Yoshiakira Ashikaga

Japanese: 足利義詮 - あしかが・よしあきら

Year of death: 6th year of the Sadaharu era/7th December 22nd of Shohei era (28th December 1367)
Year of birth: Gentoku 2 (1330)
The second Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate. Born in Kamakura. The third son of Takauji, his mother was Akahashi Tomoko, the daughter of Hojo Hisatoki. His childhood name was Senjuo. In 1333, during the Genko Rebellion, Takauji headed westward, and he was detained in Kamakura with his mother as a hostage. He later fled to Shimotsuke, and when Nitta Yoshisada attacked Kamakura, he participated in Takauji's army as a representative of Takauji, even though he was only four years old. Thereafter, he spent his childhood in Kamakura. In 1350, the Kan'o Disturbance began, and when his uncle, Ashikaga Tadayoshi, who was the regent, was overthrown, he entered Kyoto in accordance with the terms of the peace treaty and took charge of government affairs. The following year, when Tadayoshi counterattacked and entered Kyoto, he fled to Tanba, and when Tadayoshi subsequently escaped to the Hokuriku region, he went down to the Southern Court with his father Takauji (Shohei Unification). Takauji then went east to defeat Tadayoshi and was put in charge of the defense of Kyoto, but in February of the following year, the Southern Army broke the agreement and invaded Kyoto, and after a fierce battle at Otokoyama, they fled to Kanao with the Imperial Regalia and the three retired emperors. In response to this, Yoshiakira recommended Empress Saionji Yasuko of Go-Fushimi as regent and supported her grandson Yahito (Go-Kogon) as emperor, and restored a lull by suppressing Tadafuyu's party and the Southern Army in Sanin, Hokuriku. In April of the 13th year of the Shohei era (13th year of the Enbun era), he was appointed Shogun. Since the Kan'o era, the Southern Army has often occupied Kyoto, but they have been repelled in a short time each time. After the downfall of the steward Hosokawa Kiyouji, he appointed Shiba Takatsune, and in the 18th year of the Shohei era (18th year of the Jōji era), he unified the Chugoku region by subjugating Ouchi Hiroyo and Yamana Tokiuji. In his later years, he invited Hosokawa Yoriyuki, the Shikoku Kanrei, to assist the infant successor Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. As a situationist, he abandoned Kyoto more than once, but he achieved great success in restoring the Northern Court even though it lacked the sacred treasures and the retired emperor, and in leading the Northern Court to dominance during the turmoil of the Northern and Southern Courts.

(Akira Imaya)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：貞治6/正平22.12.7(1367.12.28)
生年：元徳2(1330)
室町幕府第2代将軍。鎌倉に生まれる。尊氏の3男,母は北条久時の娘赤橋登子。幼名千寿王。正慶2/元弘3(1333)年の元弘の乱で尊氏が西上すると人質として母と共に鎌倉に抑留,のち下野に逃れ,新田義貞の鎌倉攻めには4歳の幼児ながら尊氏の名代として参軍,以後鎌倉で少年期を過ごした。観応1/正平5(1350)年に観応の擾乱が始まり,執政の叔父足利直義が失脚すると,講和条件に従って入京し政務を執る。翌年直義が反撃して入京すると丹波に逃れ,続いて直義が北陸に脱出すると父尊氏と共に南朝に下った(正平一統)。次いで尊氏は直義を討つため東下し,京都の守備を任されたが,翌年2月南軍は約を破って京都に侵入し,男山での激戦ののち神器と3上皇を奪って賀名生に逃げた。これに対して義詮は,後伏見の中宮西園寺寧子を治天に推して彼女の孫弥仁(後光厳)を天皇に擁立,直冬党や北陸山陰の南軍を抑えて小康状態を回復した。延文3/正平13年4月には父の死を受けて将軍に任官。観応以来しばしば南軍に京都占拠を許したがいずれも短期間に撃退,執事細川清氏失脚ののちは斯波高経を登用し,貞治2/正平18年には大内弘世,山名時氏を帰服させて中国地方を統一した。晩年は四国管領細川頼之を招き,幼少の後継足利義満の補佐を託した。状況主義者として一度ならず京都を放棄したが,神器も上皇も欠いたまま北朝の再建を果たし,南北朝動乱を北朝優勢に導いた功績は大きい。

(今谷明)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

<<: Yoshiuji Ashikaga

>>: Yoshiaki Ashikaga