Once the Onin War ended, he started to rule by himself and actively executed several reforms of shogunal politics, such as the Rokkaku subjugation to restore the stagnating power of the shogunate government, but in the middle of the Rokkaku subjugation he became ill and passed away, thus preceding his parents to the grave.
応仁の乱後に将軍親政を開始し、衰退した幕府権力を回復しようと六角征伐を行なうなど、積極的な幕政改革を行なったが、六角征伐の最中に病に倒れ、父母に先立つ形で死去した。