In 1349, an internal disturbance of the government caused Yoshiakira to be called back to
Kyoto, where he found himself named as Takauji's heir. On 5 April 1352, Loyalist forces led by
Kitabatake Akiyoshi,
Kusunoki Masanori and Chigusa Akitsune occupied Kyoto for 20 days before Yoshiakira was able to retake the city. Loyalist forces led by Masanori and Yamana Tokiuji captured Kyoto again in July 1353, but were repulsed by Yoshiakira in August. In January 1355, Loyalist forces led by Momonoi, Tadafuyu, and Yamana captured Kyoto again. However, Kyoto was recaptured on 25 April by Takauji and Yoshiakira's combined forces. Yoshiakira succeeded his father Takauji as
Sei-i Taishōgun after his death in 1358. . Takauji died in 1358, his son Yoshiakira is then appointed
shōgun, which leads to dissention and defections in shogunate. In 1362, Hosokawa Kiyouji and
Kusunoki Masanori attack Kyoto, Yoshiakira flees, but regains the capital in twenty days. Some months after his death he was succeeded by his son
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who became the third
shōgun in 1368. Yoshiakira was posthumously named , and his grave is at
Tōji-in, Kyoto, at the same site as his father's grave. ==Family==