Alt-Onin War - Historical and Political Background Information

It is a dark time for Japan. The current year is Onin 1 (1st Year of the Onin Era, 1467), and history has taken a different path than what you may know. 

A dispute a century ago left Japan with two imperial courts: The Western Emperor sits in Kyoto, supported by the shogun and the Mongols alike, but lacking legitimacy among the squabbling lords and warriors of Japan. The Eastern Emperor, supported by exiled clans from Kyushu, holds court in Edo, far to the northeast. A weak Shogun rules Japan from the capital city of Kyoto, charged with maintaining the delicate peace with the Mongols. To make matters worse, even his seat is uncertain, and two subtle alliances of warrior clans manipulate events from behind the scenes. War is brewing over who shall take his place, say the courtiers. Such a war would leave the rest of Japan open to conquest by the Mongols.

Into this chaos, the heroes walk. Can they bring peace to a troubled land, or will they simply bring more bloodshed?

Mongol Occupation

The two Mongol invasions of two centuries ago were partially successful, and the Mongol Empire now rules the southern island of Kyushu. All of its lands are now Mongol-ruled, and the great samurai houses of Kyushu are dispersed, destroyed, or relocated to new lands to the north. The Mongols rule all of China, indeed most of the known world. It is only because their attentions are elsewhere that Japan still exists. 

In the current era, Japan is a relatively insignificant part of the Mongol Empire, a thorn in its side not considered enough of a problem to crush just yet. The Mongols have established themselves as the lords of Kyushu, and integrated it into their larger empire. The Mongols have established the cities of Aral-Kerem (formerly Kagoshima) and Aral-Gharum (once called Nagasaki), which are both home to a large foreign population. The remainder of Kyushu is lightly garrisoned with Mongol troops, ruling over cowed Japanese peasants. They have also annexed Nagato and Suo provinces on Honshu, but these remain hostile to Mongol rule. 

War Between the Courts

About a century and a half ago, there was a fight over who was going to be emperor, back when it still meant something. The last powerful emperor fled to Edo with several clans loyal to his cause. In time, they became known as the…

Edo Court, aka the Eastern Court, or the "Five Allied Clans". This consists of the Emperor Go-Kinyama, and his allies the Shiba, Shimazu, Otomo, Takeda, and Utsunomiya clans. They are headquartered in Edo, in Musashi Province. The clans sometimes use the old kamon of the Kusunoki family, the first of the loyalist families, as their combined symbol. Emperor Go-Kinyama is s scheming but effective young man, with plans to restore imperial power under his rule, reuniting Japan, and driving out the Mongols.

The Kyoto Court, aka the Western Court, or the "Legitimate Court" is centered on an emperor named Go-Shoko. The Shogun continued to support the Imperial line based in Kyoto. This emperor is essentially a figurehead, a puppet for the Shogun. His court, while powerless, is a center for art and culture, and Kyoto remains the spiritual heart of Japan. Anyone hoping to rule the nation must eventually take control of it. It is considered more “cultured” than Edo’s court, even without power. Still in Kyoto, Go-Shoko uses the standard Imperial chrysanthemum.

Shogunal Conflict

There is yet another conflict brewing in Kyoto, over the office of Shogun. It threatens to plunge Japan into chaos. The current Shogun is Ashikaga Yoshimasa, a relatively weak ruler who is mainly interested in retiring to a life of quiet leisure. He has always been far more interested in arts and culture than in leading Japan.

In 1464, Yoshimasa’s wife Tomiko had failed to bear him a son and heir, so he called upon his younger brother Yoshimi to be the next Shogun. The very next year, a son was born to Yoshimasa, named Yoshihisa. The infant’s mother, Tomiko, demanded that the boy be named as the Shogunal successor, in spite of Yoshimi already being the designated choice. This soon led to conflict between the Shogun, his brother, and two powerful samurai clans that were already heavily involved in the politics of Kyoto. These two clans are highly influential in the capital, having been connected to the Ashikaga since the beginning. As if to make matters worse, both sides are making overtures to the Western and Eastern Courts to gain Imperial support for one claimant. Many expect the situation to erupt into war soon.

The Yamana Clan backed the infant Yoshihisa and his mother Tomiko. The Yamana Clan is led by the infamously hot-tempered Yamana Sozen, the so-called "Red Monk". He and his clan have already made strong overtures to the Eastern Court, seeking support for his side in the dispute.

The Hosokawa Clan supported Yoshimi, brother to Yoshimasa. They are led by Sozen's son-in-law, the wily and diplomatic Hosokawa Katsumoto. He plays a careful balancing act in Kyoto. He and his powerful clan seek to control Kyoto by proxies, manipulating the Ashikaga, the Mongols, and the Western Court in turn.