Month: December 2022

The Onin War, Part I – A Family Dispute

Ashikaga Yoshimasa wanted to retire from the office of Shogun, so he chose his brother Yoshimi to be his successor. In 1465, however, his wife gave birth to a son. As two powerful clans each threw their weight behind a different candidate, war became imminent.

The Rising Tide

After Yoshimitsu, the Ashikaga Shoguns would all try their hand at keeping the powerful shugo-daimyo clans in line. Ashikaga Yoshinori went to extreme lengths to dominate them, but paid the ultimate price.

The Pax Ashikaga

In the closing years of the reign of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the Shogun would continue to reach ever higher for honors and titles which were usually reserved for sovereigns. He would also continue to refine Japan’s aesthetic tastes by patronizing Noh performances.

The Joseon Dynasty

As the Yuan Dynasty fled China, two factions emerged in the Korean government – one which supported Yuan restoration and one which acknowledged the new Ming Dynasty. As a result, the Goryeo Dynasty collapsed and in its place arose the Joseon Dynasty.

The Rise of the Ming Dynasty

As the Yuan Dynasty lost ground against rebel uprisings, a leader of the Red Turbans would eliminate his rivals until finally driving the Yuan out of Khanbaliq and founding the Ming Dynasty.

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The Fall of the Mongols

After Kublai Khan’s death, the Yuan Dynasty was divided by two rival factions – one who wanted total Mongol traditional rule and one who preferred Confucian government. The economic turmoil caused by these feuding parties gave rise, in part, to the Red Turban Rebellion.

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Shikata Ga Nai

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu retires… or does he? The Ouchi clan seizes its moment but faces off against the Shogun’s private army – the Hokoshu. We also explore the differences and similarities between the Muromachi Bakufu and the Kamakura Shogunate.

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