The Ashikaga Shogunate's Sword Collection: The Connoisseurship of Dobosu and the Higashiyama御物 Swords

During the Muromachi Shogunate period (1336–1573), the cultural status of Japanese swords underwent significant changes. The swords that had functioned as "pledges and bestowals of the military class" during the Kamakura period strengthened their aspect as "works of art and collector's items" in the Muromachi period, establishing the foundation of sword appreciation culture within samurai society. At the center of this transformation were the Ashikaga shogun family and a group of cultural specialists called the "doboushuu."

Ashikaga Shogun Family and Sword Collecting—Formation of the "Gotoku" System

From the outset of their tenure, the Ashikaga shogun family actively collected works of art, with swords serving as an important pillar of this collection. "Gotoku" refers to treasures managed by the shogun family, and among these, swords were the essential property that demonstrated the authority of the military ruler.

Ashikaga Takauji, the first shogun, accumulated famous swords through confiscations and donations from temples, shrines, and samurai families throughout the regions during the turmoil of the Northern and Southern Courts period. Takauji's gotoku collection contained numerous excellent works from the Kamakura period—renowned swords from Yamashiro and Bizen—which became the starting point for the Muromachi shogun family's sword collection.

Particularly enthusiastic about sword collecting were the sixth shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori and the eighth shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. Yoshinori accumulated vast numbers of famous swords through presentations from daimyo and temples throughout the regions as his shogunal power strengthened. Following the turmoil after the Onin Rebellion (1467–1477), Yoshimasa retreated to the "Higashiyamadono" (currently the area around Ginkakuji) and devoted himself to appreciating and collecting works of art. This collection by Yoshimasa became collectively known as the "Higashiyama Gotoku," becoming an important collection in the history of Japanese art appreciation.

Doboushuu—Sword Authentication Specialists of the Shogun Family

The specialist group that actually managed and authenticated the Ashikaga shogun family's sword collection was the "doboushuu." The doboushuu were originally people who attended the shogun closely and provided miscellaneous services, entertainment, and cultural support, often bearing the title "ami" (examples: Nō-ami, Gei-ami, Sō-ami).

The doboushuu and the Honami family assumed different roles.

Under a division of labor system in which the doboushuu managed general assets and provided cultural presentation while sword authentication was the specialty of the Honami family, the Ashikaga shogun family's sword collection operations functioned effectively. While the activities of the doboushuu supported the foundation of the shogun family's asset management and cultural authority, the systematization of sword authentication scholarship advanced through the accumulation of practical knowledge by the Honami family. The later academicization of sword authentication scholarship by the Honami family can be said to have inherited this specialized division of labor from the Muromachi period.

Swords in the Higashiyama Gotoku—Trends in Masterpieces Selected by Medieval Samurai

In the Ashikaga shogun family's swords, particularly those collected by Yoshimasa as the Higashiyama Gotoku, a certain tendency was apparent. This was a concentration on "works by master craftsmen of the Kamakura period (first half of the old sword era)."

What Yoshimasa most highly valued were Kamakura period works from Yamashiro and Bizen, particularly swords of high technical standards such as those of the "Ichimonji school" and "Awataguchikou school." This demonstrates that Yoshimasa (and the aesthetic judgment of the doboushuu) held the value conviction that "swords from ancient times—particularly works by swordsmiths known as masters—are what truly possess value."

This "reverence for old swords" value system spread throughout Muromachi samurai society, forming a cultural norm that "old famous swords are more prestigious than newly made swords." This norm was inherited in the subsequent Edo period, becoming the foundation for demand in "old sword" collections. The fact that "old swords, new swords, and new-new swords" time period distinctions are still emphasized in modern sword evaluation is evidence of how deeply this Muromachi period value system has persisted.

Sword Diplomacy—Famous Swords as Foreign Relations Tools of the Ashikaga Shogun Family

The Ashikaga shogun family actively utilized swords as diplomatic instruments. In the Japan-Ming trade (nichiminboueki), Japanese swords were among the central "tribute items" that the Japanese side presented to Ming.

Multiple accounts in the "Ming Veritable Records" (minijitsuroku) confirm that Japanese swords were presented from the Ashikaga shogun family to the Ming emperor. Particularly, the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who received the title "King of Japan" from Ming, included numerous swords among the gifts on that occasion. In the Ming court, Japanese swords were highly valued as "the ultimate achievement of craftsmanship combining sharpness and beauty," becoming the starting point for subsequent Chinese demand for Japanese swords.

This diplomatic exchange of swords also influenced the domestic sword production industry. Due to the need to prepare large quantities of swords above a certain quality standard for presentation to Ming, sword production centers such as Bizen Osafune increased export-oriented production. This became one factor in the "mass production system of Bizen swords" during the Muromachi period.

Dispersal After the Onin Rebellion—The Fate of the Higashiyama Gotoku

The Onin Rebellion (1467–1477) fundamentally shook the power base of the Ashikaga shogun family and had a devastating impact on the Higashiyama Gotoku collection. During the warfare, the imperial palace was destroyed and pillaged, and the treasures of the shogun family dispersed.

The swords from the Higashiyama Gotoku that survived the warfare subsequently changed hands repeatedly throughout history. Oda Nobunaga confiscated the remaining treasures of the Ashikaga shogun family, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi further consolidated famous swords from throughout the country during the process of national unification. As a result, many swords that "were part of the Muromachi shogun family's gotoku" later accumulated multiple ownership histories as "owned by Nobunaga," "owned by Hideyoshi," and "owned by the Tokugawa shogun family." The fact that multiple rulers' names accumulate as the provenance of a single blade is itself historical evidence narrating the transfer of power from the Muromachi to the Edo period.

Conclusion—The Sword Appreciation Culture Established in the Muromachi Period

The legacy of sword appreciation culture established by the Ashikaga shogun family and the doboushuu is extensive.

• The value system of "reverence for old swords" is the prototype of modern Japanese sword evaluation standards
• The practical authentication knowledge of the doboushuu led to the later Honami family and sword authentication scholarship
• The practices of collection, management, and diplomatic utilization surrounding the Higashiyama Gotoku established a perspective that positioned Japanese swords as "more than mere weapons"—as cultural and diplomatic assets

Though the institutional foundation of Muromachi period sword culture was lost amid the confusion of the Sengoku warfare and the Onin Rebellion, its spiritual and cultural legacy continues to live in the depths of Japanese sword values.