That period is called "the warning states period", and its closure means the unification of Japan and beginning of the early modern period. So Japan's medieval period means the period from the Kamakura period to the end of the warning states period. This period basically is thought to be a period of samurai, and in fact, there were so many battles in this period. Therefore, cultures become robust and gorgeous compared with those created by noble people.
For example, there began a game in which samurais on horses shot dogs in a ground. Of course, arrows that were used in the game were made from soft material for not hurting the dogs. This game had existed even after the Edo period ended. In the Meiji period, the Russian emperor Nichoras II watched that game. However, the dog game is no longer done in Japan because of the cost and space needed for it, and the growing tendency of animal protection has made it difficult to revive.
As for sculptures, "Kongo-Rikishi-Zo" is popular as a sculpture that represents the Kamakura period. The literal translation of the word "Kongo-Rikishi-zo" is "statue of a golden and strong power man". Kongo-rikishi-zo consists of two statues that are set in the southern gate of the Todaiji temple, Nara prefecture. Each of those two statues was made by two different craftsmen. Their expressive style in which robust muscles are portrayed with a remarkable reality is representing the air of the Kamakura period.
As for architecture, China and India had influences on Japanese temple architecture in this period. Indian architecture was introduced via China. In those days, China had been governed by the Sung dynasty (960-1279), and Japan resumed the trade with China since the end of sending envoys to the Tang dynasty. Expect for those Chinese- and Indian-style temples, There were, Japanese-style ones and eclectic-style ones. Having said that, that Japanese style itself, in the first place, was introduced from China several hundred years ago of those days.
By the way, Kamakura is a city near Yokohama, in other words, it's fairly close to Tokyo. That is to say, the Kamakura bakufu is the first Japanese regime that is based in the east Japan. However, there are almost no architectural structures in Kamakura that is built in the Kamakura period. So if you want to see the structures built in the Kamakura period, you have to go to Kyoto or Nara. Now, only Daibutsu (huge statue of Buddha) and temple's huge bells are existing in Kamakura as structures built in the Kamakura period.
In the years before the Kamakura period, there were many battles in Kyoto and Nara. Consequently many temples were lost in the fires due to those battles. Kamakura bakufu started the reconstruction of those burnt-out temples, and as a result, there arose the demand for building so many statues to exhibit in those rebuilt temples. Inevitably many statues were built in this period and the characteristics of those ones was to be realistic, masculine, and powerful unlike those of the Heian period when aristocracies had been in power.
The Todaiji temple, one of the most famous temple in Japan that is located in Nara, also was burnt out through the battle the Heiji clan and Genji clan. The reconstruction of those burnt-out temples was one of the important national project for the Kamakura bakufu. They didn't only reconstruct those temples but also introduced new architectural technology into those temples. Daibutsuden (hall for the statue of buddha), and Nandaimon (Southern main gate) of the Toudaiji temple were built in the way of India.
It was a journey for donation endorsed by the Edo bakufu, and he raised sufficient money for the reconstructing in seven years. The amount of money he raised was about a billion yen in today's value. However, he died before the completion of the reconstruction of Daibutsu den, though only the repair of the statue of Buddha (Daibustsu) had been completed at that point. Eventually, the Daibutsuden completed in 1709, four years later later of his death.
By the way, the Kamakura period — more than any thing — is famous for Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura bakufu. His first battle participation was at the age of 13. He belonged to his farther's troops and his farther was the Shogun (general in English) of the Genji troops. In that battle against the Heiji clan, the Genji troops was defeated and forced to withdraw from Kyoto to the east Japan. On the way of the withdrawal, Yoritomo strayed from his father's company and got captured by the enemy troops.
Above photo is the Nandaimon. There are many deer around the gate. Actually, deer is a local specialty of Nara prefecture. What's more this gate has the Kongo-Rikishi-Zo in its both sides. They are in the red circle of above photo. Those statues each are about 8 meters tall, and they are completed in about two months. It was a fixed form to put statues in the gate of large temples like the Todaiji temple, and the purpose was to protect the sacred place from enemies.
As for Daibutsuden (hall for the statue of Buddha), existing building is one that was reconstructed in the Edo period. After the reconstruction in the Kamakura period, it again was burnt out in a battle in 1564. In the photos below, the right is a model of building reconstructed in the Kamakura period. And the right is the existing one. In the Edo period, priest Kokei determined to reconstruct the Daibutsuden. For realizing it, he started a journey to raise money for the reconstruction.
