Stories of the Japanese 01278 [Muromachi/Yoshimitsu Period] The Death of Yoshimitsu
Because the timing of Yoshimitsu's death was so convenient, there are theories that he was assassinated. However, when it comes to who might have plotted such an assassination, there are no concrete candidates that come to mind...
It is intriguing to wonder what Yoshimitsu's true intentions were in promoting Yoshitsugu, but that will remain an eternal mystery. This is because on May 6, 1408 (the 15th year of Oei), just two weeks after the coming-of-age ceremony for his beloved Yoshitsugu, Yoshimitsu died suddenly.
At the time of the coming-of-age ceremony, there were no reports that Yoshimitsu's health had deteriorated that significantly. However, according to the diary of Norinobu Yamashina, 'Kyogen-kyo Ki,' there is a record that when Norinobu visited Yoshimitsu on April 28, he could not meet with him due to poor health, so there is no doubt that his health was failing by this point.
Yoshitsugu's rapid promotion can be understood if we assume that Yoshimitsu, aware of his declining health, was in too much of a hurry, but since Yoshimitsu was a selfish and short-tempered one-man prime minister to begin with, it feels like he would have rushed things regardless of his health.
On the very day Yoshimitsu died, the Imperial Court sent a message to Yoshimochi stating:
“We will posthumously confer the title of Retired Emperor upon Yoshimitsu.”
The court nobles, who had so disliked the idea of Yoshimitsu receiving such a title, likely showed some consideration for the shogunate, thinking, “It should be fine now that he is dead.”
However, Yoshimochi declined this offer that very same day. Regardless of the truth behind the plans for imperial usurpation, it was an undeniable fact that Yoshimitsu had desperately desired the status of a retired emperor, yet that dream was not shared by his heir, Yoshimochi.
It is said that Yoshimochi's decision to decline was based on the advice of Shiba Yoshimasa. Shiba Yoshimasa was a leading Kanrei (shogun's deputy) of the early Muromachi period and a powerful figure, but the relationship between Yoshimasa and Yoshimitsu was fraught with a certain tension. It was Yoshimasa who had previously expelled Hosokawa Yoriyuki, whom Yoshimitsu had trusted most, and he remained at the forefront of the shogunate's internal conflicts (the rivalry between the Hosokawa and Shiba factions) thereafter.
Yoshimitsu was originally supposed to be an ally of the Hosokawa faction, but it seems he could not afford to ignore Yoshimasa, who had strong ties to influential shugo (military governors). For example, in December of the 9th year of Oei (1402), a rumor spread throughout the capital that “Yoshimasa will be executed for conspiring with Kamakura Kubo Mitsukane.” When Yoshimasa sent his son Yoshishige as an envoy to explain the situation to Yoshimitsu, Yoshimitsu did not blame Yoshimasa at all; instead, he visited Yoshimasa's residence to demonstrate to the public that their relationship was good, working to extinguish the rumors.
In this way, Yoshimasa, a powerful figure whom even Yoshimitsu could not ignore, crushed Yoshimitsu's ambitions at the very last moment.