Muromachi Period

• Japanese: 室町時代 (Muromachi jidai)

The Muromachi Period, also known as the Ashikaga Period, covers the years during which the Ashikaga Bakufu controlled Japan. It runs from around 1333 (some say 1336) until 1573. The era began with turmoil, as the country divided itself between support of the Northern and Southern Imperial courts, while the Ashikaga shôguns consolidated their power, ruling from the Muromachi district of Kyôto. Eventually, the two lineages were reconciled, ending the civil war.

Eventually, the Bakufu began to lose authority in the provinces, becoming more insular. Regional powers grew up in the countryside, with daimyô taking de facto control as local lords. The countryside devolved into chaos, culminating in the Ônin War, opening the Sengoku Period.

The Ashikaga shôguns continued to rule in Kyôto, but had very little actual authority. The era eventually came to a close when Oda Nobunaga deposed the final shôgun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki.

References

• Sansom, George. A History of Japan 13334-1615. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1963.
• Hall, John Whitney. Government and Local Power in Japan 500 to 1700: A Study Based on Bizen Province". Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1966.
• Hall, John Whitney and Toyota, Takeshi. Japan in the Muromachi Age. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1977.

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