It was a journey for donation endorsed by the Edo bakufu, and he raised sufficient money for the reconstructing in seven years. The amount of money he raised was about a billion yen in today's value. However, he died before the completion of the reconstruction of Daibutsu den, though only the repair of the statue of Buddha (Daibustsu) had been completed at that point. Eventually, the Daibutsuden completed in 1709, four years later later of his death.
By the way, the Kamakura period — more than any thing — is famous for Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura bakufu. His first battle participation was at the age of 13. He belonged to his farther's troops and his farther was the Shogun (general in English) of the Genji troops. In that battle against the Heiji clan, the Genji troops was defeated and forced to withdraw from Kyoto to the east Japan. On the way of the withdrawal, Yoritomo strayed from his father's company and got captured by the enemy troops.
Yoritomo was almost executed by the Heiji clan, but a stepmother of the leader of the Heiji clan pleaded with him (the leader) not to killed Yoritomo, a 13-year-old boy, out of compassion. As the result, Yoritomo cheated death and was banished to a rural area.Time passed and he had turned 30 years old. In 1180, a rebellion led by the emperor famagainst the Heiji clan broke out, led by the emperor family, and Yoritomo raised his army in the battle — but also this time he was defeated again.
However, he was able to escape and survive also this time, and after that, he allied with many other clans and succeeded to expand his troops. By the early 1183, he conquered the east Japan and founded the basis of the future Kamakura bakufu. Being ready for fighting with the Heiji clan, he again headed down to Kyoto to defeat them, and this time, he succeeded. Consequently, he was approved as the shogun (head) of all samurai clans by the Emperor family, and at this point, the Kamakura bakufu was established.
By the way, his little brother, Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune is also famous in Japanese history. He was a short guy with high athletic ability, and was good at material arts. He parted from his big brother, Yoritomo, in his childhood, and reunited with Yoritomo in 1174 when he was 15 years old. It is said that they together were glad about their reunion with tears of joy. Yoshitsune respected and adored his big brother Yoritomo, and worked in battles enthusiastically.
Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune
He was nicknamed as Ushi-waka-maru (young bull in English), and this nickname even nows is given to athletes who are short but have high athletic ability. Although Yoshitsune showed remarkable performances, he gradually came to be hated by Yoritomo. That is because he was not familiar with politics, and therefore, unwittingly brought disadvantage to Yoritomo. Unfortunately, his excellence in the fields of battle did harm to himself — those who were unfavorable to Yoritomo came to make approaches to Yoshitsune, expecting his ability.
In those days, Yoritomo banned his subordinates from being awarded any official ranks from the emperor family without Yoritomo's permission. But yoshitsune violated that rule intentionally or unintentionally. In addition to his charismatic personality, Yoshitsune gradually came to have political power, which became a threat to Yoritomo. Evetually, Yoritomo determined to defeat Yoshitsune's troops. About the sequences of events between those two historical figures, there are various theories, and the truth remains an enigma.
Eventually, he was killed in the north east Japan, but that fact has been doubted by many historian. In those days, soldiers used to take enemy's head and bring back it to their base as a proof of their achievements. However, Yoshitsune's head had decayed when it was brought to Kamakura. That is because it took more than 40 days to arrive at Kamakura, and what's worse, it was summer. Also, he had a dummy who acted for him. Considering his charismatic personality, there might be people who didn't obey Yoritomo's order that required to kill his little brother.
Some historians has gone so far as to say Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune crossed the sea and became Genghis Khan, the king of Mongol. Although this theory now is considered to be an absurd theory like today's conspiracy theories, it originally was argued by scholars in the Edo period who visited Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. In Hokkaido, there were some oral legends saying Yositsune stayed there and went further north. After that, the theory was spread by a Dutch doctor Siebold in the late Edo period.
After the death of Yoritomo, his son Yoriie took over the post of Shogun. However, since he was a kind of dictator who disregarded traditional conventions, people in power employed a council system that consists of 13 men. As a result of that system, Yoriie became a lame duck and lost his position, and that position was took over by his little brother Minamoto-no-Sanetomo. However, he was a nominal Shogun because the real power had been seized by his aides Hojo-Yoshitoki and the mother Hojo-masako.
Hojo clan initiated new politic system. They didn't assume the position of Shogun on purpose but assume the post of its aides. Shogun was elected from noble people but was nominal, and the real power was grasped by Hojo clan. Hojo clan designated the noble people as a Shogun when they are kids and dismissed them when they became adults. Hojo clan repeated that until the end of the Kamakura bakufu. This politic system is called "shikken politics".
