The Muromachi Bakufu Following the Onin-Bunmei Wars

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to consider how shogunal authority was exercised in the Muromachi Bakufu by investigating the Bakufu administration which followed the Onin-Bunmei Wars (1467-77) and was headed by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshihisa 義尚 and former Shogun Yoshimasa 義政. It was in 1473 (Bunmei 文明5) that Yoshimasa abandoned the position of Seii Taishogun 征夷太将軍 and was succeeded by his young son Yoshihisa. In Bakufu political affairs the boy Shogun was represented by his maternal uncle, Hino Katsumitsu 日野勝光 and his mother Hino Tomiko 日野富子. Then during the years following 1483 (Bunmei 15) government affairs were carried out by both Yoshihisa and Yoshimasa. Up until now it has been thought that there was no particular division of authority between the two leaders ; however, after a re-investigation of the primary sources, the author has come upon some difierent conclusions. While it is true that Yoshimasa did abandon the title of Shogun in 1473, it does not follow that he retired from the Bakufu administration. It was necessary for him to carry out such duties as ceremonial affairs...affairs which the Hinos could not perform. Also, since Yoshihisa was not at all involved in Bakufu affairs, we can say that the Hino Family was acting not as regent for Yoshihisa but rather in the capacity as representatives of Yoshimasa. In other words, the Hino Family took over the duties of Kanrei 管領, a position which was vacant at the time. The Hino administration ended in 1482 (Bunmei 14) when Yoshimasa announced that from then on Yoshihisa was to take over personally Bakufu political affairs. After entrusting Yoshihisa with administrative responsibility, Yoshimasa continued for a time to participate in Bakufu affairs. The gradual transfer of authority began in 1483 with the handing over to Yoshihisa of judiciary responsibility in disputes over all proprietary rights (excluding Zen temples)...i.e., zasso-zata 雑訴沙汰...and over Bakufu financial administration (mandokoro-zata 政所沙汰). Shogunal leadership duties were transferred in 1486 ; and following the 1487 (Chokyo 長享1) campaign in Omi 近江, remaining authority was entrusted, which included Zen temple proprietorship judicial rights, authority to guarantee (ando 安堵) the proprietary rights of persons other that close direct vassals (kinshin 近臣), to appoint provincial law enforcement officials (shugo 守護) and to seal public documents (kojo kahan 公帖加判). Up until the final transfer of duties, shogunal authority took on the form of a division of labor between Yoshimasa and Yoshihisa, with the former holding sway in political power relations. If we consider the fact that Yoshihisa's administration actually began with the announcement of authority transfer in 1482, together with the fact that in the case of the third Muromachi Shogun, Yoshimitsu 義満, his son Yoshimochi 義持 and his grandson Yoshikazu 義量, while succeeding to the title of Shogun, held no real authority as long as Yoshimitsu was alive, we may be in a position to understand what the Muromachi Bakufu was actually aiming at. 1)The official appointment of Shogun by the Tenno (shogun senge 将軍宣下) was no more than a simple granting of eligibility for undertaking governmental duties ; so it was neccessary for the former Shogun to transfer authority in order for a new administration to begin. 2)This situation in which even following abandonment of the Shogunate, the retired Shogun would continue to administrate the Bakufu was a conscious refutation of the traditional shogunal image among the court aristocracy that since authority came with the office (shogun-shoku 将軍職), administration should begin from the time of succession. However, this refutation indicates that Muromachi shogunal authority was rather attained through the expansion of real political power and control.