Stories of the Japanese 01637 [Muromachi/Saigoku/Conquest of the Rokkaku] Yoshihisa's Rebellious Phase

April, 12th year of Bunmei (1480). Shogun Yoshihisa, who had reached the age of 16 by traditional count, welcomed Tomiko's younger sister as his legal wife. He followed the custom established since Yoshimitsu of "taking a daughter of the Hino family as a legal wife." The name of this legal wife has not been preserved, and only her posthumous Buddhist name, Shoun-in, is known.
After taking a wife, Yoshihisa did not settle down; instead, he intensified his rebellion against his parents. In May, he suddenly exploded with frustration at his father for not letting him participate in politics and cut his own topknot (motodori). Cutting one's topknot is nothing less than quitting the life of a samurai, and it is a shocking act comparable to what we would call cutting one's wrists today. Yoshimasa appeased his son by saying he would hand over the reins of government in the near future.
As already mentioned, Yoshimasa and Tomiko had appointed Ichijo Kaneyoshi as Yoshihisa's tutor to raise him into a fine shogun (see episode 01581), and in July, Ichijo Kaneyoshi wrote and presented a document titled "Shodan Chiyo" (Essentials of Governance from Woodcutter's Talk), which explained the mindset of politics to Yoshihisa. Upon learning of this, Jinson of Daijoin-in remarked with irony,
"It is like preaching the teachings of Buddha before a dog,"
which shows that he recognized Yoshihisa was not fit to be a shogun.
In the end, it seems Yoshihisa did not like Kaneyoshi's teachings. This is because Kaneyoshi had established a good relationship with Tomiko, and in a book of moral instruction for Tomiko titled "Sayo no Nezame," he highly praised the roles of historical women such as Murasaki Shikibu and Hojo Masako, even going so far as to flatter Tomiko by stating,
"This country of Japan is a land of harmony, and it is a country that should be governed by a woman."
In other words, he was suggesting that governance by Tomiko was desirable. As Yoshihisa was rebelling against his mother Tomiko, he would likely not have wanted to follow such teachings from Kaneyoshi.
Indeed, Tomiko was the highest authority in the political world at the time. Although the retired shogun Yoshimasa made the final decisions regarding personnel and land disputes, it is thought that Tomiko's influence over other policies exceeded that of Yoshimasa.
For example, on September 11th, the shogunate established checkpoints at the seven entrances to Kyoto to collect transit taxes to cover the repair costs of the Imperial Palace, but this was a decision made by Tomiko. Rumors spread in the streets that
"The claim that it is for the repair costs of the Imperial Palace is a lie; in reality, it seems the money goes to Tomiko,"
and a peasant uprising (tsuchi-ikki) occurred demanding the abolition of the checkpoints. Jinson of Daijoin-in's diary records,
"Lady Tomiko established these under the pretext of repairing the Imperial Palace, and although she collects enormous offerings, the repairs are in name only. All the checkpoint money is being made into Lady Tomiko's personal property,"
and the diary of Nakamikado Nobutane (1442–1525) records,
"Recently, a peasant uprising has broken out, and the new checkpoints in the east, west, north, and south have all been stormed and destroyed. This is entirely due to Lady Tomiko's self-interest,"
which shows that Tomiko was detested by the common people.
Yoshihisa was not pleased that Tomiko held real power in this way. Yoshihisa's rebellion against his parents continued to worsen.