1467 – 1477 · Japanese clans vs Daimyo
Decade-long 1467-1477 Kyoto conflict destroyed the Ashikaga shogunate and initiated Japanese feudal fragmentation.
The Onin War erupted from succession disputes within the Ashikaga shogunate, with two factions competing for the shogun's position. The conflict centered on Kyoto but devastated the capital and triggered the rise of independent daimyo. The war, ostensibly between the Yamana and Ōuchi clans, devolved into decades of feudal conflict. The Ashikaga shogunate's authority never recovered after Onin's conclusion. The period initiated the Sengoku ('Warring States') era of feudal fragmentation.
The Onin War destroyed Japan's remaining centralized authority and initiated two centuries of feudal warfare. The destruction of Kyoto demonstrated military dominance's shift from court nobility to armed daimyo. The war's aftermath presaged the complete restructuring of Japanese political organization.
Redirecting…