Ashikaga Yoshimasa

Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436 –1490) was the eighth shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, reigning from 1449 to 1473. The Ashikaga clan ruled during the Muromachi Period. Yoshimasa was the son of the sixth shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori. His official wife was Hino Tomiko.

Yoshimasa was not expected to be shogun. In 1441, his father, Yoshinori was assassinated and his brother, Yoshikatsu, was chosen as shogun. Yoshikatsu reigned briefly and died unexpectedly while still young. Eight year old Yoshimasa was chosen as shogun under the guardianship of Kanrei Hatakeyama Mochikuni and assumed the position as shogun at his coming of age ceremony in 1449.

The Ashikaga never had full control of the country, so for the majority of Yoshimasa’s rule, he encountered many of the same problems as his predecessors. His policies sometimes followed his father, Yoshinori, and sometimes his grandfather, Yoshimitsu.

Perhaps his most important accomplishment internationally was the restoration of the tally trade between Japan and the Ming dynasty. The tally trade was successful and the shogunate’s financial situation was very stable during the first half of Yoshimasa’s rule. However, instead of using this to strengthen the shogunate or to help his people, Yoshimasa spent on his hobbies such as architecture and landscaping. By the end of his reign, the shogunate was experiencing hard times, especially from the Ōnin War.

The Ashikaga relied upon alliances to maintain power and initially Yoshimasa tried to follow tradition by attempting to control or influence the internal affairs of various clans to continue alliances.  For instance, he tried to intervene in the fighting between the Kamakura-kubo (later Koga-kubo) Shigeuji Ashikaga and Kanto-kanrei Uesugi clan. However, his actions were thwarted. The chief opposition to his rule was not in some far off province but Imamairi no Tsubone (his wet nurse), Karasuma Suketo (a favorite retainer), and Mochiie Arima (a close family attendant), collectively known as the Three Devils. Additionally, there was Ise Sadachika, who in a deal with kanrei Hatakeyama Mochikuni, raised Yoshimasa as a son. The worst may have been Hino Tomiko, and her family.

Hino Tomiko strengthened her position in 1459. Tomiko and Yoshimasa had a son who died very young. Tomiko accused Imamairi no Tsubone of killing the boy by putting a curse on him. She had Imamairi no Tsubone banished. After that Tomiko, the Hino family, and their allies gained ascendance in interfering with Yoshimasa’s rule.

While his wife and the Hino family, retainers and attendants, and others around the shogunate were thwarting his rule, there were several events that needed his undiluted attention. There were rebellions by Southern Court supporters, in Kamakura, and the Hatakeyama clan. In 1461, the Kansho Famine caused great starvation in Kyoto. Even Emperor Go-Hanazono’s admonished him to try to help the people, which he ignored. While these problems were serious, Yoshimasa was not the man to solve them. Instead Yoshimasa immersed himself in construction projects (noteworthy is the Hana-no-Gosho or Flower Palace, considered one of the great architecture creations of the times), the art form of sarugaku (acrobatics, music, tricks, magic, etc.), and drinking parties. In 1464, he decided to retire.

Yoshimasa was not much of a ruler but instead chose to devote his life to aesthetics. He retreated from the troubles of ruling to his retirement villa which later became known as Ginkaku-ji (the Temple of the Silver Pavilion). There he assembled a great number of the leading artists. Yoshimasa’s great cultural contribution was his support of Higashiyama Bunka (Eastern Mountain Culture).

Higashiyama Bunka artists’ artistic ideal and aesthetics were heavily influence by Zen Buddhism with the concept of wabi-sabi (beauty in simplicity). They furthered the development of chadō (Japanese tea ceremony), ikebana (flower arranging), Noh, and sumi-e (ink wash painting). Much of what is commonly thought of as Japanese culture originated or developed during this period.

Yoshimasa also hosted great painters, sponsoring Sesshū Tōyō (1420 –1506) the most prominent Japanese master of ink and wash painting.

The Ami family, who had originally been sponsored by Yoshimitsu, continued to play a great role in arts.  Noami was a companion of Yoshimasa during Yoshimitsu’s rule. Geiami (1431-85), the son of Noami, and Sōami (1455-1525), the grandson of Noami, continued as the arbiters of taste for the shogun.

