13 Facts About Hino Tomiko

Hino Tomiko was a prominent figure during the Muromachi period and the beginning of the Sengoku period.

Hino Tomiko was daughter to Hino Shigemasa and was the official wife of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, and the mother of Ashikaga Yoshihisa, the ninth shogun.

Hino Tomiko was born into the Hino family, a powerful family whose women became consorts to many previous Shoguns.

Hino Tomiko had her first child on the ninth day of the first month of 1459 the child died the same day.

However, since Hino Tomiko had not given birth to an heir, Yoshimasa convinced his younger brother Ashikaga Yoshimi to succeed him, first in office and then gradually claiming the title of Shogun.

Hino Tomiko was against it, although at the time she had no influence to contest Yoshimi's appointment.

Hino Tomiko stood at war with the shogunate officers until she gave birth to the future Ashikaga Yoshihisa, becoming the mother of the future shogun.

Hino Tomiko went looking for military support to make sure the next successor was from her family lineage.

Hino Tomiko got support from the Ouchi, Hatakeyama, Shiba and others clans.

Hino Tomiko lent large sums of money to daimyos on both sides, accumulating a fortune estimated at 60 billion yen in today's value.

In 1473, after the deaths of Yamana Sozen and Hosokawa Katsumoto, and Yoshimasa's retirement, Hino Tomiko effectively became the leader of the shogunate.

Yoshimasa, growing distant from Hino Tomiko, moved to Ise Sadamune's residence in 1483, becoming indulgent in alcohol.

In 1493 Hino Tomiko carried out a coup with the help of Hosokawa Masamoto, dethroning Yoshiki and instead installing Ashikaga Yoshizumi, who was Yoshimasa's nephew and the son of Ashikaga Masatomo, the Horigoe-Kubo as shogun.