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1440 – June 30, 1496 was a prominent figure during the Muromachi period and the beginning of the Sengoku period. She was daughter to Hino Shigemasa and was the seishitsu of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate (at first Tomiko was betrothed to Ashikaga Yoshikatsu the seventh shōgun but Yoshikatsu died at the age of 10), and the mother of Ashikaga Yoshihisa, the ninth shōgun. Her efforts during the succession dispute are seen as one of the causes of the Ōnin War and led to the beginning of the Sengoku period.
With her standing in the Hino clan, and backed by Yamana Sozen, two factions developed in the capital, the Hosokawa clan, who supported the newly appointed Shogun, Yoshimi, and the Yamana clan, who supported the succession of Yoshihisa. Thus, Tomiko's desire to place her son in line for the succession is said to have led to the Ōnin War.
Tomiko supported the Eastern Army led by Hosokawa Katsumoto. She lent large sums of money to daimyos on both sides, accumulating a fortune estimated at 60 billion yen in today's value. Around 1471, rumors spread about a secret affair between Tomiko and Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado, who was taking refuge in the Muromachi Tei. This contributed to the deterioration of her relationship with Yoshimasa.
In 1473, after the deaths of Yamana Sozen and Hosokawa Katsumoto, and Yoshimasa's retirement, Tomiko effectively became the leader of the shogunate.
Yoshimasa, growing distant from Tomiko, moved to Ise Sadamune's residence in 1483, becoming indulgent in alcohol. This led to a temporary loss of power for Tomiko. However, in 1489, Yoshimasa's sudden death during the campaign against the Rokkaku clan shifted the balance of power. Tomiko, along with her brother-in-law, Ashikaga Yoshizumi (formerly known as Ashikaga Yoshihisa), orchestrated the ascension of Yoshizumi as the 11th shogun.
In 1489, Yoshihisa died while making an expedition to subdue Rokkaku Takayori, which was followed by Yoshimasa's death. So Ashikaga Yoshitane, who was the son of Yoshimi and Tomiko's younger sister, was nominated for the shogun by Tomiko. But Yoshimi rebelled against Tomiko's decision. He demolished Tomiko's residence and seized her territory. After Yoshimi's death, Yoshiki also rebelled against Tomiko, following his late father's will. In 1493, however, Tomiko carried out a coup with the help of Hosokawa Masamoto, dethroning Yoshiki and instead installing Ashikaga Yoshizumi, who was Yoshimasa's nephew and the son of Ashikaga Masatomo, the Horigoe Gosho as shogun. But her life ended in 1496. She died at the age of 57.
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