Conflicts & Resolutions · War

Ōnin War

1467–1477 · 15th century · Also known as Onin War

The Ōnin War was a civil war fought in Japan from 1467 to 1477, mainly in and around Kyoto, between factions led by Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Sōzen over the shogunal succession and the inheritance of great vassal houses. It left the capital in ruins and broke the authority of the Ashikaga shogunate, opening the Sengoku period, in which provincial lords such as the Asakura seized power for themselves.

Ōnin War
Image: Utagawa Yoshitora · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 state histories

Ashikaga shogunateSakaiAsakura clan domain

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Ōnin War. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/onin-war
MLA
“Ōnin War.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/onin-war. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Ōnin War.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/onin-war.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Ōnin War’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/onin-war (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