Muromachi Era: 1333-1587

Go-Daigo once again raised an army and in 1333 re-entered the Kyoto and took over the Imperial Palace once again. There was one Emperor already there, Emperor Kogon, and he treated him well and in effect turning him into an ex-Emperor.

One of the major Bakufu armies was under the command of Takauji, who acted like he was going to attack and capture Go-Daigo but, instead, switched sides, throwing his weight to Go-Daigo's cause. A series of military encounters occurred and, in the end, Takauji's army defeated the western Bakufu force. This ended the line of Kamakura Shoguns.

The Ashikaga(Muromachi) shogunate began with the granting of the title Seii-Taishogun to Ashikaga Takauji by the Northern Court. This came about because the samurai had fought well but were not rewarded. Discontent spread and the Emperor Go-Daigo took the chance to gather the complaining groups together, raised an army and defeated the regent Hojo. The Northern and Southern Courts were reunified in 1392 and the shogunate was fully recognized.

The Emperor did not learn from history, though, and he rewarded the nobles first, thus again leading to discontent among the samurai. This ended with the Emperor being driven away from Kyoto and the establishment of the Muromachi Shogunate. Ashikaga Takauji put his own choice for Emperor into position and thus ended up with being granted power by an "official" Emperor.

Takauji got together a group of scholars and other important officials to determine just what the principles of a good government should be. They ended up with the Kammu Shikimoku, a list of 17 things to help deal with current problems. The vast majority of these were extremely practical, excellent guides for virtually any government. The articles included:

1. Enjoin the economy

2. Condemn drinking and gambling

3. Order must be kept and crimes of violence must be punished

4,5: (relating to previous fighting). Property was not to be confiscated without careful inquiry; rewards and punishments were to be based on individual cases, and there was to be no indiscriminate punishment of former enemies.

6. Fireproof construction was to be used in all rebuilding efforts.

7. The Office of Constable was to go to men of special integrity and ability

8. Interference by courtiers, palace women and monks was to end.

9. Discipline must be kept among public servants.

10. There was to be no bribery.

11. Presents given to palace functionaries and government officials were to be sent back.

12. Personal attendants to the Emperor and the Shogun were to be selected for merit.

13. Ceremonies must be performed with distinctions of rank maintained.

14. Good service should be rewarded.

15. Those in authority must listen to the complaints of the poor and lowly.

16. Claims and petitions of monasteries and shrines were to be carefully examined to see which ones were really true.

17. Justice must be firm and prompt, without needless delays or ambiguous judgments.

Again, almost every one of those would serve as excellent guiding principles even for today's governments.

Go-Daigo once again escaped in January of 1337. He declared himself the one, true Emperor. This period of time is called Nanbokucho, or the "north and south dynasties" period. This lasted until 1392 when the Northern and Southern Courts were reunited.

The War of Onin was a major civil war lasting from 1467 to 1477. Two daimyo, Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Souzen began the fighting. This was the result of very complex inter-house rivalries. The fighting between houses was reflected in various fights between other major daimyo houses. Very basically this fight led to chaos throughout the country as other similar fights broke out. In 1477 an armistice was declared between the house Hosokawa and the house Yamana, but even though the war itself had ended the fighting between various daimyo continued.

The feudal system involved daimyo (feudal lords), each of which had their own groups of samurai. Over time the authority of the Shogunate decreased as more and more actual power shifted to the daimyos.

On the positive side the arts flourished. Flower arrangement, the Tea Ceremony, Noh and the Kano school of painting all did well. The kare-sansui style of symbolic gardening began during this period.

The Tea Ceremony, though, influenced other things such as pottery, iron casting, lacquer and bamboo-making.

As far as architecture goes, few of the buildings survive today due to the Onin civil war. The shonin-zukuri style of architecture from this period was the forerunner of the present-day Japanese house with tatami mats covering the floors.

As European influence in Japan increased and new foods including sweet potatoes and peppers were introduced into the Japanese diet. Namban (a type of sweets), tempura (deep frying) and use of meat also began to increase due to Western influences.

The Golden Pavilion, Rokuon-ji, Kyoto. The building was originally built by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu for his retirement. After he died it was turned into a Buddhist temple but most of the buildings associated with it were destroyed by fire or moved to other locations. In 1950 this building was burned down by a crazed Monk.

