Muromachi shogunate: how it worked
In 1336-1338 Ashikaga Takauji took Kyoto and became shogun, after helping end the Kamakura shogunate. The shogun's palace stood in the Muromachi district of Kyoto, so the period (1336-1573) is called Muromachi. Unlike Kamakura, the shogunate sat in Kyoto, near the emperor.
The shogun ruled the provinces through shugo (military governors). Over time shugo took more tax and land and became powerful regional lords, called shugo daimyo. The shogunate was strong only when it controlled these daimyo.
Yoshimitsu and the end of two courts
After Takauji, the emperor Go-Daigo escaped and set up a Southern Court at Yoshino, while the shogun backed a Northern Court in Kyoto. For about 56 years there were two courts. The third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu ended this in 1392 and made the shogun the strongest power. He also built the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku) and began trade with Ming China.
Ming trade: tally trade
After 1368 the Ming dynasty ruled China. Pirates called wako raided its coasts, so Ming allowed trade only with licensed ships. In 1404 Yoshimitsu agreed to control the pirates and sent a mission to Ming. Each ship carried a tally (kango), a wooden licence with a matching half held by Ming officials. So the trade is called tally trade (kango boeki).
Japan sent: copper, sulfur, swords, folding fans, lacquerware. Japan bought: copper coins, silk, books, porcelain. Ming copper coins became common money in Japan, helping markets grow. Later the temples and strong daimyo families, such as Ouchi and Hosokawa, ran the trade. It ended in the 1500s, after they fought over it.
Ryukyu: the bridge of East Asia
The Ryukyu Islands lie in the sea between Japan, China and Southeast Asia. In 1429 Sho Hashi joined three small realms into the Ryukyu Kingdom, with the castle of Shuri and the port of Naha. The king sent tribute to the Ming emperor and in return got trading rights and help with ships.
Ryukyu ships carried Chinese silk and porcelain to Japan, Japanese swords and copper to China and Korea, and pepper, sappanwood and spices from Southeast Asia (Siam, Malacca, Java). This middleman trade (called "bridge of nations") made Ryukyu rich without a big army. Traders spread culture too, which is why Ryukyu art mixes Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian styles.
Onin War and the age of warring states
In 1467 two groups of daimyo, led by Hosokawa and Yamana, took opposite sides over who would follow the shogun Yoshimasa. The Onin War (1467-1477) burned much of Kyoto. The shogun lost control. Soon every daimyo fought for his own land, and some lower-ranking warriors overthrew their lords (gekokujo, "the low beat the high"). The century of wars that followed is the Sengoku (warring states) period.
Key formulas and definitions
- Muromachi shogunate: 1336/1338 to 1573, Ashikaga family, capital Kyoto
- Shugo = military governors; daimyo = regional lords (shugo daimyo grew strong)
- Tally trade (kango boeki, 1404): licensed ships; export copper, sulfur, swords, fans; import coins, silk, books, porcelain
- Ryukyu Kingdom 1429 (Sho Hashi): trade bridge between Japan, China, Southeast Asia; port Naha
- Onin War 1467-1477 starts the Sengoku period
Worked examples
1. Why was the trade with Ming China called "tally trade"?
Each Japanese ship carried a tally (kango), a wooden licence with a matching half held by Ming officials. Ships without a matching tally could not trade.
2. How did Ryukyu become rich without a big army?
It sat between Japan, China and Southeast Asia. Its ships carried goods between them as a middleman, and its king had trading rights from Ming China.
3. Why did the shogun lose control after the Onin War?
Daimyo fought each other and Kyoto burned. The shogun could not order them, so each daimyo ruled his own land. Some lower warriors even took power from their lords (gekokujo).
4. How long did the Muromachi period last if counted from 1336 to 1573?
1573 - 1336 = 237 years.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up Kamakura and Muromachi. Kamakura is the east town of the first shogunate; Muromachi is a district of Kyoto.
- Thinking Ryukyu was part of Japan or China at this time. It was an independent kingdom trading with both.
- Forgetting what the tally was. It was a licence, not a coin or a ship.
- Saying Ming trade made the shogun weak. It first made him richer; the Onin War and strong daimyo weakened him.