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MUROMACHI PERIOD

Ashikaga Takauji

1334 - 1477

 

 

 

1335

August Hôjô Tokiyuki seizes Kamakura. Takayoshi flees the city and takes advantage of the confusion to arrange the assassination of Prince Morinaga.

September 8 Ashikaga Takauji recaptures Kamakura and kills Hôjô Tokiyuki.

November 17 Takauji calls for Nitta Yoshisada's destruction. Go-Daigo soon responds by labeling Takauji an 'enemy of the throne'.

1336

February 23 Ashikaga Takauji's army enters Kyoto.

February 25 Takauji enters Kyoto.

February 27 Kitabatake Akiie counter-attacks and forces Takauji to retreat to Settsu. Takauji later moves on to Harima.

March 16 Go-Daigo returns to Kyoto.

March 26 Takauji leaves Harima for Kyushu.

April 15 Ashikaga forces defeat the Kikuchi at the Battle of Tadara-no-hama (Chikuzen).

May 15 Ashikaga Takauji's campaign to recapture Kyoto begins.

June 5 Nitta Yoshisada is defeated at the Battle of Minatogawa (Harima); Kusunoki Masashige is killed.

July 6 Go-Daigo flees Kyoto to Mt. Hiei.

September 20 Komyo ascends to the Imperial throne in Kyoto.

  • Takauji composes the Kemmu Shikimoku.

    1337

    January Go-Daigo flees to Yoshino and establishes his court there, ushering in the Namboku-cho Period Period.

    April 7 Ashikaga forces capture Kanagasaki.

    December 24 Ashikaga Yoshiakira is defeated at the Battle of Tonegawa (Musashi) by Kitabatake Akiie.

    1338

  • Takauji is appointed shogun, marking the foundation of the Ashikaga Bakufu.

    March Kitabatake Akiie and Ashikaga Tadayoshi battle near Sekigahara in Mino province.

    April Kitabatake Akiie is defeated by Ashikaga forces at Tennoji (Settsu province).

    June Kitabatake Akiie is defeated and killed at Ishizu (Iwami province).

    August Nitta Yoshisada is killed and his army defeated by the Ashikaga at the Battle of Fujishima in Echizen.

    1339

  • Kitabatake Chikafusa establishes a headquarters in Hitachi Province and writes the Jinno Shotoki (The Records of the Legitimate Succession of the Divine Sovereigns).

    September 19 Go-Daigo dies.

    1340

    May Prince Kanenaga arrives on Kyushu to gather support for the Southern Court.

    1342

    Kitabatake Chikafusa returns to Yoshino.

    1348

    Kusunoki Masatsura, the son of Masashige, is killed at the Battle of Shijo Nawate fighting the Ashikaga

    1349

  • Baisho Ron (On the Plumes and Pines), a chronicle of the early years of the Ashikaga Bakufu, is completed.

  • Ashikaga Tadayoshi is dismissed from his Bakufu assignments by Takauji.

  • Ashikaga Motouji, Takuji's 2nd son, is named Kanto Kanrei.

    1351

    Shimazu Sadahisa dies and the Shimazu domain is divided between his two sons, Ujihisa and Morohisa.

    1352

  • Ashikaga Tadayoshi is captured and killed, possibly by poisoning on Takauji's order.

  • Adherents of Tadayoshi join with the Nitta clan to succesfully drive Ashikaga Takauji from Kamakura, which he had been defending.

    1353

    October 18 Ashikaga Takauji and his son Yoshiakira escort emperor Go-Kogon to his court in Kyoto.

    1354

    Kitabatake Chikafusa dies.

    1357

    Toji-n Goisho [Takauji's testament] a philosophical document on what constitutes 'good government' is written, although probably not by Takauji.

    1358

  • Ashikaga Takauji dies at age 54 in Kyoto.

  • Takauji's son, Ashikaga Yoshiakira, becomes the second Ashikaga Shogun.

    1361

    Earthquakes and disease ravage Kyoto.

    1362

    Japan suffers from a severe drought followed by famine.