Particular dates of importance

1333-1392: Referred to as the Epoch of the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

1333: Fall of the Hojo Regency and the Kamakura Bukufu

1334: Godaigo overthrows Kamakura Shogunate and restores imperial power.

1336-1348: Northern Court Emperor Komyo

1336: Takauji is appointed Acting Grand Counselor.

1336: Emperor Godaigo establishes Southern Court at Yoshino. Kyoto becomes the Northern court.

1136: Battle of Tatarahama.

1136: Battle of Minatogawa

1338: Takanuji appointed shogun. The Ashikaga shogunate is set up in Kyoto. Political chaos followed until the 15th century.

1138: Battle of Fujishima

1339: Death of Go-Daigo

1339-1368: Emperor Go-Murakami

1348-1351: Northern Court Emperor Suko

1350: The drinking of tea is prohibited by the Shogun.

1351: Tadayoshi attempts to effect a reconciliation between the Courts

1352: Tadayoshi killed by Takauji. The loyalists capture Kyoto

1353: Takauji recaptures Kamakura and Kyoto

1358: Takauji dies. Ashikaga Yoshiakira appointed Shogun

1362: Southern Army attacks Kyoto.

1351-1371: Northern Court Emperor Go-Kogon

1368: Ashikaga Yoshimitsu appointed Shogun. Mind dynasty founded in China.

1369: First mission from Ming China arrives in Kyushu

1371-1382: Northern Court Emperor Go-Enyu

1368-1383:Emperor Chokei

1382-1392: Northern Court Emperor Go-Komatsu

1383-1392: Emperor Go-Kameyama

1384: Kanami, creator of Noh drama, dies.

1392: reunification of northern and southern courts by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

1394: Ashikaga Yoshimochi named Shogun

1392-1412: Emperor Go-Komatsu

1397: Golden Pavilion is completed.

1400: Zeami finishes the Book of Noh Theory (Kadensho)

1404: Shogunate allows ships to trade with Chinese Mind Dynasty.

1411: Yoshimochi breaks off relations with China

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1412-1428: Emperor Shoko

1420: Serious famine with great loss of life1422: Ashikaga Yoshikazu becomes Shogun

1425: Another famine, this time also with a plague

1429: Ashikaga Yoshinori becomes Shogun.

1432: Yoshinori resumes trade with China

1441: Yoshinori murdered by Akamatsu. Akamatsu killed by Yamana. Ashikaga Yoshikatsu becomes Shogun.

1443: Ashikaga Yoshikatsu dies and Ashikaga Yoshimasa becomes Shogun. Kyoto attacked by rioters.

1428-1464: Emperor Go-Hanazono

1464-1500: Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado

1467: Start of Onin wars.

1473: Yoshimasa retires

1477: End of the Onin War

1488: Ikko sect of Buddhists take power in Kaga province

1489: Silver Pavilion is completed.

1490: Ashikaga Yoshitane becomes Shogun upon Yoshimasa's death

1493: Yoshitane abdicates

1197: Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple is completed

1500-1526: Emperor Go-Kashiwabara

1523: Official trade with China is suspended

1524: Siege of Edo castle, a Hojo victory. The castle was where the Imperial Palace now stands in Tokyo

1526-1537: Emperor Go-Nara

1535: Battle of Idano. Matsudaira Kiyoyasu was murdered by one of his vassals. His grandson was Tokugawa Ieyasu.

1537-1586: Emperor Ogimachi

1537: Siege of Musashi-Matsuyama, a Hojo victory.

1538: First battle of Konodai, another Hojo victory.

1542/1543: Portuguese merchants and navigators arrive in Japan. They introduced firearms which the Japanese learned quickly to make and use. The name of one of the Portuguese explorers is Rodriguez.

1542: Battle of Sezawa. A variety of forces challenges the army of Takeda Shingen but loses.

1542: Battle of Uehara castle, another Takeda Shingen victory.

1542: One day after the above victory Takeda Shingen's forces win the siege of Kuwabara castle. This was followed by other victories including the siege of Fukyou, the battle of Ankokuji and the siege of Nagakubo in 1543.

1543: Portuguese traders land on the island of Tanegashima

1544: The siege of Kojinyama, another Shingen victory.

