Locational Pedigree and Warrior Status in Medieval Kyoto: The Residences of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu

摘要

Exploring the specific means by which Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1408) came to dominate the most elite circles of traditional authority provides us with important clues about the nature of warrior ascendancy in premodern Japan. Scholars have considered uses of religious symbolism, various kinds of artistic patronage, and, of course, violent coercion. This essay seeks to introduce the significance of location as yet another means by which warriors, Yoshimitsu in particular, sought to elevate their status. There was a clear relationship between location and status in premodern Kyoto and Yoshimitsu carefully exploited it for the sake of advancing his political career. How plots of land had been used in the past and who had used them appear to have contributed to notions about a site's 'locational pedigree'. Acquiring and occupying sites that possess elite locational pedigree enabled Yoshimitsu to emulate outstanding historical figures and, in so doing, elevate his own status. In terms of its potential to empower, location, it is argued, might well be categorized along with ceremony, language, and architecture as a key performative element that was employed and deployed in premodern Japan to authenticate social standing.