Yoshida Kanehiro (吉田兼煕)
Kanehiro YOSHIDA (1348 to 1402) was a priest of Yoshida-jinja Shrine and court official who was in charge of matters related to Shinto rituals during the period of the Northern and Southern Courts. His father was Kanetoyo URABE. In 1375, he was awarded the title of Ason (second highest title given to ancient Japanese court noble families) instead of the hereditary Sukune (second highest title). He is believed to have saved the Yoshida-Urabe clan from decline and laid the foundation for its prosperity.
In 1378, when Yoshimitsu ASHIKAGA, the third shogun of the Muromachi bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun), moved his residence to Muromachi-tei, Kanehiro changed his family name from Muromachi to Yoshida in order to avoid using the same name as the residence of the shogun. In 1386, he was awarded the rank of Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank), a higher rank than that traditionally awarded to his ancestors, and was given a position as a high court official. In 1392, he conducted negotiations aimed at unifying the Northern and Southern Courts.