This chapter introduces the stormy life of Ashikaga Takauji, his multifaceted faith, and his various achievements.
Takauji was born in 1305 to the distinguished Ashikaga family of the Genji clan. While the Ashikaga family were powerful retainers of the Kamakura shogunate, they supported Emperor Godaigo in overthrowing the government. Takauji had participated in the new Kenmu administration, but his alliance with Emperor Godaigo eventually ended. In 1336, he founded a new political administration (Muromachi shogunate) in Kyoto with his younger brother, Tadayoshi, where he led as the head of the warriors. In addition, he was also a devoted follower of Zen master Muso Soseki. Takauji was engaged in various Buddhist activities, such as ordering the construction of Tenryu-ji Temple to hold a memorial service for Emperor Godaiji, and completing transcriptions of Buddhist scriptures. Takauji also sent merchant vessels to Yuan and Ming dynasties of China to raise funds to build Tenryu-ji Temple. This also paved the way for licensed trade with Ming China, which was initiated by the third shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

I am the real Takauji

Formerly the “Portrait of Takauji” with a handwritten seal by second shogun Yoshiakira

This chapter focuses on the golden age of the Muromachi shogunate, where both government and culture flourished as a result of Yoshimitsu’s and Yoshimochi’s treasures. The trend of karamono imports and decorations for the tatami room started by Yoshimitsu, and later carried on by succeeding shoguns, will also be introduced.
Amid the social turmoil of the Northern and Southern Courts, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu became the third shogun at the young age of 11. However, he demonstrated a knack for political affairs, including uniting warriors and court nobles, and Northern and Southern Courts, as well as successfully controlling powerful warriors in their respective regions. In addition, he vigorously promoted licensed trade with Ming China, importing various rare items from China and other Asian regions, particularly Chinese calligraphic works, paintings, and craftworks of the highest quality, called karamono or Chinese articles. Yoshimitsu personally judged and valued these rare items, which also helped enhance the shogun’s authority. The fourth shogun, Yoshimochi, inheriting prestige from his father, Yoshimitsu, which solidified the base of the shogunate. Meanwhile, Yoshimochi was even more devoted to Zen Buddhism and Confucian studies than his father, winning high acclaim for his talent in art, particularly in calligraphy and painting.

This chapter focuses on Yoshinori’s and Yoshimasa’s reign, where they drastically changed the political scene, in particular increasing the shogun family treasures and developing Muromachi culture.
After Yoshimochi’s death, Yoshinori was selected by lottery and became the sixth shogun. He ruled the shogunate with his father, Yoshimitsu, as the ideal leader in mind and further perfected the shogun family treasures, such as karamono (Chinese articles). However, his tyrannical behaviour resulted in a violent death. During the reign of the 8th shogun Yoshimasa, Yoshinori’s son, the Onin War broke out and inflicted unprecedented damage on Kyoto. The struggle for power among powerful warlords and the dispute over shogunal succession created further chaos. This war is regarded as the onset of the subsequent Warring States period. The combination of Yoshinori’s death and the Onin War significantly eroded the political power of the Muromachi shogunate. However, the shoguns maintained their cultural authority. This period saw the refinement and development of the shogunate’s etiquette and ceremonies, as well as the various rules for displaying ornaments in tatami rooms and performing arts.

Selected by lottery, the shogun who was feared by many

Representative painting by 1st generation of the Kano School and Yoshimasa’s favoured painter

This chapter explores how the shoguns of the Warring States period maintained their prestige and the fall of the shogunate.
The Onin War which spanned eleven years, frequent famines, and armed uprisings by the masses, had resulted in a notable decline of the power and authority of the Muromachi shogunate. The shoguns lost influence and control over the daimyos who began to fight among themselves. As a result, the shoguns were tossed about by the daimyos in their struggle for hegemony. The 10th shogun, Yoshitane, was forced to leave Kyoto and wander through various provinces, while both the 11^th shogun, Yoshizumi, who succeeded Yoshitane, and the 12^th Yoshiharu, were also expelled from Kyoto. The 13^th shogun, Yoshiteru, was killed by his retainer, and the 15^th and last shogun, Yoshiaki, was forced out of Kyoto in 1573 by Oda Nobunaga. The expulsion of Yoshiaki indicated the demise of the Muromachi shogunate. Yet, despite the social upheaval and political turmoil, the shoguns still retained their prestige and were able to unify their supporters.

The oldest folding screen painting of the shogun’s residence

Special! The famous sword of Yoshiteru