Ashikaga Mitsukane (足利満兼)
Mitsukane ASHIKAGA, (1378 - September 1st, 1409) was a busho (Japanese military commander) in mid Muromachi period. He was the 3rd Kamakura kubo (Governor-general of the Kanto region) from 1398 to 1409. His real family name was Genji. His family directly descended from the Kawachi- Genji family, one family of Seiwa Genji clan. He was of one of the branch families of the ASHIKAGA shogun family. He was the first son of Ujimitsu ASHIKAGA, the 2nd Kamakura kubo (Governor-general of the Kanto region). His wife was a woman from the Isshiki clan. He was the father of Mochiuji ASHIKAGA. His childhood name was Konomaru. He held the positions of Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade), Samanokami (Captain of the Left Division of Samaryo), Sahyoe no suke, and Sahyonoe-no-kami (head of Sahyoefu).
His younger brothers were Mitsusada ASHIKAGA, Mitsunao ASHIKAGA, and Mitsutaka ASHIKAGA.,
He was given a Katamina (taking a character from a person in the family in honor), and officially reached manhood. Since his father's generation, there was tension with Kyoto's shogun family; when Yoshihiro OUCHI raised an army against Yoshimitsu in the Oei War, he was given a migyosho (documents for shogunate order), justifying the events. He left Kamakura to join Yoshihiro's army, advanced with his army to Fuchu, Musashi Province (Fuchu city, Tokyo Prefecture), but was dissuaded by Norisada Uesugi, and retreated after hearing of Yoshihiro's defeat and subsequent death. The next year, he showed reverence to the bakufu by way of the plea letter dedicated to the Mishima-taisha temple in Izu province and he was finally pardoned. In 1399, when the Mutsu Province and Dewa Province came under Kamakura Government jurisdiction, he gave control of Sasagawa Palace and Inamura Palace to two of his younger brothers. However, this decision bought anger and discontent from the nobles of Oshu (Mutsu province), and in 1402 the rebellion of Masamune DATE (Daizen no daibu (Master of the Palace Table)) (not related to Masamune of the Warring era) happened, who was allied with Muromachi bakufu, but he ordered Zenshu UESUGI to subdue this rebellion. He died at the age of 32 in 1409. His ho-myo (a posthumous Buddhist name used in the Shin sect) was Shoko-in Taigaku Do-An.
(History of government post and Ikai (Court rank))
In December of 1398, he was given Jushiinoge (Junior Forth Rank, Lower Grade) and appointed to the Sahyoe no suke.
No date recoded: transferred to Samanokami (Captain of the Left Division of Samaryo).
No date recorded: transferred to Sahyonoe-no-kami (head of Sahyoefu).