Ashikaga Yoshimitsu - Definition and Overview

Kinkaku, the Golden Pavilion at Kinkaku-ji

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (足利 義満) (September 25, 1358–May 31, 1408) was the 3rd shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1368 to 1394 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimitsu was the son of the 2nd shogun Ashikaga Yoshiakira.

After the death of his father Yoshiakira in 1367, Yoshimitsu became Seii Taishogun in the next year. Yoshimitsu constructed his residence in the Muromachi section in the capital of Kyoto in 1378. In Japanese, the name of the Ashikaga shogunate and corresponding time period is always referred to as the Muromachi shogunate and Muromachi period.

Yoshimitsu united the Northern and Southern Court (Nanboku-cho) in 1392, ending the over 50 year long Northern and Southern Court Period. This finally firmly established the authority of the Muromachi shogunate and suppressed the power of the regional daimyo.

In 1394, Yoshimitsu retired and his son became the 4th shogun Ashikaga Yoshimochi. However, Yoshimitsu still maintained authority over the shogunate until his death in 1408. His villa became Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion.