室町幕府（むろまちばくふ）は、足利尊氏が創設した武家政権。鎌倉幕府に次ぐ幕府政権である。「室町」という呼称は、3代将軍足利義満が将軍の公邸として造営した室町殿（通称・花の御所、現在の京都市上京区）に由来している。室町幕府の成立時期には、幕府の施政方針が建武式目として確立・明示された1336年（建武(日本)3）11月、足利尊氏が持明院統の光明天皇に征夷大将軍へ補任された1338年（暦応1）の2説があるが、前者が有力説である。幕府の終期については、1573年に15代将軍足利義昭が織田信長によって京都から追放されたことで事実上崩壊した。この間の約240年余りを室町時代と呼ぶ。なお、北朝と南朝が合体するまでを南北朝時代_(日本)、応仁の乱（1467年）あるいは明応の政変（1493年）以降を戦国時代(日本)と呼ぶ。足利義昭が京都から追放された後も、征夷大将軍の解任手続は行われなかったために、依然として信長に反対する勢力からは将軍として扱われている。『公卿補任』では、義昭が関白豊臣秀吉に従って参内して、秀吉への忠誠を誓って准三宮の待遇を受けた天正16年1月13日_(旧暦)（1588年2月9日）までを将軍扱いとしている。また、明治時代末期から第二次世界大戦敗戦まで、当時の政府の公式見解においては、南朝(日本)を正統な皇統としてこの時代を「南北朝時代(日本)」と称していたが、その結果、北朝(日本)が任じた初代尊氏・2代足利義詮・3代足利義満（南北朝合一以前）は正式な将軍とは認められていなかった（皇国史観）。室町幕府の職制はほぼ鎌倉幕府の機構を踏襲している。法としては、建武式目を尊氏が制定し、基本法としている（1336年）。そして、具体的な法令としては鎌倉時代の御成敗式目（貞永式目）を適用し、必要に応じて「建武以来追加」と呼ばれる追加法を発布して補充している。初期の政治は、まだ南朝が存在したこともあり不安定であった。また、将軍の補佐役の管領に侍所、政所、問注所、評定衆、引付衆がそれぞれ設置され、将軍を頂点に政治機構が構成される。室町幕府は守護大名による連合政権であり、足利家の執事職を起源とする管領は鎌倉幕府の執権ほどは実権が無く、幕政は原則的に合議制であった。将軍を補佐する管領には細川氏、斯波氏、畠山氏の三管とよばれる有力守護大名が交替で、侍所長官である所司には赤松氏、一色氏、山名氏、京極氏の四職が交替で就任した。幕府要職や複数国守護のほとんどが細川氏、斯波氏、山名氏、一色氏、畠山氏、渋川氏、今川氏、上杉氏（外戚）など足利一門によって占められているのが特徴である。また、将軍直轄の軍事力として奉公衆が編成された。歴代将軍足利将軍一覧室町幕府の特徴としては、荘園公領制の崩壊＝守護領国制への移行や貨幣経済の進展などがあげられる。鎌倉時代においては（有力御家人の被官のような例外はあるが）個々の御家人が直接将軍と主従関係を結んでおり、守護は国内の御家人の監督者に過ぎなかった。しかし室町時代においては、守護大名がその領国の武士と主従関係を結び、被官化し、一元支配するようになったのである（例外、あるいは地域差が存在するので、詳細は「守護領国制」の項目を参考の事）。そして室町将軍すら上回るほどの実力を蓄えた守護大名すら生まれるのである。それに対して室町将軍も、守護大名の頭越しに各地の武士と主従関係を結び、上記の「奉公衆」を編成し、将軍直轄の軍事力を強化するのみならず、守護大名の領国支配に楔を入れたのである。しかし個々の守護大名を幕府が討伐した例はあるものの、守護大名と室町将軍が全面的に対立する事は無かった。守護大名は幕府から守護職に任命されたという権威を背景に、領国の支配を進めていったのである。だからいくら勢力を拡大しようとも、室町将軍の権威を否定する訳にはいかなかったのである。将軍の権威の失墜はすなわち守護大名の権威の失墜を意味し、そして事実としてそうなっていくのである。また、暗殺された将軍が2名おり（6代足利義教、13代足利義輝）。また、亡命先で死亡した将軍が4名いる（10代足利義稙（義稙）、11代足利義澄、12代足利義晴、14代足利義栄）。観応の擾乱が起こると、足利尊氏は鎌倉に東国10カ国を統括する機関として鎌倉府を設置した。長官は鎌倉公方で尊氏の子・足利基氏の子孫が世襲し、関東管領が補佐した。室町時代を通じて鎌倉公方は幕府と対立し、関東管領を務める上杉氏とも対立していった。これに対抗するため、幕府は関東や陸奥の有力国人を京都扶持衆として直臣化した。このため、足利義教の代に永享の乱を起こした第4代鎌倉公方・足利持氏を攻め滅ぼして一時直接統治を図るが失敗に終わり、持氏の子・足利成氏を新しい鎌倉公方とした。だが成氏も享徳の乱を起こして、古河城に逃れて古河公方を名乗り、更に上杉氏は山内上杉家と扇谷上杉家に分裂したため、応仁の乱が始まるよりも前に関東地方は騒乱状態となる。幕府も手を拱いているだけではなく、8代将軍足利義政の弟・足利政知を関東に派遣する（堀越公方）。だが、堀越公方も政知の死後に今川氏重臣・伊勢盛時（北条早雲）によって倒されて、失敗に終わった。古河公方も小弓公方との分裂を経て、盛時の子孫である後北条氏によって傀儡化させられていくのである。九州には本拠を博多（福岡県福岡市）に置く九州探題が設置される。初めは懐良親王ら南朝勢力の討伐に任じられた今川貞世（了俊）が就くが、了俊が九州で独自の勢力を築くと幕府に警戒され、了俊が解任された後は渋川氏の世襲となる。東北地方には奥州管領が設置され、奥羽2国が鎌倉府の管轄下に組み込まれると廃止されて一時期には稲村公方と篠川公方が設置されている。足利義満の時代には奥州探題が設置され、斯波家兼が任じられる。家兼の死後に羽州探題が分裂し、出羽の斯波氏は最上氏となる。応仁の乱以降、将軍の権威が失墜すると細川氏以外の三管四職も没落し、さらに戦国時代中期に至って細川氏の勢力が減退すると室町幕府の諸制度は形骸化していった。その間、国人と呼ばれる在地支配層が台頭していった。山城国南部では山城国一揆が形成され、地域住民（在地支配層の他、農民等も参加）による自治に至った事例もある。これらの国人勢力も互いに整理統合されながら、強力な戦国大名が成長し、これが群雄割拠して幕府支配に取って代わり、以後の戦国時代への流れを作ってゆくことになる。室町幕府の財政は幕府直轄の御料所からの収入が主であったが、南北朝の戦乱の際に敵対する南朝側より狙われて奪取されたり、自軍への恩賞にされてしまうケースも多く、鎌倉幕府や江戸幕府に比べて小規模であったと考えられている。他に臨時の段銭や棟別銭などが徴収された。商人に対しては特権や保護の代償に営業税などを取り、各港からの津料、関所のからの関銭（通行税）も徴収された。なお、足利義満の時代に京都の土倉や酒屋に対して恒常的に役銭を取る権利を認められると、段銭や棟別銭などとともに納銭方と呼ばれる幕府御用達の土倉によって徴収された。後に納銭方は幕府の委託を受けて税収の保管・出納の事務等も任されるようになり、こうした土倉を公方御倉と呼んだ。更に義満が日明貿易を始めると貿易そのものや抽分銭による収益も幕府収入となる。貿易の回数が限られていたために臨時収入的なものに留まったが、1回の貿易で他の税収の数年分の収益を挙げる事もあったとされている。また、他の臨時収入的なものとして礼銭や分一銭などが挙げられる。更に15世紀後半以後には京都のある山城国国内の御料所化にも着手している。