    1366

    An epidemic afflicts Kyoto (sickness strikes the city again in 1373, 1374, and 1378).

    1367

  • Ashikaga Motouji, the Kanto Kanrei, dies and is succeded by Ashikaga Ujimitsu.

  • Hosokawa Yoriyuki is named deputy shôgun to Ashikaga Yoshiakira.

    1368

    Ashikaga Yoshiakira dies and is succeeded as shôgun by Yoshimitsu; Hosokawa Yoriyuki becomes regent to the young shogun.

    1369

    Ming China dispatches a diplomatic mission to Japan.

    1370

    - Imagawa Sadayo is sent by the Muromachi Bakufu to Kyushu as Tandai [intendant].

    1371

    Akashi no Kakuichi, who is thought to have given the final shape to the Heike Monogatari [Tale of the Heike], dies.

    1372

  • Imagawa Sadayo gains control of northern Kyushu.

    July 24 Shibuya Shigetoki attacks Mine, a Shimazu castle in Satsuma.

  • The Taiheiki (Chronicle of Great Peace) is completed by the monk Kojima and others.

    1379

    Hosokawa Yoriyuki is forced from Kyoto by his rivals.

    1380

    Oûchi Yoshihiro defeats his brother at the Battle of Sakariyama and assumes control of the Oûchi.

    1383

    Prince Kanenaga dies.

    1392

    December 16 Emperor Go-Kameyama of the Southern Court abdicates; the union of the Northern and Southern Courts follows, ending the Namboku-cho Period.

  • Hosokawa Yoriyuki dies.

    1394 - First year of Ôei

    1399

    Oûchi Yoshihiro is defeated at Saki by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

    1407

  • Ashikaga Yoshikazu is born.

  • Ashikaga Yoshimitsu completes his 'Golden Pavillion' (Kinkakuji) in Kyoto.

    1408

    Ashikaga Yoshimitsu dies.

    1428 - First year of Shôchô

  • Ashikaga Yoshimochi dies.

    Fall The Kyoto region experiences the first 'modern' peasant uprisings as riots and demonstrations break out in the call for debt cancellation in a year that had seen both famine and plauge.

    1429 - First year of Eikyô

    1432

    Hôjô Soun is born.

    1436

    Ashikaga Yoshimasa is born.

    1441 - First year of Kakitsu

    July The 6th Ashikaga Shogun, Yoshinori, is assassinated by Akamatsu Mitsusuke. He is ultimately succeded in 1443 by Ashikaga Yoshimasa.

    September Thousands of ikki rioters march on Kyoto and after defeating the Kyôgoku compell the bakufu to give in to their demands for debt cancellation.

    1443

    Ashikaga Yoshimasa becomes the 8th Ashikaga Shogun.

    1444 - First year of Bunnan

    1445

    Hosokawa Katsumoto becomes Kyoto Kanrei.

    1449 - First year of Hôtoku

  • Ashikaga Shigeuji assumes office in the Kanto.

  • Plauge sweeps Kyoto.

    1452 - First year of Kyôtoku

    1455 - First year of Kôshô

    1457 - First year of Chôroku

  • Ôta Dokan builds Edo castle.

  • Ashikaga Masamoto sent to govern the Kanto.

    1458

  • The Akamatsu destroy the remnants of the Southern Court.

  • Ashikaga Yoshimasa builds a new Muromachi Palace.

    1460 - First year of Kanshô

    The Kyoto region suffers from a great famine.

    1464

    Ashikaga Yoshimi assists his brother Yoshimasa in public office.

    1466 - First year of Bunshô

    1467-1477 - First year of Ônin (1467)

    The Ônin War opens in Kyoto as shûgo side with either the rival Hosokawa or Yamana clans.

    1469 - First year of Bummei

    1472

    Asakura Toshikage defeats the Kai family of Echizen and becomes the defacto lord of that province.

    1473

  • Yamana Sozen dies and his cause is taken up by Oûchi Masahiro.

  • Hosokawa Katsumoto dies.

    1477

    December The Yamana and Hosokawa return to their domains; the Ônin War has set the stage for the Sengoku Period.

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