kingdom · Korea and Japan

Northern Court

1336 CE – 1392 CE · capital Kyoto

The line of Japanese emperors in Kyoto backed by the Ashikaga shoguns during the 14th-century schism, from whom the present imperial family descends.

Origins

When Emperor Go-Daigo broke with Ashikaga Takauji, Takauji placed Komyo, of the rival Jimyoin branch of the imperial house, on the throne in Kyoto in 1336. Go-Daigo fled with the sacred regalia to Yoshino, splitting the court in two.

Rule and society

The Northern Court depended on Ashikaga military power and had little independent authority, but it held the capital and conducted court ceremonies and appointments. Its emperors included Komyo, Suko, Go-Kogon, Go-En'yu and Go-Komatsu. During the Kanno disturbance of 1350 to 1352 Southern forces seized Kyoto and carried off three Northern ex-emperors.

Decline and legacy

In 1392 Ashikaga Yoshimitsu negotiated reunification: the Southern emperor handed the regalia to Go-Komatsu, ending the schism. In 1911 the Meiji government declared the Southern Court legitimate, though later emperors descend from the Northern line.

Lineage

Kenmu Restoration 1333 CE – 1336 CE Southern Court 1336 CE – 1392 CENorthern Court

Connections (1)

Northern Court was a protectorate of Ashikaga shogunate1336 CE – 1392 CE

More states of Korea and Japan →

Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Northern Court. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/northern-court
MLA: “Northern Court.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/northern-court. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Northern Court.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/northern-court.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Northern Court’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/northern-court (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