Ashikaga Yoshitane - Yoshitane's Heirs and Successors

Yoshitane's Heirs and Successors

Shogun Yoshitane adopted the son of a cousin, Yoshizumi; and he designate Yoshitsuna as his heir and as his anticipated successor as shogun. However, when Yoshitane died prematurely, he was not succeeded by who he had chosen; rather, his father's newly designated heir was accepted by the shogunate as Shogun Yoshizumi.

In other words, after the death of his son, Shogun Yoshimasa adopted the son of his brother, Yoshimi. After the death of his adopted son, Yoshimasa adopted the son of another brother, Masatomo. Shogun Yoshimasa was succeeded by Shogun Yoshihisa (Yoshimasa's natural son), then by Shogun Yoshitane (Yoshimasa's first adopted son), and then by Shogun Yoshizumi (Yoshimasa's second adopted son). Yoshizumi's progeny would become shoguns in due course.

Eventually, the great-grandson of Yoshitane would be installed as a puppet shogun for a brief period; but external power struggles would unseat him, and the Ashikaga dynasty of shoguns would end.