muromachi bakufu was a samurai government established by takauji ashikaga .it was japan 's second bakufu government , following the kamakura bakufu .the name ' muromachi ' was derived from the muromachi-dono , which was built by yoshimitsu ashikaga , the third ashikaga shogun , to serve as the public residence of the shogun ( commonly known as hana no gosho , this residence is located in what is now kamigyo ward , kyoto city ) .there are two views regarding the year of muromachi bakufu 's establishment--in november 1336 , when the administrative policies of bakufu were set up ( being clearly indicated as kenmu shikimoku ) , or in 1338 , when takauji ashikaga was assigned as seii taishogun ( literally , " great general who subdues the barbarians " ) by emperor komyo of jimyoin-to faction ( 持明院統 ) ; however , the former view is more convincing .regarding the time when the bakufu ended , it virtually ended in 1573 when the fifteenth shogun , yoshiaki ashikaga , was banished from kyoto by nobunaga oda .the period of slightly more than 240 years between the beginning and the end is called the muromachi period .furthermore , the period until the unification of hokucho and nancho is called the period of the northern and southern courts , and the period after the onin war ( 1467 ) or the meio incident ( 1493 ) is called the age of civil war ( japan ) .because procedures for the removal of seii taishogun were not implemented even after yoshiaki ashikaga 's banishment from kyoto , he was still treated as a shogun by the powers opposed to nobunaga ." kugyo-bunin " treated yoshiaki as a shogun until february 9 1588 , when he followed hideyoshi toyotomi , chief adviser to the emperor , and visited the imperial palace , vowed loyalty to hideyoshi and was granted status as ju-sangu .also , according to the official opinion of the government at the time , from the end of the meiji period until defeat in world war ii , nancho ( japan ) was regarded as the legitimate imperial line , and this age was referred to as the ' period of the northern and southern courts ( japan ) ' ; because of such a view , the first shogun takauji , the second shogun yoshiakira ashikaga and the third shogun yoshimitsu ashikaga were not acknowledged as official shoguns ( based on imperial history ) .the staff organization of muromachi bakufu is more or less adapted from the organization of kamakura bakufu .as for law , takauji enacted kenmu shikimoku as a basic law ( in 1336 ) .as a detailed law , goseibai-shikimoku ( joe-shikimoku ) of the kamakura period was applied , and when necessary an additional law called ' kenmu-irai-tsuika ' was issued to supplement the above .government during the initial period was unstable , partly because nancho still existed .also , a government structure was assigned with the shogun at the top , along with samurai-dokoro , government office , monchu-jo , hyojo-shu , hikitsuke-shu as the control with the role of supporting the shogun .muromachi bakufu was a united government of shugo daimyos , and the control originating from the chamberlain position of the ashikaga clan did not have the actual power that the regents of kamakura bakufu had ; consequently , government by bakufu was in principle conducted through a council system .the major shugo daimyos referred to as sankan--the hosokawa clan , shiba clan and hatakeyama clan--assumed the position of control and supported the shogun , while the akamatsu clan , isshiki clan , yamana clan and kyogoku clan , as shishiki , assumed by turns the position of shoshi , the chief of samurai-dokoro .major posts of the bakufu and shugos governing several lands were held by the ashikaga family such as the hosokawa clan , shiba clan , yamana clan , isshiki clan , hatakeyama clan , shibukawa clan , imagawa clan , uesugi clan ( cognate ) , etc .also , hoko-shu was formed as the military power directly under the control of the shogun .successive shoguns : a list