1545: Japanese pirates stage large-scale raids on China

1545: Batlte of Kawagoe, a Hojo victory.

1546: Further Takeda Shingen victories include the siege of Uchiyama and the battle of Odaihara.

1547: Siege of Shika, another Shingen victory. Shingen had 300 severed heads of defeated soldiers put on display in front of the garrison he was attacking.

1548: Last official trade voyage to Ming China

1548:The battle of Uedahara, the first defeat Shingen had ever suffered. He rallied, though, and won the battle of Shiojiritoge a short time later.

1549: St. Francis Xavier becomes the first Christian missionary to visit Japan.

1549: siege of Kajiki. This saw the first use of firearms developed from Portuguese firearms.

1551: Francis Xavier introduces eyeglasses to Japan.

1553: Siege of Katsurao, first of another string of victories by Takeda Shingen.

1554: More Takeda Shingen victories including the siege of Kiso Fukushima, the siege of Kannomine and the siege of Matsuo.

1555: Japanese pirates besiege Nanking

1557: Takeda Shingen's forces capture Katsurayama.

1558: Siege of Terahe: This is the first battle that Tokugawa Ieyasu took part in. His forces were eventually driven off.

1559: The siege of Odaka, Tokugawa Ieyasu's first victory.

1560 Siege of Marune, another Tokugawa Ieyasu victory, one in which his forces made good use of guns.

1560: Victory of Oda Nobunaga at Okehazama

1561: The battle of Moribe, a victory of Oda Nobunga.

1562: Siege of Kaminojo, another Tokugawa Ieyasu victory. In this one he made good use of ninjas.

1565: Murder of Ashikaga Yoshiteru. The Emperor orders the Jesuits to leave the country

1565: Siege of Kuragano castle, a Takeda Shingen victory.

1568: Ashikaga Yoshiaki is named Shogun.

1568: Oda Nobunaga enters Kyoto.

1569: Siege of Kakegawa, a technical victory for Tokugawa Ieyasu. Instead of a prolongued battle this one was ended by negotiation.

1569: Takeda Shingen's luck begins to run out. He does not succeed in taking Hachigata castle or Odawara castle. At the battle of Mimasetoge his forces are outnumbered 2:1 and they bravely fought their way though to escape.

1570: Port of Nagasaki is opened to overseas trade

1570: Takeda Shingen returns to victory with the siege of Hanazawa.

1571: The attack on Mount Hiei in which Oda Nobunaga's forces massacred men, women and children in an attack on the monastic complex. Around 20,000 were killed.

1571:The daimyo Omura Sumitada opens Nagasaki to Portuguese shipping

1572: The battle of Mikata go Hara in which Tokugawa Ieyasu at first suffers a terrible defeat (he was outnumbered by 3:1), but through a clever trick and a surprise attack he managed to drive off the forces under Takeda Shingen.

1573: End of Ashikaga shogunate

1573: Death of Takeda Shingen, killed by a sniper.

1573: A variety of Oda Nobuna victories including the siege of Hikida castle, Odani castle and Ichijo castle.

1574: Another gruesome victory by Oda Nobunga when his forges take Nagashima and kill some 20,000 troops by burning them to death in their own castles instead of accepting a surrender.

1575: The battle of Nagashino in which Oda Nobunga's forces face off against forces under Takeda Shingen's son. Oda Nobunga's forces win decisively, inflicting a 67% casualty rate on Takeda Katsuyori's forces.

1576: Oda Nobunaga builds Azuchi Castle

1582: Oda Nobunaga's death. Hideyoshi wins the battle at Yamazaki.

1583: Hideyoshi wins the battle at Shizugatake. General Toyotomi Hideyoshi lays the foundation of Osaka Castle

1583: Foundation of Osaka Castle is laid by T+ 7oyotomi Hideyoshi.

1584: Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu have a conflict in Owari. Spanish galleon arrives in Hirado.

1584 (?) The Tea Ceremony becomes codified by Sen-no-Rikkyu.

1585: Hideyoshi becomes Regent.

1586: Hideyoshi becomes Chancellor.

p>1586-1611: Emperor Go-Yozei

1587: Hideyoshi's edict expelling the Jesuits. Osaka Castle is finished

Kakemono by Tensho Shubun, 1415-1460 entitled Before the House of a Recluse.



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