Ashikaga Yoshitane
Encyclopedia
, also known as Ashikaga Yoshiki (足利 義材), was the 10th shogun
of the Ashikaga shogunate
who headed the shogunate first from 1490 to 1493 and then again from 1508 to 1521 during the Muromachi period
of Japan
.
Yoshitane was the son of Ashikaga Yoshimi
and grandson of the sixth shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori
. In his early life, he was named Yoshiki (sometimes translated as Yoshimura), and then Yoshitada — including the period of when he is first installed as shogun; however, he changed his name to Yoshitane in 1501 in a period when he was temporarily exiled, and it is by this name that he is generally known today.
The 9th shogun Ashikaga Yoshihisa
died in 1489 on a battlefield of southern Omi
province. Yoshihisa left no heir; and Yoshitane became Seii Taishogun
a year later.
In 1493, Yoshitane lost in a power struggle against Hosokawa Masamoto
and was formally replaced by the eleventh shogun, Ashikaga Yoshizumi
.
In 1508, with the support of Ōuchi Yoshioki
, Yoshitane regained the position of Seii Taishogun from Yoshizumi.
Eventually, after a further power struggle with the Hosokawa clan
and Hosokawa Takakuni
, Yoshitane was forced to withdraw to Awaji Island
. He died in Awa
province, on the island
of Shikoku
.
Hosokawa Takakuni
arranged for the replacement of Yoshitane with the twelfth shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiharu
.
In other words, after the death of his son, Shogun Yoshimasa adopted the son of his brother, Yoshimi. After the death of his adopted son, Yoshimasa adopted the son of another brother, Masatomo. Shogun Yoshimasa was succeeded by Shogun Yoshihisa (Yoshimasa's natural son), then by Shogun Yoshitane (Yoshimasa's first adopted son), and then by Shogun Yoshizumi (Yoshimasa's second adopted son). Yoshizumi's progeny would become shoguns in due course.
Eventually, the great-grandson of Yoshitane would be installed as a puppet shogun for a brief period; but external power struggles would unseat him, and the Ashikaga dynasty of shoguns would end.
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
of the Ashikaga shogunate
Ashikaga shogunate
The , also known as the , was a Japanese feudal military regime, ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga clan.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from Muromachi Street of Kyoto where the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu established his residence...
who headed the shogunate first from 1490 to 1493 and then again from 1508 to 1521 during the Muromachi period
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Yoshitane was the son of Ashikaga Yoshimi
Ashikaga Yoshimi
was the brother of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, and a rival for the succession in a dispute that would lead to the Ōnin War.Yoshimi was the abbot of a Jōdo monastery when he was first approached by Hosokawa Katsumoto, who wished to support his bid to become Shogun. He originally sought to stick to...
and grandson of the sixth shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori
Ashikaga Yoshinori
was the 6th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1429 to 1441 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshinori was the son of the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.-Shogunal succession:...
. In his early life, he was named Yoshiki (sometimes translated as Yoshimura), and then Yoshitada — including the period of when he is first installed as shogun; however, he changed his name to Yoshitane in 1501 in a period when he was temporarily exiled, and it is by this name that he is generally known today.
The 9th shogun Ashikaga Yoshihisa
Ashikaga Yoshihisa
was the 9th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1473 to 1489 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshihisa was the son of the eighth shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa....
died in 1489 on a battlefield of southern Omi
Omi
was an ancient Japanese hereditary title denoting rank and political standing that, along with muraji, was reserved for the most powerful clans during the Kofun period...
province. Yoshihisa left no heir; and Yoshitane became Seii Taishogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
a year later.
Events of Yoshitane's bakufu
Significant events which shaped the period during which Yoshitane was shogun:- 1490—Yoshitane appointed shogun.
- 1491 – Hōjō SōunHojo Sounwas the first head of the Late Hōjō clan, one of the major powers in Japan's Sengoku period. Born Ise Moritoki, he was originally known as Ise Shinkurō, a samurai of Taira lineage from a reputable family of Shogunate officials...
gains control of IzuIzuIzu may refer to:*Izu Province, a part of modern-day Shizuoka prefecture in Japan**Izu, a city in Shizuoka prefecture**The Izu Peninsula, near Tokyo***The Izu Islands, located off the Izu Peninsula...
. - 1493 – Hatakeyama Yoshitoyo forces Yoshitane to abdicate.
- 1500 – Emperor Go-KashiwabaraEmperor Go-KashiwabaraEmperor Go-Kashiwabara was the 104th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from November 16, 1500 to May 19, 1526. His personal name was Katsuhito...
accedes. - 1508 – Ōuchi YoshiokiOuchi Yoshiokiwas a samurai of the Ōuchi family who lived during Japan's early Sengoku period. He is famous for his role in restoring the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshitane to power in 1508, and in building Saijō castle....
restores Yoshitane. - 1520—Dissension over Hosokawa succession; Takakuni becomes Kanryō; Yoshitane opposes Takakuni and the Kanryō is driven out.
