Muromachi period

Muromachi period, in Japanese history, period of the Ashikaga shogunate (1338–1573). It was named for a district in Kyōto, where the first Ashikaga shogun, Takauji, established his administrative headquarters. Although Takauji took the title of shogun for himself and his heirs, complete control of Japan eluded him. The most successful of the Ashikaga rulers, the third shogun Yoshimitsu, managed to eliminate his rivals and settle a long-standing split in the imperial line, creating an era...