The conflict that continued for more than fifty years between the Northern and the Southern Court was gradually ended with the dominant position favoring the Northern Court, as Takauji ASHIKAGA gradually established the Northern Court and opened the Muromachi bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by shogun) and controlled the Samurai all over Japan, although the Southern Court once was in the dominant position and nearly took the political power from the Northern Court (Shohei Itto).
50年以上わたる南北朝の争いは、途中南朝が優勢に立って北朝を一時解体に追い込んだ事（正平一統）もあったものの、次第に北朝を擁立した足利尊氏が開いた室町幕府が全国の武士を掌握するにつれて北朝側優位の流れが固まりつつあった。