8 months pregnant when Tomiko pushed her from the stairs which resulted in a miscarriage. Shōgun Yoshimasa was succeeded by ''shōgun'' Yoshihisa (Yoshimasa's natural son), then by ''shōgun'' Yoshitane (Yoshimasa's first adopted son), and then by ''shōgun'' Yoshizumi (Yoshimasa's second adopted son). Yoshizumi's progeny would directly succeed him as head of the shogunate. In the future, power struggles from outside the clan would also lead to a brief period in which the great-grandson of Yoshitane would be installed as a puppet leader of the Ashikaga shogunate.

Higashiyama culture

During Yoshimasa's reign Japan saw the growth of the Higashiyama culture (''Higashiyama bunka''), famous for tea ceremony (''Sadō''), flower arrangement (''Kadō'' or ''

Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is also known as . The origin of ikebana can be traced back to the ancient Japanese custom of erecting Evergreen, evergreen trees and decorating them with flowers as yorishiro () to invite the go ...

''), '' Noh''

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

, and Indian ink painting. Higashiyama culture was greatly influenced by

Zen Zen (; from Chinese: ''Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka phil ...

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

and saw the rise of Japanese aesthetics like '' Wabi-sabi'' and the harmonization of imperial court (''Kuge'') and

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

(''Bushi'') culture. In the history of this ''Higashiyama bunka'' period, a few specific dates are noteworthy: * 1459 (''Chōroku 3''): ''Shōgun'' Yoshimasa provided a new '' mikoshi'' and a complete set of robes and other accouterments for this festival on the occasion of repairs to the Atsuta Shrine in the 1457–1459 (''Chōroku 1–3'').Ponsonby-Fane. (1962). ''Studies in Shinto and Shrines'', p. 452. * 1460 (''Chōroku 3''): Yoshimasa initiated planning for construction of a retirement villa and gardens as early as 1460; and after his death, this property would become a Buddhist temple called Jishō-ji (also known as Ginkaku-ji or the "Silver Pavilion"). * February 21, 1482 (''Bummei 14, 4th day of the 2nd month''): Construction of the "Silver Pavilion" is commenced. * January 27, 1490 (''Entoku 2, 7th day of the 1st month''): The former ''shōgun'' Yoshimasa died at age 56 in his ''Higashiyama-dono'' estate, which marks the beginning of the end of ''Higashiyama bunka''.

Family

* Father: Ashikaga Yoshinori * Mother: Hino Shigeko (1411–1463) * Wife: Hino Tomiko (1440 – June 30, 1496) * Concubine: Oodate Sachiko * Children: ** son (b. 1459) by Tomiko ** Ashikaga Yoshihisa by Tomiko ** daughter (1463–1486) by Tomiko ** Koyama Masatoshi (1462–1505) buddhist priest in Keikyoji by Tomiko ** Yuyama Suzho (1455–1532) later Sojiin by Sachiko * Adopted sons: ** Ashikaga Yoshizumi ** Ashikaga Yoshitane

Eras of Yoshimasa's ''bakufu''

The years in which Yoshimasa was ''shōgun'' are more specifically identified by more than one

era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year of rule, a t ...

or ''

nengō The or , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being "", meaning "origin, basis"), followed b ...

''.Titsingh, * '' Hōtoku'' (1449–1452) * '' Kyōtoku'' (1452–1455) * '' Kōshō'' (1455–1457) * '' Chōroku'' (1457–1460) * '' Kanshō'' (1460–1466) * '' Bunshō'' (1466–1467) * '' Ōnin'' (1467–1469) * ''

Bunmei was a after '' Ōnin'' and before ''Chōkyō''. This period spanned from April 1469 through July 1487.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Bunmei''" i ''Japan encyclopedia'', p. 89 n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussb ...

'' (1469–1487) * ''

Chōkyō was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', "year name") after '' Bunmei'' and before '' Entoku''. This period spanned the years from July 1487 through August 1489. The reigning emperor was Go-Tsuchimikado''-tennō'' (後土御門天皇). Ch ...

'' (1487–1489) * ''

Entoku was a after ''Chōkyō'' and before '' Meiō''. This period spanned the years from August 1489 through July 1492. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 1489 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events. The old era en ...

'' (1489–1492)

Notes

References

* Ackroyd, Joyce. (1982) ''Lessons from History: The Tokushi Yoron''. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press.
OCLC 7574544
* Keene, Donald. (2003)
''Yoshimasa and the Silver Pavilion: The Creation of the Soul of Japan''.
New York:

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's la ...

.
OCLC 52268947
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). '' Nihon Ōdai Ichiran''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon''.
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
OCLC 585069
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashikaga, Yoshimasa Ashikaga Yoshihisa Ashikaga Yoshihisa Ashikaga Yoshihisa 15th-century shōguns People of the Muromachi period Ashikaga Yoshihisa Yoshimasa 1440s in Japan 1450s in Japan 1460s in Japan 1470s in Japan 1480s in Japan 15th-century Japanese people 15th-century monarchs in Asia