Ashikaga Mochiuji (, 1398âÂÂ1439) was the Kamakura-fu's fourth Kantà  kubà  during the Muromachi period (15th century) in Japan. During his long and troubled rule the relationship between the west and the east of the country reached an all-time low. Kamakura was finally attacked by shà Âgun Ashikaga Yoshinori and retaken by force. Mochiuji and his eldest son Yoshihisa killed themselves to escape capture.
Mochiuji became Kubà  while still a child after his father died suddenly of a disease. His violent and abrasive character from the beginning caused widespread resentment among his vassals. After disagreements with Mochiuji, his kanrei Uesugi Zenshà « organized a rebellion against him (the so-called Zenshà « no Ran) with the aid of nearly half the daimyà Âs in the northern and eastern provinces. Thanks to this support, Zenshà « could take Kamakura and Mochiuji had to flee. However, despite his pursuing goals similar to those of the shogunate, Zenshà « was after all rebelling against his lord, so the shogunate had no choice but to send troops to stop him. In 1417, Zenshà « and his allies found themselves surrounded at Tsurugaoka Hachimangà « and Zenshà « killed himself.
After this took place, Mochiuji attacked Zenshà «'s allies, which included families as the Oda and the Takeda, along with a few noble families from Musashi Province. The Ashikaga themselves thought Mochiuji's actions to be too much, and shà Âgun Ashikaga Yoshinori in 1432 ordered his army to destroy Mochiuji. This led to Mochiuji and Yoshinori to battle it out during the Eikyà  Rebellion in 1438. In the end, Yoshinori successfully put an end to Mochiuji's rebellion in 1439. Kamakura's Kubà  committed seppuku at the temple of Yà Âan-ji, west of the city. The events in Kamakura however caused widespread resentment among Yoshinori's generals and one of them, Akamatsu Mitsusuke, murdered him.
The road that in Kamakura turns right before Zuisen-ji's ticket counter leads to a stele marking the spot where used to stand. It was here that Mochiuji made his last stand against the shogunate, finally disemboweling himself to avoid the shame of being taken prisoner. He is buried together with three other kubà  in a small cemetery within Zuisen-ji (closed to the public). The stele reads:
<blockquote>
When Kantà  Kubà  Ashikaga Ujimitsu died on January 11, 1398, he was given the posthumous name . His son Mitsukane built this temple and gave it his father's posthumous name. The temple's oshà  Dombo Ushà «à  was a follower of Musà  Soseki. On March 24, 1439, Kubà  Mochiuji, a descendant of Ujimitsu, fought here against shà Âgun Yoshinori, was defeated and disemboweled himself. The temple was burned and never rebuilt. This is where it stood.<br /> Erected by the Kamakuramachi Seinendan in March 1926 </blockquote>
There is however also a 3.2 m stone traditionally supposed to be his grave also at Betsugan-ji, a former Ashikaga family temple in à Âmachi. On the stupa is carved the date 1439, the year of Mochiuji's death, however the tomb seems stylistically to belong rather to the precedent Kamakura period, and the attribution seems therefore dubious.
Mochiuji's eldest son Yoshihisa, 14 years old at the time, was also forced to kill himself at nearby Hà Âkoku-ji. His three younger sons however escaped to Nikkà  and in 1440 were led by Yà «ki Ujitomo, head of the Yà «ki clan, to his castle in Koga, Shimà Âsa Province, and survived. When later his castle was attacked by the shogunate, they escaped. Two, Haruà Â-maru and Yasuà Â-maru, were caught and executed. The lone survivor, Mochiuji's fourth child Shigeuji, would later become the last Kantà  kubà Â.