of ashikaga shogunsthe collapse of the public ownership system of manors = transfer to the system of ownership by shugo daimyos and the development of a monetary economy are part of the characteristics of muromachi bakufu .in the kamakura period , individual gokenin directly paid homage to the shogun ( although there were exceptions such as being hired by a strong gokenin ) , and shugos were mere supervisors of gokenin within their lands .however , during the muromachi period the shugo daimyos directly hired samurais in their lands , who became their vassals , and exercised unified control over their lands ( since there are exceptions or differences by region , please refer to the item ' system of ownership by shugo daimyos ' for details ) .subsequently , even shugo daimyos with power exceeding that of shogun muromachi were born .against such circumstances , shogun muromachi hired samurais of various regions over the shugo daimyos ' heads , and formed ' hoko-shu ' as mentioned above , which not only strengthened the direct military power of the shogun but also deterred the control of shugo daimyos over their lands .however , while there were cases in which the bakufu subdued individual shugo daimyos , there was no case where a shugo daimyo and shogun muromachi were fully in conflict with each other .the shugo daimyos proceeded to exercise control over their lands by the authority that they were assigned to the position of shugo by bakufu .therefore , no matter how much they expanded their power , they could not afford to deny the authority of shogun muromachi .after all , if the authority of the shogun were to be eroded , so too would that of the shugo daimyo .there were two shoguns who were assassinated ( the sixth , yoshinori ashikaga , and the thirteenth , yoshiteru ashikaga ) .also , four shoguns who died in their place of exile ( the tenth , yoshitane ashikaga ; eleventh , yoshizumi ashikaga ; twelfth , yoshiharu ashikaga ; and fourteenth , yoshihide ashikaga ) .upon the occurrence of kanno no joran , takauji ashikaga established the kamakura government in kamakura as an organization to control 10 countries in the east .the position as chief of this organization was succeeded by the descendant of motouji ashikaga , a son of takauji , who served the position of kanto control ( 関東管領 ) .throughout the muromachi period , kamakura-kubo ( 鎌倉公方 ) was opposed to bakufu and also became gradually opposed to the uesugi clan , who held the position of kanto control .to compete with such power , bakufu directly hired strong local persons in the land of kanto and mutsu , as kyoto fuchi-shu .consequently , in the era of yoshinori ashikaga the fourth kamakura-kubo , mochiuji ashikaga , who raised the eikyo rebellion , was conquered and temporarily direct rule by the shogun was exercised but eventually failed ; subsequently , mochiuji 's son shigeuji ashikaga was made the new kamakura-kubo .however , shigeuji also raised the kyotoku rebellion and escaped to koga-jo castle , where he named himself koga-kubo ( 古河公方 ) , and as the uesugi clan split into the yamanouchi uesugi and ogigayatsu uesugi families , the kanto region was in a state of turbulence before the onin war started .bakufu refused to simply wait with its arms folded but instead sent the younger brother of the eighth shogun , yoshimasa ashikaga , masatomo ashikaga , to kanto ( horikoshi-kubo ( 堀越公方 ) ) .however , horikoshi-kubo was also defeated after masatomo 's death by moritoki ise ( soun hojo ) , a major vassal of the imagawa clan , and