Home Region: Northeast Asia (East Asia)

Ashikaga Shogunate

1336 CE 1467 CE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 jp_ashikaga / JpAshik

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

[continuity; Japan - Kemmu Restoration] [continuity] Update here

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

1467 CE 1568 CE Warring States Japan (jp_sengoku_jidai) [continuity]

Displayed:

Learn more about polity border choices. Map Modern Map only Opacity Year Play rate (y/s)
Hit enter after changing the year or setting the play rate.

General Description

The period between 1336 and 1467 CE in Japan is known by several different names but is referred to here as ’Muromachi Ashikaga’, a combination of two designations used in isolation in some sources. Muromachi, a district of Kyoto, was the base of the shogunate’s power, while Ashikaga is the name of the family who served as shoguns throughout the period. ^[1] The Muromachi Ashikaga period sometimes includes the sub-periods known as ’the Northern and Southern Courts’ and the ’Warring States’, although we have decided to separate the Warring States period into its own polity. ^[1]
The period begins with the disintegration of Emperor Go-Daigo’s brief ’Kenmu Restoration’, an unsuccessful attempt to restore direct imperial control in Japan, and the appointment of Ashikaga Takauji as shogun by another branch of the imperial line with the support of other disillusioned lords. ^[2] This initiated the divide between the Northern and Southern Courts (1336-1392 CE), both of which claimed to be the legitimate ruling authority. The Northern Court was located in Kyoto and headed by Emperor Komyo (from the senior imperial line) and the Ashikaga shoguns. The Southern Court was located at Yoshino and was the seat of the Emperor Go-Daigo (from the junior imperial line) and his supporters. ^[3]
The peak of the Ashikaga period corresponds to the reign of Shogun Yoshimitsu (r. 1368-1394 CE), who helped to broker the unification of the Northern and Southern Courts (1392 CE), with imperial succession reinstated through the Northern line. An able statesman, he helped advance many aspects of government and policy and was an active patron of the arts. ^[4] His death in 1408 left a power vacuum that enabled provincial lords to gain greater independence from the court and shogunate.
The Onin War (1467-1477 CE) effectively brought an end to this period, although the Ashikaga shogunate remained in power nominally until the overthrow of their last shogun by Oda Nobunaga in 1573. ^[5] This civil war, precipitated by economic problems, famine and conflicts over succession (both to the shogunate and to provincial military offices) initiated the period of instability known as the Warring States period. The conflict destroyed much of Kyoto, and spilled out into the provinces. ^[4]
Initially, the power of the Ashikaga Shogunate had theoretically extended throughout the main islands of Japan; however, by the time of the Onin War, the area under its direct control had shrunk to Kyoto and its hinterland. ^[6] ^[7] Despite this territorial disintegration, the ’idea’ of a larger unified culture did not disappear. ^[8]
Population and political organization
During the period of the Northern and Southern Courts, the respective imperial heads were nominally in power, while the Ashikaga shogunate controlled the government. In contrast to the preceding Kamakura military regime, the Ashikaga shoguns did not have absolute control: their power was in tension with ’other court families, other members of the military aristocracy, and the religious orders’. ^[9] Initially the Ashikaga shogunate retained much of the Kamakura administrative structure, even continuing to occupy the government buildings in Kamakura before moving their administration to the Muromachi district in 1378 CE. ^[10] Because the Ashikaga clan ’lacked significant landholdings and military might’, these shoguns relied on their relationships with powerful vassals and provincial military governors to enforce their policies and keep other lords in line. However, as personal ties of loyalty deteriorated over time, the control of the shogunate over powerful provincial lords loosened and the latter were able to increase their independence from the central government. ^[10] ^[11]
Population estimates for this period range from roughly 10 million around 1300 CE to approximately 17 million in 1500 CE. ^[12] ^[13]

[1]: (Deal 2005, 3) William E. Deal. 2005. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[2]: (Deal 2005, 88) William E. Deal. 2005. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[3]: (Deal 2005, 7) William E. Deal. 2005. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[4]: (Deal 2005, 8) William E. Deal. 2005. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[5]: (Deal 2005, 9) William E. Deal. 2005. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[6]: (Totman 1993, 3-4) Conrad Totman. 1993. Early Modern Japan. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

[7]: (Hall 2008, 216) John Whitney Hall. 2008. ’The Muromachi Bakufu’, in The Cambridge History of Japan, Vol. 3: Medieval Japan, edited by Kozo Yamamura, 231-59. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[8]: (Batten 1999, 175) Bruce Batten. 1999. ’Frontiers and Boundaries of Pre-Modern Japan’. Journal of Historical Geography 25 (2): 166-82.

