Yoshitsugu Ashikaga

Japanese: 足利義嗣 - あしかが・よしつぐ

Year of death: January 24, 1418 (March 1, 1418)
Year of birth: 1394
A military commander in the Muromachi period. Son of Yoshimitsu and younger brother of Yoshimochi. His mother was Kasuga no Tsubone, daughter of Settsu Yoshihide, a member of the council of the Muromachi shogunate. Yoshimitsu had many children, and all of his sons, except for his eldest son Yoshimochi, were appointed as head priests of powerful temples in accordance with the policy of controlling temples and shrines, and were expected to become high-ranking monks. Yoshitsugu also entered Sanzen-in Temple at a young age and became a young boy. However, at the end of Oei 13 (1406), Yoshimitsu, who had made his eldest wife Yasuko a quasi-mother and decided that his plan to usurp the throne had reached the execution stage, chose Yoshitsugu as his successor to the throne, had him return to secular life, made Yasuko's adopted son, and had him live in the Kitayama Daiminamigosho. From then on, Yoshitsugu was called Minamigosho Wakamune. In February of the same year, following the example of Fujiwara Tadazane, he entered the palace as a child (entering the palace in the guise of a child), was given the name Yoshitsugu, and was promoted to Junior Fifth Rank. In March of the same year, Yoshimitsu invited Emperor Gokomatsu to make a visit to Kitayama, a ceremony modeled on the morning visits in which Yoshimitsu, as the retired emperor, welcomed the emperor, and also introduced Yoshitsugu to the people as the next emperor. Yoshitsugu received the cup of sake and danced in a basin held by a court official. During the visit, Yoshitsugu was appointed Left Horse Captain, and after his return, he was promoted to Left Middle Captain, Junior Fourth Rank Lower. On the 25th of the following month, he came of age at the Imperial Palace in accordance with the coming-of-age ceremony for princes, and was invested with the ranks of Councillor and Junior Third Rank. After that, he was referred to as Wakamiya by the nobles, and all he had to do was wait for Gokomatsu to accept him as a Zen priest, but on May 6th, Yoshimitsu suddenly died, and the usurpation attempt was aborted. In the 18th year, he was promoted to Gon Dainagon, Junior Second Rank, but distrust arose between him and Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimochi, and he was incited to rebellion in the Kitabatake Mitsumasa Rebellion in 1890 and the Uesugi Zenshu Rebellion the following year. In October of the same year, he fled to Jingo-ji Temple, but was captured, imprisoned, and later murdered. He was important as the first person of samurai lineage to be appointed to the throne.

(Akira Imaya)

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

Japanese:

没年：応永25.1.24(1418.3.1)
生年：応永1(1394)
室町時代の武将。義満の子で義持の弟。母は室町幕府評定衆摂津能秀の娘(春日局)。義満には子女が多く,嫡男義持を除き男子は寺社掌握策に従って有力寺院の門跡に入れられ,高僧の地位を期待された。義嗣も幼少にして三千院に入室,稚児となった。しかし応永13(1406)年末,嫡妻康子を准母となし皇位簒奪計画が実行段階に至ったと判断した義満は,皇位継承者として義嗣に白羽の矢を立て,還俗させて康子の猶子とし,北山第南御所に住まわせた。以後義嗣は南御所若公と称された。同15年2月,藤原忠実に倣って童殿上(童形での参内)を遂げ,義嗣と命名されて従五位下に叙された。同3月,義満は後小松天皇に北山第行幸を仰いだが,この儀式は義満が上皇として天皇を迎える朝勤行幸に倣い,かつ義嗣を次期天皇として諸人に披露するものであった。義嗣は天盃を受けて廷臣蹲踞のなかで舞踏し,この行幸中左馬頭に任官,還幸後,従四位下左中将に上る。翌月25日内裏で親王元服に準拠して元服,参議,従三位に叙任。以後公家から若宮と称され,後小松から受禅を待つばかりとなったが,5月6日義満が急死し簒奪は未遂に終わる。同18年,従二位権大納言に上るが将軍足利義持との間に不信を生じ,同22年の北畠満雅の乱,翌年の上杉禅秀の乱に謀反を唆された。同年10月神護寺に出奔したが捕らえられ,幽囚ののち殺害される。武家の身で初めて皇位に擬せられた人物として重要。

(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

<<: Yoshihisa Ashikaga

>>: Yoshichika Ashikaga