Created on January 7, 2009
These passages are taken from "Major Events on Japanese History
The Fall of Kamakura Shogunate : 1333

After the war with Mongol in 1281, the Kamakura shogunate weakend much. Discontent was among bushi who fought bravely but not rewarded (the shogunate was lacking in money, so reward was impossible). The emperor Godaigo didn't pass over the chance. He gathered the complaint bushi , including Ashikaga Takauji, Nitta Yoshisada , and Kusunoki Masashige , to raise an army against the regent Hojo . The army defeated the Hojo , and in 1333 the emperor declared to abolish the shogunate to get back the sovereignty to the dynasty in Kyoto.

Muromachi Shogunate was established : 1336
However, the emperor rewarded the nobles first, who didn't fight in the battle front actually. So bushi became discontented again. Finally Takauji rebelled against the dynasty. He drove the emperor Godaigo away from Kyoto, and stand put up a new emperor to appoint himself the new shogun in 1336.
The emperor Godaigo escaped south to Mt. Yoshino , and declared himself the only legitimate emperor. Of course, Takauji supported the new emperor in Kyoto. There were two dinasties. This period is called Nanbokucho , ``north and south dynasties.'' This schism lasted until 1392.

The War of Onin : 1467-1477
A big civil war rampaged throughout Japan from 1467 to 1477, the War of Onin . The war was starte by the two daimyo Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Souzen , however, the war lasted even both of the two died. Most of Kyoto city was burned to the ground, and the war spread throughout the nation rapidly. This war disabled the sovereignty of Muromachi shogunate, and all daimyo started to start civil wars. Today most historians consider 1467 as the year when the Muromachi Era ended and the Civil War Era began.

The Cause of the War
The cause of the War is a bit complicated
First, a infighting in the house Hatayama, a major bushi house appointed to Kanrei (a shogunate post to administrate damiyo).
When Hatayama Mochikuni , the head of the house Hatayama, died in 1450, Hatayama Yoshiyoshi became his heir. But there were several daimyo who hated Yoshiyoshi, and they helped Hatayama Yasaburo to the legitimate heir.
Yasaburo raised his army to attack Yoshiyoshi in 1455. Yoshiyoshi was backed up by Ise Sadachika , the top of shogunate bureaucracy, and Yasaburo was backed up by Hosokoawa Katsumoto , one of the most powerful daimyo in those day. Though Yasaburo died in the battle, his heir Hatayama Masanaga finally beat Yoshiyoshi. Masanaga sit atop the house Hatayama in 1460, and was appointed to Kanrei in 1464.
In these days, there are many other infighting similar to house Hatayama among major daimyo houses. And, unfortunately, shogunate tended to intervene in such succession struggles.

Second, a struggle for shogun successor.
The shogun Asikaga Yoshimasa had no son at 1464, so he named his young brother Asikaga Yoshimi as the next shogun. However, the next year, his wife Hino Tomiko bore his son, Ashikaga Yoshihisa . Tomiko want to enthrone her son, not Yoshimi. So she asked a major daimyo Yamana Sozen for help. On the other hand, Yoshimi was supported by Hosokawa Katsumto.
Third, struggles between daimyo houses
In Hizen and Harima district was the conflict between the house Yamana and the house Akamatsu for legitimate possession on of the territory. And the possession of Iyo district was in dispute between the house Hosokawa and the house Kono . When the relation between Yamana Sozen and Hosokoawa Katsumoto came to wrong, the Akamatsu allied with Hosokawa, and Kono made friends with Yamana. Such allegiances was the cause to spread the war from Kyoto to throughout Japan.


The War Began
Disposed Hatayama Yoshiyoshi asked Yamana Sozen for help in 1466. Sozen and Hino Tomiko used their influence over shogun Yoshimasa, and Yoshimasa announced the order to dispose Hatayama Masanaga in January 6, 1467. Of course Masanaga and his supporter Hosokoawa Katsumoto got angry, and they raised their army. Though the shogun announced the second order that forbade Hosokawa to aid Masanaga, Masanaga attacked Yoshiyoshi without Hosokawa's aid.
Masanaga was beaten in the battle and escaped to Kyoto. But the war didn't end.
It was important that the shogun left Masanaga to break the battle. Until then, shogunate had prohibited all battles between daimyo, and the dignity of shogunate stood upon the arbitration authority. The battle destroyed the dignity. So daimyo houses began struggle each other throughout the nation.


The War Escalated
Hosokawa Katsumoto raised his army on May 20, and seized Hana-no-Gosho , the residents of shogun, in the day. They threatened shogun to announce that the Hosokawa was the loyal army, and the Yamana was the revolt. This announce discouraged the morale of Yamana army, and Hosokawa dominated the battle until July.
However, Ouchi Masahiro , another major daimyo and an ally of Yamana, came to Kyoto with his army. He rescued Yoshinao from Hosokawa, and announced that Yoshinao is the new shogun. The battle came to standstill at Kyoto.
Though the battle at Kyoto was at a stalemate, numerous battles were escalated all regions in Japan. In 1473, Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Sogen died. But the war continued even though.

The War Ended
Today historians consider 1477 as the year when the war ended. This is because the armistice was made between the house Hosokawa and the house Yamana in that year at Kyoto. But battles didn't end in other regions. Many daimyo continued battles for themselves, to gain powers and territory, and to become the new shogun. The Civil War Era had started.