, also known as Ouchi ''Sakyo-no-Tayu,'' was a

Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

clan head and military leader. Yoshirio was the second son of Ōuchi Hiroyo, and a member of the

Ōuchi clan was one of the most powerful and important families in Western Japan during the reign of the Ashikaga shogunate in the 12th to 14th centuries. Their domains, ruled from the castle town of Yamaguchi, comprised six provinces at their height, and ...

which served under

Ashikaga Takauji was the founder and first '' shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate."Ashikaga Takauji" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Murom ...

. The Ōuchi became known as the

shugo , commonly translated as “(military) governor,” “protector,” or “constable,” was a title given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the ''shōgun'' to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan. The pos ...

of Suō and Nagato in 1363 for assisting the

Ashikaga Ashikaga (足利) may refer to: * Ashikaga clan (足利氏 ''Ashikaga-shi''), a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Minamoto clan; and that formed the basis of the eponymous shogunate ** Ashikaga shogunate (足利幕府 ''Ashikaga bakufu''), a ...

against many other opponents. Yoshihiro along with his father both also assisted

Imagawa Sadayo , also known as , was a renowned Japanese poet and military commander who served as tandai ("constable") of Kyūshū under the Ashikaga bakufu from 1371 to 1395. His father, Imagawa Norikuni, had been a supporter of the first Ashikaga ''shōgu ...

in his

Kyūshū campaign is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

. After Yoshihiro's father died during the year of 1379, Yoshihiro and his brother both became involved in a power struggle. Yoshihiro ended up defeating his brother at Sakariyama in 1380. During the year of 1391, in the name of the ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

'',

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was the third '' shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate, ruling from 1368 to 1394 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimitsu was Ashikaga Yoshiakira's third son but the oldest son to survive, his childhood name being Haruō (). Yoshimitsu ...

, Yoshihiro led an army against the Southern Court adherents in the Capital region. Due to Yoshihiro's actions, Yoshimitsu awarded him with two more provinces. Yoshihiro's greatest contribution to the Ashikaga took place during the year of 1392, When Yoshihiro convinced the Southern Court Emperor to surrender, thus bringing to a close the

Nanboku-chō period The Nanboku-chō period (南北朝時代, ''Nanboku-chō jidai'', "North and South court period", also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period), spanning from 1336 to 1392, was a period that occurred during the formative years of the Mur ...

, also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period. Afterwards, the shogun told Yoshihiro to build him a villa at

Kitayama is an exclave List of villages in Japan, village that belongs to Higashimuro District, Wakayama, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, but is located on the border between Mie Prefecture, Mie and Nara Prefecture, Nara Prefectures. It ...

. Yoshihiro thought this was an unreasonable demand. Due to this ironic fact, the Ōuchi revolted against the

Bakufu , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

. Yoshihiro was supported by many other Shugo, and withdrew his forces from

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

to the city of

Sakai is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the medieval era. Sakai is known for its keyhole-shaped burial mounds, or kofun, which date from the fifth century and inclu ...

. The shogun, Yoshimitsu however wanted to solve the problem peacefully, but Yoshiro insisted on fighting. Due to this fact, the shogun made the first move. Yoshimitsu gathered the armies of

Hatakeyama Hatakeyama (written: 畠山 or 畑山) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese rhythmic gymnast *, Japanese electronic musician *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese rugby union player *, Japanese shogi player ...

, Hosokawa, and the Shiba, and moved to the land of Sakai. Yoshihiro however made an agreement with some Inland Sea pirates to create a naval blockade against the enemy forces. Yoshimitsu was then assisted by

Ashikaga Mitsukane (1378–1409) was a Nanboku-chō period warrior, and the Kamakura-fu's third Kantō kubō, (''Shōgun'' Deputy). Being the eldest son, he succeeded his father Ujimitsu in 1398 at the age of 21 when he died during an epidemic. Like his father, ...

who promised that he would assist him. All was not going well for Yoshihiro due to his Iwami and Izumi troops proving to be unreliable. Due to this fact, Yoshihiro's army seemed generally stubborn and incompetent. During the 12th month of 1399 Bakufu troops managed to set fire to the city, and Yoshihiro ended up having to commit suicide to avoid the invading forces under Yoshimitsu. Apart from military actions, Yoshihiro was involved with trading between China and worked towards securing Ōuchi dominance in that area.

See also