Hojo's politic system like above inevitably was frowned upon by other samurai clans. As a result, one general emerged as a leader of anti Hojo force. Many samurai clans gathered under him, and his name is Asikaga Takauji. He originally was a general to quell rebel force. But when he went over to the rebel force's side, many samurai clans support and allied with Takauji's army. That is because Hojo administration had been making light of samurai clans, valuing the Emperor family and noble people.
Eventually, Takauji established the Muromachi bakufu in 1338. Muromachi bakufu based in Kyoto and lasted until 1573 when Oda Nobunaga drove the 15th general Ashikaga Yoshiaki out of Kyoto. In the early Muromachi period, there was a conflict between two powers, each of which had based in southern and northern area of the west Japan. This conflict eventually was settled by the third general Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and the administration in which samurais had advantages over others was established.
However, the latter half of the Muromach bakufu period was a time of battle because there was The Onin War. The Onin War lasted 10 years (1467-1477) and involved over 270,000 soldiers — the biggest number in Japanese history before modern times. The Onin War was triggered by a succession race in Ashikaga clan. Strictly speaking, it was a matrimonial quarrel between the general (Shogun) and his wife that triggered The Onin War. This fact is one of the most famous stories in Japanese history.
The cause of The Onin War was as follwoing: Then general Ashikaga Yoshimasa and his wife respectively nominated different person as the next general. And what's worse, each of those two candidates was suported by different two powers.
As the war progressed, other factores were added to the war and it gradually went into chaos. As a result of that war, Kyoto city was largely destroyed and traditional social order was confused. In addition, many powers emerged in local regions, which leads to the time of the next major disruption, the Sengoku period (warning states period).
In the midth of the war, Ashikaga Yoshimasa lost interet in politics, indulging in drinking bout and cultural activity such as art collection and temple building. While he has been lowly evauated as a general, his contribution to the culture of the Muromachi period has been appreciated by today's histrians. Meanwhile, his wife, Hino Tomiko, was absorbed into economic activity. She built checkpoints around Kyoto to collect toll charge, and loan money to earn interest.
That is to say, the battle they caused had gone out of their controle. Interestingly, because of noble people and puriests freeing from disturbing Kyoto to rocal regions, the cultures of Kyoto spread to rural areas.
By the way, one of the most popular temple in this era is the Ginkakuji-Temple, which was built in Kyoto by Ashikaga Yoshimasa after The Onin War. Yoshimasa reflected his sense of beauty in that temple, and his sensibility about arts has been highly evaluated by today's art critics.
The name "Ginkaku" means silver palace, and this name is pairing with "Kinkaku" that means gold palace. The Kinkaku temple was renewed by Yoshimasa's ancestor Asikaga Yoshimitsu, and as the name suggests, the temple is decolated with gold foil like the poto below. Meanwhile, the Ginkakuji-temple isn't decolated with silver foil. As for it, some opinion exist: while someone says Yoshimasa died before decolating it with silver foil, and someone says there are no intention of decolating with silver foil.
Ginkakuji-temple and Kinkakuji-temple
Probably, there was no intention of decolating the Ginkakuji temple with silver foil because the culture style booming in those days featured simplenes. That culture style has been called "Higashiyama culture" and it was promoted by Ashikaga Yoshimasa. In that culture style, while flashiness was hated, simpleness and austereness are prefered. Art hystrians says that Japanese beauty like the photo below was established in this period. Considering those trend, it should be rational to think that there was no intention of decorating the Ginkakuji temple with silver foil.
Donald kneene, an American-born history scholar says the period of Higashiyama-culture (1483-1490) is the most brilliant period in the history of Japanese culture. Besides, he argues that the many features of Japanese traditional culture originate in the Higashiyama-culture. And those features, which is often expressed by the word of wabi-sabi, has been preserved up to the present time in the forms of various art works, cultural activities, and architectural styles.
The Higashiyama-culture is always compared with the Kitayama-cultre that flourished from the end of the 1300s to the eraly 1400th when Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, grandfather of Yoshimasa, was the general. The Kitayama-culture had been influenced by Chinese culture and therefore, it was a gorgeous culture. A Japanese musical drama called "Noh" is developed and estabilished in the period of the Kitayama-culture by Kan'ami and his son Zeami.
So then, let me cite some examples of the Higashiyama-culture.
