Ryūzōji Clan
The Ryūzōji clan (龍造寺氏) emerged as influential provincial leaders in western Kyūshū from the late 12th century until the end of the 16th century, rising from estate stewards to daimyō. The origins of...
View ArticleMatsudaira Ietada (1555-1600)
Matsudaira Ietada (松平家忠, 1555-1600), also known by his official title Tonomo no Suke, was a samurai of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (安土桃山時代, 1568-1600) and a senior retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康,...
View ArticleMatsudaira Sadanobu (1758-1829)
Matsudaira Sadanobu (松平定信, 1759-1829) was a daimyō of the Shirakawa domain (now part of Fukushima Prefecture) and served as senior councillor (rōjū) of the Tokugawa shogunate. He is best remembered as...
View ArticleMatsudaira Tadanao (1595-1650)
Matsudaira Tadanao (松平忠直, 1595-1650) was a prominent daimyō (大名) of the early Edo period (江戸時代, 1603-1868), and a grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康, 1543-1616), the founding shōgun (将軍) of the Tokugawa...
View ArticleYūki Clan
The Yūki clan (結城氏) was a prominent warrior family that rose to the status of daimyō (大名), with its influence spanning from the Kamakura period (1185-1333) through to the Edo period (1600–1868). The...
View ArticleMatsudaira Tadayoshi (1580–1607)
Matsudaira Tadayoshi (松平忠吉, 1580-1607), the fourth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康, 1543-1616), grew up in the shadow of one of Japan's most formidable political architects—the man who would go on to...
View ArticleMaruyama Ōkyo (1733-1795)
Maruyama Ōkyo (円山応挙, 1733-1795), born Maruyama Masataka (円山政常) and also known as Maruyama Mondo (円山文度), was an Edo-era painter and the founder of the Maruyama school (円山派). He is celebrated for...
View ArticleMatsudaira Yoshinaga (1828-1890)
Matsudaira Yoshinaga (松平慶永, 1828-1890), also known by the names Matsudaira Keiei and his literary pseudonym Shungaku (春嶽), was the daimyō of the Fukui domain (越前藩 Echizen han), located in what is today...
View ArticleAshikaga Takauji (1305-1358)
Ashikaga Takauji (足利尊氏, 1305-1358) was a 14th-century military leader who founded the Muromachi shogunate (室町幕府), Japan's second warrior-led government, which endured from 1338 to 1573. He hailed from...
View ArticleAshikaga Tadayoshi (1306–1352)
Ashikaga Tadayoshi (足利直義, 1306–1352) was a pivotal military and political figure during the turbulent Nambokuchō period (南北朝時代, 1336-1392), serving as both the trusted younger brother and closest...
View ArticleNitta Clan
The Nitta family was a prominent bushi (武士) lineage that traced its origins to Minamoto no Yoshishige (源義重, 1135-1202), a grandson of the Minamoto no Yoshiie (源義家, 1039-1106), himself a legendary...
View ArticleNitta Yoshisada (1301-1338)
Nitta Yoshisada (新田義貞, 1301-1338) was a prominent military figure who straddled the end of the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and the early years of the Muromachi period (1336-1573). He belonged to the...
View ArticleKusunoki Masashige (1294-1336)
Kusunoki Masashige (楠木正成, 1294-1336) was a military chieftain hailing from Kawachi Province (河内国), an area now incorporated into modern-day Ōsaka Prefecture. Masashige rose to prominence as a staunch...
View ArticleAshikaga Yoshiakira (1330-1368)
Ashikaga Yoshiakira (足利義詮, 1330-1368), the second shōgun of the Muromachi shogunate, held power from 1358 until 1367. He was the eldest son of Ashikaga Takauji (足利尊氏, 1305-1358), the founder of the...
View ArticleAshikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1408)
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (足利義満, 1358-1408), the third shōgun of the Muromachi bakufu, is widely regarded as the most powerful and flamboyant of the Ashikaga rulers. In 1367, at the age of ten, he succeeded...
