Sozen Yamana (2/2)General of the Western Army during the Onin War

Mochikuni Hatakeyama, the kanrei, succeeded in installing Yoshimasa Ashikaga as shogun. From here, Mochikuni Hatakeyama took action to expand his power. Yoshinori Ashikaga (father of the 7th Yoshinori and 8th Yoshimasa), the 6th shogun, actively intervened in the succession dispute of the Shugo daimyo (national lord). As a result, there will be a side that has usurped the position of the country's head and a side that has been chased. Mochikuni Hatakeyama helps the exiled side to return as the country's lord. On the contrary, Katsumoto Hosokawa helped the side that was the lord of the country. While Mochikuni Hatakeyama and Katsumoto Hosokawa engaged in political strife, Sozen Yamana sided with his son-in-law, Katsumoto Hosokawa.

However, a commotion arose in the Hatakeyama family of Mochikuni Hatakeyama. Mochikuni had no official biological children. So he appointed his younger brother as his successor. However, Mochikoku had an illegitimate child (a child he was not aware of). For this reason, Mochikuni invited this illegitimate son, who was his own child, to disinherit his younger brother's son, and installed him as the heir of the Hatakeyama family. The vassals were divided into the children of this younger brother and the children of the country, although they were illegitimate children. Katsumoto Hosokawa and Sozen Yamana incited this conflict and the Hatakeyama family fell into decline.

Now, this is Yoshimasa Ashikaga, the 8th Shogun. At first, he was supported by Kanrei Hatakeyama Mochikuni and became a shogun, but the Hatakeyama family gradually declined. During this time, Yoshimasa Ashikaga, who was appointed shogun at a young age, also grew up. When he grows up, he aspires to become a general with more real power. The person who helped Yoshimasa was Sadachika Ise, who was the butler of Mandokoro. Sadachika had been helping Yoshimasa Ashikaga, but he gradually took over the real power. Furthermore, when a succession problem arose in the Shiba family, one of the three kanrei families that could hold the position of kanrei, Sadachika Ise intervened and became hostile to Katsumoto Hosokawa.

Furthermore, Yoshimasa Ashikaga did not have any biological children. Therefore, Yoshimasa appointed his younger brother (son of the 6th shogun Yoshinori Ashikaga) Yoshitomi as the next shogun. However, Yoshimasa had a child, later known as Yoshinao Ashikaga. Yoshihisa grew up with Sadachika Ise as his fostermaster. Sadachika Ise plotted to disinherit Yoshimasa Ashikaga's younger brother Yoshimichi and install Yoshinao as shogun. Yoshimi Ashikaga asked for help from Katsumoto Hosokawa, who was an enemy of Sadachika Ise. It was then discovered that Sadachika Ise had lied to Yoshimasa Ashikaga to kill Yoshimi, and Sadachika Ise was chased out of Kyoto. (Bunsho Coup) During this period, Sozen Yamana stood by Katsumoto Hosokawa's side and helped him.

Onin War and Sozen's death

Now, while fighting with Mochikuni Hatakeyama and Sadachika Ise, Sozen Yamana often disobeyed the orders of the 8th Shogun Yoshimasa Ashikaga and the shogunate. Therefore, Yoshimasa Ashikaga ordered the pursuit of Sozen Yamana. Katsumoto Hosokawa intervened and had this canceled, and the relationship between Sozen Yamana and Katsumoto Hosokawa was good.

On the other hand, Sozen Yamana handed over the headship of the family to his eldest son Noritoyo, but his second son Koretoyo objected. Katsumoto Hosokawa favored his second son Koretoyo, and the relationship between Sozen Yamana and Katsumoto Hosokawa deteriorated.

Furthermore, the battle for succession of Mochikuni Hatakeyama, who was Kanrei, continues, and Katsumoto Hosokawa and Sozen Yamana support their respective factions. Similarly, the Shiba clan, one of the three Kanrei families who were able to become Kanrei, also had a succession dispute, and Katsumoto and Sozen supported each of the competing factions.

Gradually, feudal lords such as the Ouchi clan and the Isshiki clan, who were called ``anti-Hosokawa factions,'' took over Sozen Yamana and became leading figures (Daimyo-gashira). And the Ashikaga Shogun family. The 8th Shogun Yoshimasa Ashikaga had no heir. Therefore, he selected Yoshimasa's younger brother Yoshimasa, the son of his father Yoshinori Ashikaga, the sixth shogun, as the next shogun. However, after this, Yoshimasa's son was born, who later became the 9th Shogun Yoshinao Ashikaga. Tomiko Hino, Yoshihisa's mother, approached Sozen Yamana in order to install Yoshihisa as the shogun.

