Ashikaga Yoshiteru
Encyclopedia
, also known as Yoshifushi or Yoshifuji, was the 13th shogun
of the Ashikaga shogunate
who reigned from 1546 to 1565 during the late Muromachi period
of Japan
. He was the eldest son of the 12th shogun
, Ashikaga Yoshiharu
; and his mother was a daughter of Konoe Taneie (later called 慶寿院 Keijuin). When he became shogun in 1546 at age 11, Yoshiteru's name was Yoshifushi (sometimes translated as Yoshifuji); but some years later in 1554, he changed his name to the one by which he is conventionally known today.
His younger brother Ashikaga Yoshiaki
would become the fifteenth shogun.
, Yoshiteru became Seii Taishogun
, albeit a puppet shogun like his father. Yoshiteru was only 11 at the time and his investiture ceremony was held at Sakamoto, Ōmi Province
, outside Kyoto
.
Yoshiteru had barely been confirmed as shogun when his father Yoshiharu made a truce with Harumoto in order to return to Kyoto. Yet, Harumoto's retainer Miyoshi Nagayoshi parted with Harumoto to take the side of Hosokawa Ujitsuna
and the two Hosokawa started a war that drove out Yoshiteru, his father Yoshiharu, and Harumoto as well, from Kyoto. On 1550, Yoshiharu died in Ōmi, unable to return to Kyoto.
Significant events shaped the period during which Yoshiteru was shogun:
In 1552, Yoshiteru made a peace with Nagayoshi to return to Kyoto. However, the next year, Yoshiteru and Harumoto started a war against Nagayoshi to remove his influence. With the help of Rokkaku Yoshikata
, the war initially went well for Yoshiteru but he was driven out of Kyoto again on 1558 with a counter attack from Nagayoshi. Nagayoshi did not press on after the victory to kill Yoshiteru for fear of being accused of killing a shogun, and instead signed a truce to have Yoshiteru back in Kyoto under his influence. Nagayoshi continued as the real power in Kyoto, with Yoshiteru nothing more than a rubber stamp.
and Uesugi Kenshin
, Shimazu Takahisa
, Otomo Yoshishige, Mori Motonari
, and Amago Haruhisa
, the shogun's authority was again recognized by various daimyo. Lacking resources, Yoshiteru nevertheless saw opportunities to assign his kanji "輝" on various samurai like Mori Terumoto
to become something close to a godfather. Yoshiteru was well respected for his actions and many researchers credit him as being the last effective shogun to hold the post. Oda Nobunaga
and Uesugi Kenshin
were among the many daimyo and samurai who travelled to Kyoto to pay a respect to shogun.
and the three member council of Miyoshi
, the Miyoshi Triumvirs, who wanted to rule just as Nagayoshi had, were willing to go to any lengths to remove Yoshiteru from the power and to have Ashikaga Yoshihide
as the puppet shogun.
In 1565, Hisahide, and Miyoshi Yoshitsugu
laid siege against a collection of buildings (that would later become Nijo Castle
) where Yoshiteru lived. With no help arriving in time from the daimyo that could have supported him, Yoshiteru and the few troops under him were overrun by Miyoshi.
Three years would pass before his cousin Ashikaga Yoshihide
became the fourteenth shogun.
. His governance was highly credited but to have been killed in spite of his efforts completely destroyed what little recognition and authority Yoshiteru built up.
The waka
Yoshiteru was said to have left on his death shows the extent of his aspirations compared with the limits of achievements.
or nengō in which Yoshiteru was identified as Shogun .
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 reigned from 1546 to 1565 during the late 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...
. He was the eldest son of the 12th shogun
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...
, 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...
; and his mother was a daughter of Konoe Taneie (later called 慶寿院 Keijuin). When he became shogun in 1546 at age 11, Yoshiteru's name was Yoshifushi (sometimes translated as Yoshifuji); but some years later in 1554, he changed his name to the one by which he is conventionally known today.
His younger brother Ashikaga Yoshiaki
Ashikaga Yoshiaki
was the 15th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573. His father, Ashikaga Yoshiharu was the twelfth shogun, and his brother, Ashikaga Yoshiteru was the thirteenth shogun....
would become the fifteenth shogun.