[9]: (Hall 2008, 10) John Whitney Hall. 2008. ’Introduction’, in The Cambridge History of Japan, Vol. 4: Early Modern Japan, edited by Kozo Yamamura, 1-39. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[10]: (Deal 2005, 7-8) William E. Deal. 2005. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[11]: (Friday 2004, 59) Karl F. Friday. 2004. Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan. New York: Routledge.

[12]: (McEvedy and Jones 1978, 181) Colin McEvedy and Richard Jones. 1978. Atlas of World Population History. London: Penguin Books.

[13]: (Farris 2006, 94) William Wayne Farris. 2006. Japan’s Medieval Population: Famine, Fertility, and Warfare in a Transformative Age. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

5 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Scale of Supracultural Interaction

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

1 Religion Genus

1 Religion Family

1 Alternate Religion Genus

1 Alternate Religion Family

1 Alternate Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

3 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

2 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions

11 Power Transition

Instability Events

14 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga) was in:
(1336 CE 1466 CE)	Kansai

Home NGA: Kansai

General Variables

Identity and Location Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	53 S	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Original Name	Ashikaga Shogunate	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Capital	Kyoto	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Muromachi period	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Muromachi bakufu	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Ashikaga period	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Ashikaga Shogunate	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Ashikaga bakufu	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Temporal Bounds Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[1368 CE ➜ 1394 CE]
Loading...

Duration	[1336 CE ➜ 1467 CE]
Loading...

Political and Cultural Relations Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	nominal allegiance to [---]	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Supracultural Entity	Japanese	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Succeeding Entity	Japan - Sengoku Jidai	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Scale of Supracultural Interaction	3,900,000 km²	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Preceding Entity	continuity; Japan - Kemmu Restoration [continuity] Update here
Loading...

Succeeding Entity 1467 CE 1568 CE	Warring States Japan (jp_sengoku_jidai) [continuity]
Loading...

Degree of Centralization	confederated state	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Language Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Japonic	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Language	Middle Japanese	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Religion Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Shinto	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Religion Family	Japanese State Shinto	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Alternate Religion Genus	Buddhism	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Alternate Religion Family	Japanese Buddhism	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Alternate Religion	Uncoded Undecided	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	150,000 people	1400 CE 1450 CE
Loading...

Population of the Largest Settlement	40,000 people	1500 CE
Loading...

Population of the Largest Settlement	100,000 people	1550 CE
Loading...

Polity Territory	295,000 km²	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Polity Population	12,500,000 people	1400 CE
Loading...

Polity Population	17,000,000 people	1500 CE
Loading...

Hierarchical Complexity Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	6	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Religious Level	2	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Military Level	[5 to 6]	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Administrative Level	[6 to 7]	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Professions Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Professional Priesthood	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Professional Military Officer	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Bureaucracy Characteristics Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Merit Promotion	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Examination System	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Law Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Judge	Uncoded Undecided	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Formal Legal Code	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Court	Unknown Suspected	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Specialized Buildings: polity owned Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Irrigation System	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Food Storage Site	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Drinking Water Supply System	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Transport Infrastructure Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Port	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Canal	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Bridge	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Special-purpose Sites Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Information / Writing System Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Script	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Nonwritten Record	Unknown Suspected	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Non Phonetic Writing	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Mnemonic Device	Unknown Suspected	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Information / Kinds of Written Documents Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Sacred Text	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Religious Literature	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Practical Literature	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Philosophy	Absent Inferred	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Lists Tables and Classification	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

History	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Fiction	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Calendar	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Information / Money Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Uncoded Undecided	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Precious Metal	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Paper Currency	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Indigenous Coin	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Foreign Coin	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Article	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Information / Postal System Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

General Postal Service	Present Inferred	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Courier	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Information / Measurement System Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent Inferred	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Modern Fortification	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Moat	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Earth Rampart	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Ditch	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Complex Fortification	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Long Wall	unknown Suspected	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Military use of Metals Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Iron	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Copper	Present Inferred	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Bronze	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Projectiles Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent Inferred	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Sling Siege Engine	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Sling	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Self Bow	Absent Inferred	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Javelin	Unknown Suspected	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Handheld Firearm	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Crossbow	Unknown Suspected	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Composite Bow	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Atlatl	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Handheld weapons Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present Inferred	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Sword	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Spear	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Polearm	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Dagger	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Battle Axe	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Animals used in warfare Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Elephant	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Donkey	Absent Inferred	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Dog	Absent Inferred	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Camel	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Armor Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Shield	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Scaled Armor	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Plate Armor	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Limb Protection	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Leather Cloth	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Laminar Armor	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Helmet	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Chainmail	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Naval technology Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent	1336 CE 1467 CE
Loading...

Human Sacrifice Ashikaga Shogunate (jp_ashikaga)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More