this ended in failure .also , koga-kubo , after splitting off oyumi-kubo ( 小弓公方 ) , was made a puppet of the go-hojo clan , who were descendants of moritoki .in kyushu , kyushu tandai , headquartered in hakata ( fukuoka city , fukuoka prefecture ) , was established .initially , sadayo imagawa ( ryoshun ) , who had been ordered to subdue nancho powers such as imperial prince kanenaga , assumed the position , but the bakufu feared that ryoshun would establish his own power in kyushu ; after ryoshun was dismissed , descendants of the shibukawa clan succeeded in the position .in the tohoku region oshu control ( 奥州管領 ) was established , which was abolished when two countries of ou became under the control of kamakura-fu , and during a certain period inamura-kubo ( 稲村公方 ) and sasagawa-kubo ( 篠川公方 ) were established .oshu tandai ( 奥州探題 ) was established during the era of yoshimitsu ashikaga , and iekane shiba was assigned .ushu tandai ( 羽州探題 ) split after the death of iekane , and the shiba clan of dewa became the mogami clan .upon the abasement of the shogun 's authority after the onin rebellion , sankan shishiki ( other than the hosokawa clan ) also fell , and when in the middle of the age of civil war the power of the hosokawa clan weakened , the various systems of muromachi bakufu became mere terms .meanwhile , the regional ruling classes called kokujin ( 国人 ) gained power .in the southern part of yamashiro province , where the yamashironokuni riot occurred , self-government ( in addition to regional ruling classes , farmers , etc . ) also participated .such kokujin powers were regrouped / merged and developed into strong warring lordships , which competed with each other and grew in power ; they replaced government by bakufu and gave rise to the trend of civil war that followed .the majority of the financial income of muromachi bakufu came from goryo-sho ( 御料所 ) , which was directly controlled by bakufu ; but often , during the war of the northern and southern courts , the goryo-sho became a target and were taken by the opposing nancho side , or were given away as rewards for one 's own army , and the scale of goryo-sho is considered to be smaller than that of kamakura bakufu or edo bakufu .additionally , tansen ( 段銭 ) and munabetsu-sen ( 棟別銭 ) , etc . , were charged .operating taxes , etc . , were collected from merchants in exchange for the special privileges and protection provided to them , and tsuryou ( 津料 ) was charged from various ports and sekisen ( tolls ) from barriers .furthermore , when a permanent right to charge yakusen ( 役銭 ) from doso ( 土倉 ) and sakaya ( 酒屋 ) in kyoto was allowed during the era of yoshimitsu ashikaga , yakusen were charged together with tansen , munabetsu-sen , etc . , by the doso appointed by bakufu , who were referred to as nosen-kata .nosen-kata were later also entrusted with clerical matters such as the safekeeping / bookkeeping of tax income , and such doso were referred to as kubo-okura ( 公方御倉 ) .furthermore , when yoshimitsu initiated trade between japan and ming , profit by chubunsen ( 抽分銭 ) also became the income of bakufu .due to the limited numbers of trade activities , they remained as income of a temporary nature , but it is said that there were cases where income from a single trade was as great as the other tax income of several years .other special income included reisen ( 礼銭 ) and buichisen ( 分一銭 ) .furthermore , since the latter half of the fifteenth century , action was taken to make the yamashiro province ( within kyoto ) a goryo-sho .