Installed as shogun
After his father, Yoshiharu, was forced to retire in 1546 over a political struggle with Hosokawa HarumotoHosokawa Harumoto
was a Japanese daimyo of the Muromachi and Sengoku periods, and the head of the Hosokawa clan. Harumoto's childhood name was Sōmei-maru . He was born to Hosokawa Sumimoto, another renowned samurai of the Muromachi era....
, Yoshiteru 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...
, albeit a puppet shogun like his father. Yoshiteru was only 11 at the time and his investiture ceremony was held at Sakamoto, Ōmi Province
Omi Province
is an old province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. It is nicknamed as .Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of the province...
, outside Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
.
Yoshiteru had barely been confirmed as shogun when his father Yoshiharu made a truce with Harumoto in order to return to Kyoto. Yet, Harumoto's retainer Miyoshi Nagayoshi parted with Harumoto to take the side of Hosokawa Ujitsuna
Hosokawa Ujitsuna
was a Japanese military commander and Deputy Shogun of the Hosokawa clan in the end of the Muromachi period and Sengoku period of the 16th century. He was the foster son of Hosokawa Takakuni....
and the two Hosokawa started a war that drove out Yoshiteru, his father Yoshiharu, and Harumoto as well, from Kyoto. On 1550, Yoshiharu died in Ōmi, unable to return to Kyoto.
Significant events shaped the period during which Yoshiteru was shogun:
- 1550 – Yoshiharu dies in exile; Yoshiteru's "shogunate" in exile begins.
- 1551 – Sue Harutaka rebels against Ōuchi Yoshitaka.
- 1552 – Yoshiteru returns to Kyoto, actual power being held by Miyoshi Nagayoshi and Matsunaga HisahideMatsunaga HisahideMatsunaga Hisahide was a daimyo of Japan following the Sengoku period of the 16th century.A companion of Miyoshi Chokei, he was a retainer of Miyoshi Masanaga from the 1540s. He directed the conquest of the province of Yamato in the 1560s and by 1564 had built a sufficient power-base to be...
. - 1554–1564 – Ōuchi's retainer Mōri Motonari succeeds him and consolidates his power.
- 1557 – Ōgimachi succeeds.
- 1558 – Nagayoshi drives out Yoshiteru who, however, is reinstated.
- 1560 – Oda Nobunaga slays Imagawa Yoshimoto.
- 1564 – Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen reach a stalemate at Kawanakajima after continuous battles, checking each other's power. (1553–1564).
- 1565 – Matsunaga invests Kyoto; Yoshiteru commits suicide.
In 1552, Yoshiteru made a peace with Nagayoshi to return to Kyoto. However, the next year, Yoshiteru and Harumoto started a war against Nagayoshi to remove his influence. With the help of Rokkaku Yoshikata
Rokkaku Yoshikata
was a samurai head of the Rokkaku clan during Japan's Sengoku period. He was shugo and later daimyō of an area of southern Ōmi province, he served as castellan of Kannonji Castle...
, the war initially went well for Yoshiteru but he was driven out of Kyoto again on 1558 with a counter attack from Nagayoshi. Nagayoshi did not press on after the victory to kill Yoshiteru for fear of being accused of killing a shogun, and instead signed a truce to have Yoshiteru back in Kyoto under his influence. Nagayoshi continued as the real power in Kyoto, with Yoshiteru nothing more than a rubber stamp.
Governance
Surrounded by daimyo who only intended to use the authority of shogun for their own good, Yoshiteru still managed to reaffirm the shogun's authority by active diplomacy that extended to every part of Japan. By trying to negotiate a peace between such well known daimyo as Takeda ShingenTakeda Shingen
, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
and Uesugi Kenshin
Uesugi Kenshin
was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries...
, Shimazu Takahisa
Shimazu Takahisa
, the son of Shimazu Tadayoshi, was a daimyo during Japan's Sengoku period. He was the fifteenth head of the Shimazu clan.On 1526, Takahisa was adopted as the successor to Shimazu Katsuhisa and became head of the clan. He launched a series of campaigns to reclaim three provinces: Satsuma, Osumi,...
, Otomo Yoshishige, Mori Motonari
Mori Motonari
was a prominent daimyō in the west Chūgoku region of Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century.-Early years:Mōri Motonari was born under the name Shojumaru in a small domain of Aki province in 1497. He is said to have been born at Suzuo Castle, his mother's homeland...
, and Amago Haruhisa
Amago Haruhisa
was a powerful warlord in Chūgoku region, Japan. He is the second son of Amago Masahisa. Initially named Akihisa , he changed his name to Haruhisa in 1541 after Ashikaga Yoshiharu offered to let him use a kanji from his name....
