Ashikaga Takauji
Founder of the Ashikaga shogunate and first shōgun of the Muromachi period
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Ashikaga Takauji, also called Minamoto no Takauji, lived from 1305 to June 7, 1358 (his exact birth date is not reliably recorded in primary sources). He was a samurai, a daimyo, and the founder of the Ashikaga shogunate, serving as its first shōgun from 1338 until his death. This period is known as the Muromachi period. He traced his male lineage to the Seiwa Genji line of the Minamoto clan, descendants of Emperor Seiwa who had settled in the Ashikaga region of Shimotsuke Province, now Tochigi Prefecture.
The Zen master Musō Soseki, a collaborator and favorite of Takauji, noted three traits in him: he stayed calm in battle and feared no death; he was merciful and tolerant; and he was very generous toward those beneath him. Because he rose to power by betraying former masters—the Kamakura shogunate and Emperor Go-Daigo—some later Edo-period writers influenced by Confucian ideals labeled him one of Japan's Three Great Villains, a group that also included Dōkyō and Taira no Kiyomori, all criticized for lacking loyalty to the throne. However, this grouping is not a standard or widely recognized classification in mainstream Japanese historiography.
As a child, Takauji was called Matagorō. In 1333, as a general for the Kamakura shogunate, he was sent to Kyoto to suppress the Genkō War, which had started in 1331. Growing disillusioned with the shogunate, he switched sides, joining the exiled Emperor Go-Daigo and Kusunoki Masashige to capture Kyoto. Soon after, Nitta Yoshisada joined them and besieged Kamakura. When the city fell, the shogunal regent Hōjō Takatoki and his clan committed suicide, ending the Kamakura shogunate and Hōjō power. Go-Daigo was restored as emperor, reestablishing imperial court authority in Kyoto and beginning the Kenmu Restoration.
But samurai clans soon grew unhappy with the restored court, which aimed to revive Heian-period social and political systems. As the new government faltered, Takauji gained samurai support, seen as someone who could restore feudal rule. Prince Moriyoshi (also Morinaga), favored by the court, became a political rival. In July 1334, Takauji heard rumors Moriyoshi planned to attack him and sent armed men to guard his mansion. Months later, Takauji had Moriyoshi arrested, and in August 1335, his brother Ashikaga Tadayoshi ordered his execution.
In 1335, Hōjō Tokiyuki, son of Takatoki, launched the Nakasendai re
- born
- 1305 (exact date unknown)
- died
- June 7, 1358
- field
- Military, politics
- nationality
- Japanese
- known_for
- Founder and first shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate; key figure in the Nanbokuchō (Northern and Southern Court) period
Lore & Background
Takauji was a general of the Kamakura shogunate sent to Kyoto in 1333 to suppress the Genkō War. After becoming disillusioned with the shogunate, he joined the exiled Emperor Go-Daigo and seized Kyoto. Soon after, Nitta Yoshisada laid siege to Kamakura, leading to the fall of the Kamakura shogunate and the suicide of Hōjō Takatoki. Go-Daigo was re-enthroned, beginning the Kenmu Restoration. However, samurai grew disillusioned with the imperial court's attempts to return to Heian-era systems, and Takauji gained their favor. He arrested Prince Moriyoshi in 1335, and his brother Ashikaga Tadayoshi ordered the prince's execution. Takauji later put down the Nakasendai rebellion led by Hōjō Tokiyuki, taking Kamakura for himself. He was officially appointed Sei-i Taishōgun in 1338 by the Northern Court and distributed land to his followers, leading to conflict with Go-Daigo.
Reader's Guide
Ashikaga Takauji's significance lies in his role as the founder of the Ashikaga shogunate, which ushered in the Muromachi period. His rise to power involved betraying both the Kamakura shogunate and Emperor Go-Daigo, earning him a reputation as one of Japan's Three Great Villains among Confucian-minded historians due to perceived lack of loyalty to the throne. His actions directly caused the Northern and Southern Court period, a nearly 60-year conflict with two rival emperors. Despite this, Zen master Musō Soseki praised his coolness in battle, mercy, and generosity. Takauji's legacy is complex: he ended one shogunate and started another, but his methods created lasting political division. His son Yoshiakira succeeded him, and his grandson Yoshimitsu eventually reunited the courts in 1392.
Did You Know?
- Takauji was also known as Minamoto no Takauji, being a male-line descendant of the Seiwa Genji line.
- He is considered one of Japan's Three Great Villains, alongside Dōkyō and Taira no Kiyomori.
- His Buddhist name was Tojiinden Niyama Myogi dai koji Chojuji-dono.
- The 40-volume epic Taiheiki details his story from the Genkō rebellion to the establishment of the Northern and Southern Courts.
More in Founders And Unifiers Of Asian Dynasties 1-24
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