- 1521 – Emperor Go-KashiwabaraEmperor Go-KashiwabaraEmperor Go-Kashiwabara was the 104th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from November 16, 1500 to May 19, 1526. His personal name was Katsuhito...
.
In 1493, Yoshitane lost in a power struggle against Hosokawa Masamoto
Hosokawa Masamoto
a notable Deputy-Shogun of the Hosokawa clan of Japan, and son of Hosokawa Katsumoto. Masamoto was appointed to this very high rank during the year of 1486. However, for a brief period this title was lost by Hatakeyama Masanaga but was regained in time. When Ashikaga Yoshihisa died childless during...
and was formally replaced by the eleventh shogun, Ashikaga Yoshizumi
Ashikaga Yoshizumi
was the 11th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1494 to 1508 during the Muromachi period of Japan. He was the son of Ashikaga Masatomo and grandson of the sixth shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori. Yoshizumi was first called Yoshitō , then Yoshitaka.Yoshizumi was adopted by the 8th shogun...
.
In 1508, with the support of Ōuchi Yoshioki
Ouchi Yoshioki
was a samurai of the Ōuchi family who lived during Japan's early Sengoku period. He is famous for his role in restoring the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshitane to power in 1508, and in building Saijō castle....
, Yoshitane regained the position of Seii Taishogun from Yoshizumi.
Eventually, after a further power struggle with the Hosokawa clan
Hosokawa clan
The ' was a Japanese samurai clan, descended from Emperor Seiwa and a branch of the Minamoto clan, by the Ashikaga clan. It produced many prominent officials in the Ashikaga shogunate's administration. In the Edo period, the Hosokawa clan was one of the largest landholding daimyo families in Japan...
and Hosokawa Takakuni
Hosokawa Takakuni
Hosokawa Takakuni was the most powerful military commander in the Muromachi period under Ashikaga Yoshiharu, the twelfth shogun. His father was Hosokawa Masaharu, who was the branch of the Hosokawa clan....
, Yoshitane was forced to withdraw to Awaji Island
Awaji Island
is an island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea between the islands of Honshū and Shikoku. The island has an area of 592.17 km²...
. He died in Awa
Awa, Tokushima
is a city located in Awa District, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan.Awa City was founded on April 1, 2005, when the old town of Awa absorbed the town of Ichiba, also from Awa District, and the towns of Donari and Yoshino, all from Itano District. It is located in the former Awa Province .As of 2005, the...
province, on the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
of Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
.
Hosokawa Takakuni
Hosokawa Takakuni
Hosokawa Takakuni was the most powerful military commander in the Muromachi period under Ashikaga Yoshiharu, the twelfth shogun. His father was Hosokawa Masaharu, who was the branch of the Hosokawa clan....
arranged for the replacement of Yoshitane with the twelfth shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiharu
Ashikaga Yoshiharu
was the 12th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who held the reins of supreme power from 1521 through 1546 during the late Muromachi period of Japan...
.
Yoshitane's heirs and successors
Shogun Yoshitane adopted the son of a cousin, Yoshizumi; and he designate Yoshitsuna as his heir and as his anticipated successor as shogun. However, when Yoshitane died prematurely, he was not succeeded by who he had chosen; rather, his father's newly designated heir was accepted by the shogunate as Shogun Yoshizumi.In other words, after the death of his son, Shogun Yoshimasa adopted the son of his brother, Yoshimi. After the death of his adopted son, Yoshimasa adopted the son of another brother, Masatomo. Shogun Yoshimasa was succeeded by Shogun Yoshihisa (Yoshimasa's natural son), then by Shogun Yoshitane (Yoshimasa's first adopted son), and then by Shogun Yoshizumi (Yoshimasa's second adopted son). Yoshizumi's progeny would become shoguns in due course.
Eventually, the great-grandson of Yoshitane would be installed as a puppet shogun for a brief period; but external power struggles would unseat him, and the Ashikaga dynasty of shoguns would end.
Eras of Yoshitane's bakufu
The years in which Yoshitane was shogun are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.- EntokuEntokuwas a after Chōkyō and before Meio. 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...
(1489–1492) - MeiōMeio, also known as Mei-ō, was a after Entoku and before Bunki. This period spanned the years from July 1492 through February 1501. Reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
(1492–1501) - BunkiBunkiwas a after Meiō and before Eishō. This period spanned the years from February 1501 through February 1504. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
(1501–1504) - Eishō (1504–1521)
- DaieiDaiei (era), also known as Taiei or Dai-ei, was a after Eishō and before Kyōroku. This period spanned the years from August 1521 through August 1528. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
(1521–1528)