Ashikaga Yoshinori

Ashikaga Yoshinori (1394-1441) was the 6th shogun of the Ashikaga Shogunate, known by the epithet "Terror of All Men" (Bannin Kyōfu) and considered one of the most powerful shoguns of the Muromachi period. Originally a Buddhist monk at Enryakuji temple, Yoshinori was selected as shogun by lottery in 1429 when the shogunal succession fell into crisis—an unprecedented circumstance.

Yoshinori's governing style was markedly more authoritarian than his predecessors. He aggressively punished and dispossessed guardian lords (shugo daimyo) who resisted him, and no force—whether shugo daimyo, court nobles, or religious institutions—was exempt from his wrath. His harsh political methods earned him the epithet "Terror of All Men." In the realm of sword culture, his era coincided with a flourishing of Japanese swords as artistic objects. The swordsmiths of Bizen-Osafune particularly thrived during his tenure, producing many celebrated blades. The swords collected by Yoshinori were later passed down as the "Ashikaga Shogunal Swords," prized by later daimyo.

On June 24, 1441 (Kakitsu 1), Yoshinori was invited to a banquet at the residence of Akamatsu Mitsusuke, the Guardian of Harima, and was suddenly assassinated by Akamatsu warriors. This "Kakitsu Incident" was unprecedented—the sitting seii taishogun murdered by a guardian lord—and severely damaged the authority of the Ashikaga Shogunate. The irony that the man who had terrorized all was brought down by a single guardian lord's scheme left a lasting impression on later generations.