By contrast to Higashiyama bunka is the Ōnin War (Ōnin no Ran, 1467–1477). These were some of the darkest days in Japan’s history and for Kyoto especially. Yoshimasa having no heirs by 1464 adopted his younger brother, the monk Yoshimi, and named him heir to the shogunate. While Yoshimi was being groomed to replace Yoshimasa, in 1465 Hino Tomiko gave birth to a son, Yoshihisa. The delighted father then chose the newborn to be his successor. Already at odds from a dispute over the succession of kanrei, two powerful shugo, Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Sōzen, picked different claimants. Hosokawa chose Yoshimi, with whom he already had a working relationship and Yamana Sōzen, after a personal appeal from Hino Tomiko, chose to back Yoshihisa.

The Ōnin War was unlike previous wars in Japan. Arson was the chief weapon – temples, mansions, and treasures of the ages were destroyed. During the hostilities, Yoshimasa was unwilling to relinquish his position to either party, but instead of ruling firmly, he immersed himself in cultural interests, drinking and renga poetry parties. He even moved to Ogawa mansion from Hana no Gosho to live separately from Tomiko and Yoshihisa. The war eventually involved all of Japan.

In the midst of on-going hostilities, Yoshimasa retired in 1473. He relinquished the position of seii tai shogun to his young son, Yoshihisa, who became the ninth shogun; but effectively, Yoshimasa continued to hold the reins of power.

As the war continued, fighting became barbaric. Kyoto was so devastated that the combatants moved to other areas for booty. In 1473, both Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Sōzen died and the fighting finally ended in 1477.  The exhausted armies dissolved and by 1477 open warfare ended. Yoshihisa inherited an empty city where Kyoto’s palaces were now fields, and the formerly powerful shugo had lost their authority over the local retainers who had assumed power or simply disappeared.

Perhaps Yoshimasa could have found a solution, but he was more interested in art than in ruling and during the conflict kept out of it by living in his retreat and devoting his time to the development of the Silver Pavilion and his entourage of artists. The Ōnin War was the start of Sengoku Jidai (the Warring States Period) that had severe consequences affecting Japan for over a century. (Good times produce weak men. Weak men make for bad times.)

Yoshimasa and Tomiko did not reconcile during the war years. After Hana no Gosho was burned down, Tomiko and Yoshihisa moved to Ogawa mansion and Yoshimasa left there to relocate to higashiyama. After the war, their relationship worsened to the point where there was Higashiyama-dono (Yoshimasa) as opposed to Muromachi-dono (Yoshihisa), and the policymaking government seemed to have been split into two bodies. Yoshimasa withdrew to cultural activities at Higashiyama-dono (also known as Higashiyama sanso villa). Yoshimasa’s building continued with Jisho-ji (the temple at Ginkaku-ji). It was modeled on Rokuon-ji Temple built by Yoshimitsu.

Eventually, as if to escape the tensions with Yoshihisa, Yoshimasa shaved his head, took tonsure as an ordained monk, and left the duties of government.

His last days

When Yoshimasa declared that Yoshihisa would be the next shogun, he naturally anticipated that his son would out-live him. But Yoshihisa died prematurely. In 1489, Yoshihisa died in battle attempting to quell a disturbance in Omi Province. Yoshimasa reassumed the power and responsibility he had wanted to lay aside. Tomiko opposed his return. Furthermore, Yoshimasa was stricken with paralysis making it difficult to do his duties. Yoshimasa made peace with his brother, Yoshimi, and adopted Yoshimi’s eldest son, Ashikaga Yoshiki (Yoshitane). In 1489, Yoshitane was installed as the 10^th Ashikaga shogun and Yoshimasa retired again.

Although Yoshitane did outlive Yoshimasa, his shogunate would prove short-lived. Yoshitane was succeeded by shogun Yoshizumi (Yoshimasa’s second adopted son). Yoshizumi’s progeny would directly succeed him as head of the shogunate.

In 1490, Yoshimasa died in his Higashiyama-dono estate. His posthumous name is Jishoin Kizan Dokei. He passed away without seeing the completion of Ginkaku-ji.  His death marks the beginning of the end of Higashiyama bunka.