Ashikaga Yoshimasa

Quick Facts: Who was Ashikaga Yoshimasa?

Subject:

Ashikaga Yoshimasa

Known for:

Eighth Shōgun of the Ashikaga clan; presided over cultural bloom and civil strife.

Born:

1435-01-20

Died:

1490-01-27

Century / Era:

1435s Historical Era Archive

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Ashikaga Yoshimasa (足利 義政; January 20, 1436 – January 27, 1490) was a Japanese samurai, daimyo and the eighth shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1443 to 1473 during the Muromachi period of Japan. His actions led to the Ōnin War (1467–1477), which triggered the Sengoku period. His reign saw a cultural flourishing in the arts, the development of tea ceremony, Zen Buddhism and wabi-sabi aesthetics. Yoshimasa was the son of the sixth shōgun Ashikaga Yoshinori. His childhood name was Miharu (三春).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

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.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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 between Kantō kubō Ashikaga Shigeuji and his Uesugi Kanrei.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1435 (1435-01-20): Birth of Ashikaga Yoshimasa — Eighth Shōgun of the Ashikaga clan; presided over cultural bloom and civil strife.
2. 1436: 1436 Milestone — Ashikaga Yoshimasa (足利 義政; January 20, 1436 – January 27, 1490) was a Japanese samurai, daimyo and the eighth shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1443 to 1473 during the Muromachi period of Japan.
3. 1443: 1443 Milestone — On August 16, 1443, the 10-year-old shōgun Yoshikatsu died of injuries sustained in a fall from a horse.
4. 1445: 1445 Milestone — Following this event, in 1445, Hosokawa Katsumoto assumed the role of Kyoto kanrei.
5. 1446: 1446 Milestone — 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.
6. 1449: 1449 Milestone — In 1449, Yoshimasa was appointed shōgun, and Ashikaga Shigeuji became Kantō kubō.
7. 1450: 1450 Milestone — While the period between 1450 and 1455 experienced disturbances in Kamakura between Kantō kubō Ashikaga Shigeuji and his Uesugi Kanrei.
8. 1467: 1467 Milestone — His actions led to the Ōnin War (1467–1477), which triggered the Sengoku period.
9. 1490 (1490-01-27): Passing & Historical Legacy — Ashikaga Yoshimasa passed away on 1490-01-27, leaving an enduring historical legacy.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Ashikaga Yoshimasa

True or False: “Ashikaga Yoshimasa was directly responsible for initiating the Ōnin War through his own military actions.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The war stemmed from a complex succession dispute involving his adopted brother and natural son, rather than solely from his direct military initiation.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Andrea del Verrocchio — Contemporary (Born in 1435) (1435): Master Florentine sculptor, painter, and goldsmith, renowned for teaching Leonardo da Vinci.
• Andrea della Robbia — Contemporary (Born in 1435) (1435): Master Italian Renaissance sculptor renowned for pioneering glazed terra-cotta ceramics.
• Hans Memling — Contemporary (Born in 1435) (1435): Master German-Flemish painter known for luminous devotional works and portraiture.
• Albert, Duke of Prussia — Contemporary (Born in 1490) (1490): First secular ruler of the Duchy of Prussia and key figure in early Lutheranism.
• Antonio Pigafetta — Contemporary (Born in 1490) (1490): Venetian scholar and primary chronicler of Magellan's circumnavigation.
• Matthias Corvinus — Contemporary (Died in 1490) (1490): Powerful Renaissance King of Hungary, known for military prowess and patronage.
• Abdul Ghaffar Khan — Shared historical date (01-20 · Died) (1988): Pioneering nonviolent activist and founder of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement.
• Adam Oehlenschläger — Shared historical date (01-20 · Died) (1850): Pioneering Danish Romantic poet and playwright who shaped national literature.
• Abbas the Great — Shared historical date (01-27 · Born) (1571): Fifth Safavid Shah of Iran, considered one of the greatest rulers in Iranian history.
• Adam Sedgwick — Shared historical date (01-27 · Died) (1873): Pioneering British geologist and Anglican priest, co-founder of modern geology.
• 1435 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1435
• January 20 (01-20) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on January 20
• 1490 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1490
• January 27 (01-27) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on January 27

Frequently Asked Questions about Ashikaga Yoshimasa