The program "Platinum Family: A Glimpse into the Lives of a Glamorous Family" (TV Asahi, Tuesdays at 7 PM *excluding some regions) introduces the lifestyles of "glamorous families." In the June 2nd broadcast, descendants of Ashikaga Takauji, who laid the foundation for the Muromachi period, will appear and unveil historical treasures.
Yoshinori, the 29th descendant of Ashikaga Takauji, the shogun who founded the Muromachi shogunate, lives in Kyoto and works for a major manufacturer in Shiga Prefecture. The numerous items remaining in his home convey the history of the Ashikaga family, and he will be exhibiting wooden statues of his ancestors, naginata (halberds), and helmets that have been preserved and passed down through generations.
His great-grandfather, Takechiyo, was known as "one of the last students" of Doshisha University founder Jo Niijima. Yoshinori is also a Doshisha University graduate, and he feels a strange connection to the Muromachi campus where he studied, as it was the site of the Ashikaga shogun's residence, "Hana no Gosho." He has also inherited the traditions of this prestigious institution, such as using a "kaō" (stylized signature) that has been used since the Heian period to sign documents.
At Toji-in Temple, founded by Ashikaga Takauji, the garden, said to have been designed by the eminent monk Muso Soseki, will be showcased. Furthermore, the wooden statues of successive shoguns located in the Reiko-den Hall, where photography is prohibited, will be specially exhibited. During the Muromachi period, when Ashikaga Takauji laid the foundation, Kinkaku-ji Temple, founded by the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and Ginkaku-ji Temple, built by the eighth shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, were established, and Muromachi culture, including the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and Noh theater, flourished. Yoshinori expresses his feelings, saying, "My ancestors stood up for the people and accomplished great things."
