Decline of Ashikaga shogunal authority

Timeline

1. 1451–1460Kyoto Imperial Palace · KinkiAfter Ashikaga Yoshimasa took office, income from the shogunate's directly held shoryō estates fell sharply due to warfare, encroachment by powerful families, and lost tax revenue. The shogun could scarcely use wealth to maintain rewards, punishments, and mediation toward the shugo daimyō, undermining the material basis of the shogunate as national arbiter.
2. 1453–1460Kyoto · KinkiPowerful shugo daimyō such as Hosokawa, Yamana, and Ise expanded their power in their domains, and the shogunate's rulings on disputes in Echizen, Tamba, and elsewhere often became mere formalities. Private wars among daimyō and ikki uprisings increased, showing that the 'shogun–shugo' contractual relationship under the Muromachi system was badly unbalanced.
3. 1458–1460Kyoto · KinkiYoshimasa long had no son, and succession in the shogunal house became the focus of contention among the daimyō. The shogunate was unable to settle the succession dispute with clear legitimacy; instead, factions such as Hosokawa and Yamana expanded their political capital through the heir issue, building momentum for larger-scale civil war to come.