View ArticleAshikaga Yoshimochi (1386-1428)
Ashikaga Yoshimochi (足利義持, 1386-1428), the fourth shōgun of the Muromachi bakufu, assumed the title in 1395 at the age of nine following the abdication of his father, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (足利義満,...
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Ashikaga Yoshikazu (1407-1425)
Ashikaga Yoshikazu (足利義量, 1407-1425) served as the fifth shōgun of the Muromachi bakufu for a brief period from 1423 to 1425. He was the eldest son of Ashikaga Yoshimochi (足利義持, 1386–1428). He was...
View ArticleBanna-ji Temple
Bannaji Temple (鑁阿寺) stands at the heart of Ashikaga City in Tochigi Prefecture and is by far the most celebrated and historically resonant Buddhist temple in the area. Nestled within the city's urban...
View ArticleAshikaga Yoshiyasu (1125–1157)
Ashikaga Yoshiyasu (足利 義康, 1125-1157)—also known as Minamoto no Yoshiyasu (源義康)—was a warrior of the late Heian period and is widely recognised as the founding ancestor of the Ashikaga clan (足利氏). He...
View ArticleOrihime Shrine
Orihime Shrine (織姫神社), also known locally as Ashikaga Orihime Shrine (足利織姫神社), perches on the slopes of Mount Orihime in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture. Celebrated as the guardian of Ashikaga's...
View ArticleAshikaga Yoshinori (1394-1441)
Ashikaga Yoshinori (足利義教, 1394-1441) was the sixth shōgun of the Muromachi shogunate, ruling from 1429 until his assassination in 1441. Born as the fourth son of shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (足利義満,...
View ArticleAshikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439)
Ashikaga Mochiuji (足利 持氏, 1398-1439), the fourth Kamakura Kubō (鎌倉公方), was an influential yet controversial figure in the late Muromachi period. He succeeded his father, Ashikaga Mitsukane (足利満兼;...
View ArticleAshikaga Yoshikatsu (1434-1443)
Ashikaga Yoshikatsu (足利義勝, 1434-1443), the seventh shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate, was born in 1434 as the long-awaited first son of Ashikaga Yoshinori (足利義教, 1394-1441), the sixth shōgun, and his...
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Ashikaga Flower Park
Ashikaga Flower Park: Japan's Wisteria Wonderland While Japan is world-famous for its fleeting sakura (cherry blossoms), another flower has quietly captured the hearts of travellers in spring: fuji (藤,...
View ArticleAshikaga Travel Guide
Ashikaga (足利市 Ashikaga-shi), located in the southwest of Tochigi Prefecture, is a historic and culturally rich city, offering a charming blend of tradition, nature, and heritage. Some eighty kilometres...
View ArticleAshikaga Yoshimasa (1436-1490)
Ashikaga Yoshimasa (足利義政, 1436-1490), the eighth shōgun of the Muromachi shogunate (室町幕府, 1338-1573), presided over one of the most culturally rich yet politically disastrous periods in Japanese...
View ArticleTsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Tsurugaoka Hachimangū (鶴岡八幡宮) stands as the spiritual and cultural heart of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture—a city once at the centre of Japan's medieval warrior government. Overlooking the former...
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Ashikaga Yoshihisa (1465-1489)
Ashikaga Yoshihisa (足利義尚, 1465-1489), the ninth shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate, held power during one of the most tumultuous periods of the Muromachi era. Born on 11 December 1465, he was the only...
View ArticleAshikaga Yoshimi (1439-1491)
Ashikaga Yoshimi (足利義視, 1439-1491), the fourth son of the sixth shōgun Ashikaga Yoshinori (義教, 1394-1441), was born into the height of Muromachi political authority but lived through its...
View ArticleAshikaga Yoshitane (1466-1523)
Ashikaga Yoshitane (足利義稙, 1466-1523), named initially Ashikaga Yoshiki (足利義材), was the tenth shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate. He ruled twice, first from 1490 to 1493 and again from 1508 to 1521,...
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