(1)Sadoh (Japanese tea ceremony): Sadoh was established in the period of the Higashiyama-culture, influenced by Chinese Buddhism. In Sado, simplicity and austerity were valued and flashiness and luxury were hated. That is because getting calmness and the peace of mind were the aim of Sado. The culture of Sado influenced Japanese architecture (the photos below are the house for Sado).
(2)Suibokuga(Ink wash painting): Yoshimasa also had a profound sensibility on Suibokuga. He had an unknown painter drawing a Suibokuga, and the unknown painter then became a maestro of Suibokuga — his name was Kano Masanobu. His sect of Suibokuga dominated Japanese painting scene over 400 years after his debt. This proves Yoshimasa's great eye for art. One of the most histric painter, Sesshu Toyo, also succeeded in the period of Yoshimasa's administration.
Ink wash painting
 |
Sesshu is one of the most popular painter in Japanese history (above painting is a work of Sesshu), and there is a popular anecdote relating to him that many Japanese know in their school days. The contents are as follows: When he was a kid, he became a monk of a temple. However, since he didn't work hard as a priest , always drawing pictures, a senior monk tied him to a pillar to punish him. While he was tied on the pillar, he shed tears and started drawing a picture of a mouse with his toe.  The senior priest was moved by the picture of a mouse, and decided to let him draw pictures freely. Sesshu's evaluation as a painter rose in the Edo period when Kano school, successors of Kano Masanobu, highly evaluated Sessue's works, admiring him as a master of Suibokuga. (3) Japanese-style garden: As you can see in the photo below, there are no trees or flowers in the garden, and only some stones are randomly arranged on the floor paved with white pebbles. There is almost no color, and this simpleness and cleanliness embodies Japanese beauty.  By the way, this kind of gardens, in those days, were built by discriminated people. They were making a living with their specialized skills, including entertainment performance like today's musical. They generally were living by rivers, and therefore, called "kawara-mono (river side people)". Among others, Zen-ami is popular as an artist of the stone garden. He was also a discriminated people, but was valued by Ashikaga-Yosimasa. In his last days, when he was lay down on the bed with illness, Yoshimasa sent a messenger to give him medicine. Some say "Seki-tei (stone garden)" is the first ever abstract sculpture around the world. As you can see in Sadoh room, Suibokuga, and stone garden, there is a characteristic sense of beauty among those Japanese style art works. This kind of the sense of beauty is referred to as "Wabi-Sabi" in Japanese: Wabi means simpleness and austerity, and Sabi means antiqueness. The tea cups in the photo below embody the sense of Wabi-Sabi.  This kind of beauty is the characteristics of Japanese culture. Although Japan absorbed many cultures from China, Chinese culture was typically gorgeous and flashy as you can see in the photo below. They were clearly different from Japanese culture in terms of the sense of beauty.  However, Okinawa, the southernmost of Japan, has a sense of beauty like that of Chinese culture as you can see in the photo below. That's because they had been in close relationship before modern period. Okinawa's traditional temple  (4) Shoin-zukuri: The word "Shoin-zukuri" means a style of Japanese residential architecture, and it became the basis of today's Japanese traditional house. The word "shoin" means study and it has equipment for reading and writing. However, since the way of reading and writing have changed since then, these equipment, in today's life style, has became nominal existence. By the way, shoin was also used as a living room, and this kind of architectural style was preferred mainly by samurai classes because of its practicality. shoin  ================================================================ As I mentioned above, Higashiyama-culture formed the base of today's Japanese culture with its sense of beauty that is expressed by the word "wabi-sabi". When Japan went ahead with the modernization, absorbing western technology, and therefore was gradually forgetting the sense of wabi-sabi in the early 20th, german architect Bruno Tauto taught us our original sense of beauty. He particularly was moved by Katsura Rikyu because it exactly embodied the sense of wabi-sabi.  However, Bruno Tauto criticized the Ginkaku-ji temple to be a Chinese like temple. That is to say, he didn't see it embodying the word wabi-sabi, comparing with Katsura Rikyu. That was because in the period of Higashiyama-culture, the sense of Japanese culture style hadn't yet been completed. (Katsura Rikyu was built in the Edo period.) He integrated Japanese traditional architecture into modernism style architecture — they are common interns of their simplicity. Left: Katsura Rikyu / Right: Tauto's work 
Anyway, as a result of prolonged battle, The power balance in Japan plunged into the state of disorder — which leads to the beginning of the Warring states period (early 15th ~ late 16th). By the way, the end of the warring states period means the completion of the unification of Japan. And the warring states period is one of the most popular periods in Japanese history. So let me write on the history and cultural history of that period from the next page.
|
