Strange Era When Two Emperors Coexisted

Overview of Nanbokucho Period

During the Nanbokucho Period (南北朝時代, 1336–1392), a peculiar era emerged in Japan when two emperors coexisted, each asserting their own legitimacy. Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇, 1288–1339), the 96th emperor who played a central role in the overthrow of the Kamakura Shogunate, had, as previously discussed, a naive perception of his times. This misjudgment led him to incur intense resentment from the samurai class soon after his successful revolution, resulting in the collapse of his administration within just two years. Amid this chaos, Ashikaga Takauji (足利尊氏, 1305–1358), a prominent figure among the gokenin (御家人, vassals) of the Kamakura Shogunate, became one of the first to grow disillusioned with Emperor Go-Daigo’s attempt to restore Heian-era aristocratic dominance. Consequently, he distanced himself from the emperor and plotted the establishment of a new samurai-led government.