In this way, the Ashikaga shogun family and many feudal lords split into the Hosokawa Katsumoto faction and the Yamana Sect faction due to the dispute over their successors, causing sporadic conflicts. Then, in 1467, the Onin War began with the Battle of Kamigyo. Izushi Konosumiyama Castle, which was the residence of Sozen Yamana, attracted Western troops from all over the country. Sozen led this 26,000-man army and marched into Kyoto.
The western army led by Sozen Yamana was at a disadvantage when they first arrived in Tokyo, but with the help of Masahiro Ouchi (son-in-law Norihiro Ouchi's son) who had advanced from Suo, they fought back and forth.
　
As the battle dragged on in Kyoto, Sozen Yamana began to regret it. They often sought peace, but no peace was reached during the battle. Then, in 1473, Sozen Yamana died of illness in Kyoto at the age of 70.

Two months after Sozen passed away, Katsumoto Hosokawa also passed away. The following year, Sozen and Katsumoto's children made peace and peace was established, but each side continued to fight sporadically, and the conflict finally ended in Bunmei 9 (1477). With the outbreak of the Onin War, the seeds of war were sown throughout Japan and laid the groundwork for the Sengoku period. Yamana Sozen had a red face and a belligerent, domineering personality, so he was called ``Red Nyudo.'' On the other hand, many feudal lords supported Sozen, and he was popular and survived the turbulent times of the mid-Muromachi period.

Sozen Yamana and Takeda Castle

Takeda Castle is a castle located in present-day Wadayama-cho, Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture. Because the shape of the castle looked like a tiger lying down, it was also called Torafusujo (Kogajo).
　
The history of Takeda Castle is unclear, but according to the Wada Kamimichi Diary, which is a collection of old legends, in 1443, Sozen Yamana, the shugo of Tamba, ordered his vassal Otagaki Sekken to build a castle. It is said that the castle was built by the Emperor. After that, the Otagaki clan continued to rule, but in 1580, Takeda Castle fell due to Hideyoshi Hashiba's attack on Tajima, and it is said that the Otagaki clan was also chased out.

During the Toyotomi regime, Hirohide Akamatsu entered the castle, and during the Akamatsu clan's era, the castle was built with all its stone walls, and the remains of the stone walls that remain to this day were created. When the Battle of Sekigahara occurred in 1600, the Akamatsu clan sided with the Western army, was defeated, and committed suicide. With this end of the Akamatsu clan, Takeda Castle will also be abandoned.

Currently, Takeda Castle is registered as a national historic site and is affectionately known as the ``Castle in the Sky'' and ``Japan's Machu Picchu'' because the castle is enveloped in the river mist of the Maruyama River.

Konosumiyama Castle of the Yamana clan

Konosumiyama Castle is a mountain castle located in Izushi, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture. It was also called Kototo Castle and Konosumi Castle.
It is said that it began in 1372 when Tokiyoshi Yamana built a castle on Mt. Konosumi, north of Izushi Shrine. Since then, it has been the residence of the Yamana clan for generations, and during the reign of Sozen, it became the center of territory that ruled not only Tajima province but also the surrounding provinces of Inaba, Harima, Bizen, and Mimasaka, and 11 out of 66 countries nationwide.

When the Onin War broke out, Yamana Sozen gathered 26,000 cavalry soldiers from each territory at Konosumiyama Castle and marched into Kyoto from there.
Konosumiyama is located on top of a tumulus, and it is said that a castle is built on top of a small tumulus. Currently, Konosumiyama Castle, together with the Arikoyama Castle Ruins, is designated as a national historic site as the ``Yamana Castle Ruins.''

Yamana clan and Jidai Festival

Jidai Festival is an autumn festival that has been held since the Meiji period. It is counted as one of the three major festivals in Kyoto. To commemorate the transfer of the capital to Heiankyo, a mikoshi is carried from Heian Shrine to the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Then, in the afternoon of the same day, he will be returned to Heian Shrine from the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

The customs procession that leads the mikoshi on its way home is called Jidai Matsuri.
Jidai Festivals are held in the form of colorful eras from the Heian period to the end of the Edo period, including the Muromachi period. During the Muromachi period, the Rakuchu Fuzoku Retsu and the Muromachi Shogunate Regency participated. The Muromachi Regent line includes the Ashikaga Shogun, the Ise clan, the Hosokawa clan, and the Yamana clan.
How about spending a day remembering Kyoto, which was the capital in ancient times, and watching the festivals held there?