, the shogun's authority was again recognized by various daimyo. Lacking resources, Yoshiteru nevertheless saw opportunities to assign his kanji "輝" on various samurai like Mori Terumoto
Mori Terumoto
Mōri Terumoto , son of Mōri Takamoto and grandson and successor of the great warlord Mōri Motonari, fought against Toyotomi Hideyoshi but was eventually overcome, participated in the Kyūshū campaign on Hideyoshi's side and built Hiroshima Castle, thus essentially founding Hiroshima.Terumoto was a...
to become something close to a godfather. Yoshiteru was well respected for his actions and many researchers credit him as being the last effective shogun to hold the post. Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
and Uesugi Kenshin
Uesugi Kenshin
was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries...
were among the many daimyo and samurai who travelled to Kyoto to pay a respect to shogun.
End of Reign
In 1564, Nagayoshi died of illness and Yoshiteru saw an opportunity to fully reclaim the shogun's authority. However, Matsunaga HisahideMatsunaga Hisahide
Matsunaga Hisahide was a daimyo of Japan following the Sengoku period of the 16th century.A companion of Miyoshi Chokei, he was a retainer of Miyoshi Masanaga from the 1540s. He directed the conquest of the province of Yamato in the 1560s and by 1564 had built a sufficient power-base to be...
and the three member council of Miyoshi
Miyoshi clan
The Miyoshi clan is a Japanese family descended from Emperor Seiwa and the Minamoto clan . They were a cadet branch of the Ogasawara clan and the Takeda clan....
, the Miyoshi Triumvirs, who wanted to rule just as Nagayoshi had, were willing to go to any lengths to remove Yoshiteru from the power and to have Ashikaga Yoshihide
Ashikaga Yoshihide
was the 14th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who held nominal power for a few months in 1568 during the Muromachi period of Japan. When he became shogun, he changed his name to Yoshinaga, but he is more conventionally recognized today by the name Yoshihide....
as the puppet shogun.
In 1565, Hisahide, and Miyoshi Yoshitsugu
Miyoshi Yoshitsugu
, adopted son of Nagayoshi, was a samurai of the Sengoku period who was practically the last head of Miyoshi clan, daimyo of Kawachi province of Japan....
laid siege against a collection of buildings (that would later become Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle
is a flatland castle located in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens...
) where Yoshiteru lived. With no help arriving in time from the daimyo that could have supported him, Yoshiteru and the few troops under him were overrun by Miyoshi.
Three years would pass before his cousin Ashikaga Yoshihide
Ashikaga Yoshihide
was the 14th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who held nominal power for a few months in 1568 during the Muromachi period of Japan. When he became shogun, he changed his name to Yoshinaga, but he is more conventionally recognized today by the name Yoshihide....
became the fourteenth shogun.
Yoshiteru's Legacy
Because of his inner strength and the katana skills that he was known to have practiced regularly, Yoshiteru was called the "Kengo Shogun" (剣豪将軍) and was closer to being a samurai and a warlord than any shogun since Ashikaga TakaujiAshikaga Takauji
was the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358...
. His governance was highly credited but to have been killed in spite of his efforts completely destroyed what little recognition and authority Yoshiteru built up.
The waka
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
Yoshiteru was said to have left on his death shows the extent of his aspirations compared with the limits of achievements.
| Kanji Kanji Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet... | Rōmaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 五月雨は 露か涙か 不如帰 我が名をあげよ 雲の上まで |
samidare wa tsuyu ka namida ka hototogisu waga na o ageyo kumo no ue made |
The May rain falls, and is it my tears or the mist that surround me? Hototogisu, take my name and soar above the clouds |
Eras of Yoshiteru's bakufu
There were more than one era nameJapanese era name
The Japanese era calendar scheme is a common calendar scheme used in Japan, which identifies a year by the combination of the and the year number within the era...
or nengō in which Yoshiteru was identified as Shogun .
- TenbunTenbun, also known as Tembun or Temmon, was a after Kyōroku and before Kōji. This period spanned the years from July 1532 through October 1555. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
(1532–1555) - Kōji (1555–1558)
- EirokuEirokuwas a after Kōji and before Genki. This period spanned the years from February 1558 through April 1570. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1558 : The era name was changed to mark the enthronement of Emperor Ōgimachi...
(1558–1570)