home

=​ The Muromachi Period   The Muromachi period, which lasted from 1333 to 1573, was an era not only exposed to a burst of creativity and change, but betrayal, enemies and war. The military, which played a huge part in the outstanding events during the Muromachi period, was responsible for many remarkable achievements in Japan. But of course, you can't have a military without a source of authority. The success of a Japanese civilaztion is dependent on who is in control; the shogun. = __Terms to be Familiar With:__ - the hereditary commander of the Japanese army who has complete rule and power as an emperor. - a Japanese form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator and is not restricted by any laws or constitution. - provincial warlords =Go-Daigo's Revolt = == ==
 * ===== Shogun =====
 * ===== Shogunate =====
 * Daimyo

Many changes relating to the Japanese military were not actually taken place during the Muromachi period, but were developed during the previous era; the Kamakura period. Go-Daigo, the 96th emperor of Japan, sought out to destroy the power and authority of the Kamakura Shogunate because before he inherited the throne, the shogun had been the major authority, and to be frank, the new emperor was but a puppet in the shogun’s power. The emperor, believing that he had a right to more power made a plan to overthrow the Hojo clan’s shogunal government, but he failed miserably and was exiled and disposed of at the Oki Islands. When Go-Daigo was in exile, his loyalists kept his cause alive, and when he returned to the mainland, the Hojo clan’s authority had been overthrown by Ashikaga Takauji, a military general. Go-Daigo, with some success restored a direct rule for himself as emperor. Go-Dasigo’s reign lasted from 1318 to 1339. His new regime ended up alienating the loyalists, especially Ashikaga Takauji, and in 1335 he began to revolt. Go-Daigo’s power was quickly disintegrating, and he soon died after Takauji was entitle as the new shogun in 1338; the beginning of success for the Muromachi period. = Ashikaga Takauji =

The Ashikaga-bakufu, also known as known as the as the Ashikaga shogunate, was a feudal military dictatorship ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga family, and lasted from 1336 to 1573. The time that the Ashikaga family ruled was known as the Muromachi period. It’s name derived from the Muromachi area of Kyoto, where the third Shogun made residence.

The founder of the Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga Takauji, originally sided with the emperor in hopes to overthrow the power of the Hojo clan's shogunate, and ended up becoming one of the most powerful shoguns in Japan. Because of this close relationship to the emperor, the Ashikagas had more military connections, and were able to share governmental authority with the imperial government.

It is true though that most of the local power remained with the daimyo, the provincial warlords. This meant that the military power of the Ashikaga shogunate greatly depended on the daimyo’s loyalty with the Ashikaga family. Unfortunately, the daimyos frequently fought amongst each other, and became unstable, which in return greatly weakened the relationship between them and the Ashikaga family. Conflict soon heated, culminating the Onin War from 1467 to 77. The war destroyed Kyoto and the shogunate’s power, and caused the country to experience a century of constant warfare and social chaos.