Underlying Traditions of Japan

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Underlying Traditions of Japans Medieval Age
(12th through 16th centuries)
Daisen-in (1509-13)
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• Time Periods
• Jomon (10,000-300 BCE)
• Yayoi (300 BCE-300 CE)
• Kofun (300-710 CE)
• Nara (710-794)
• Heian (794-1185)
• Kamakura (1185-1333)
• Muromachi (1333-1568)
• Momoyama (1568-1600)
• Edo (1600-1868)
• Meiji (1868-1912)
• Taisho (1912-1926)
• Showa (1926-1989)
• Heisei (1989-now)

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Late Heian period (10th-12th century)
culture Miyabi Refined, elegant
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Aware Pathos or awareness of the transience
of things, and a gentle sadness at their passing
In the loneliness of my heart I feel as if I
should perish Like the pale dewdrop Upon the
grass of my garden In gathering shades of twilight
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After Genpei War (1180-85) samurai take over
culture changes
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Long term political currents

• Later 12th -14th centuries (Kamakura period)
  Transfer of political power from emperors and
  Fujiwara family to new samurai elite.
• Late 15th-early 16th centuries (Muromachi period)
  Erosion of central authority into civil war and
  political fragmentation.
• Late 16th early 17th centuries (Momoyama
  period) Reunification of Japan by strongmen.

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1. Political events 13th - 14th century

• Samurai replace aristocrats in controlling
  landholding rights, collecting taxes, and
  deciding legal affairs.
• In 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo takes title of
  shogun and sets up bakufu in Kamakura.
• In 1336 - Ashikaga Takauji takes title of shogun
  and sets up bakufu in Muromachi area of Kyoto.

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Mongols invade Japan in 1274 and 1281, but
defeated by samurai and typhoons or kamikaze
(divine winds) both times.
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Bakufu weakened by the two Mongol invasions
(costs of the defense plus no war booty to share)
so shugo (provincial military governors) grow in
power afterward.
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Cultural borrowing, vogue for China
objects (karamono) grows during Muromachi period


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Buddhist monasteries become cultural centers
Ama no Hashidate (1502-03) by Sesshû
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Ginkakuji (1489) retirement villa for Ashikaga
Yoshimasa
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Tokonoma art alcove
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Also a time for new ideas of beauty (1330)

• Perishability
• Irregularity
• Simplicity
• Suggestion

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Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904)
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Perishability
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Appreciation of seasons
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Respect for natural materials Ise Shrine
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SABI antique look a patina of age
Mount Fuji by Koetsu, 17th century
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Irregularity Asymmetry and Playfulness
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Simplicity (wabi)
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Wood bridges like at Sambo-in replace more formal
"Chinese" bridges in later 16th century
Wabi (simplicity)
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Suggestion Enso (Zen circle)
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Ryoanji (15th century) dry landscape garden (kare
sansui)
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Noh Theatre
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Untitled 90 by Chuichi Fjuii, Cedar
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2. Later 15th - early 16th century Erosion of
central authority and political fragmentation.

• In 1441 Ashikaga Yoshinori assassinated.
• Onin wars (1467-77) destroys capital at Kyoto and
  other areas.
• Sengoku Jidai, or Period Country at War for 100
  years begins.
• Gekokujo (lower toppling upper) / local control
  results in 250 sengoku daimyo throughout Japan.

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Europeans in Japan at this time felt it resembled
medieval Europe, as did early 20th century
Japanese scholars who also saw similarities.
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Similarities of medieval knights and samurai

• Skilled warriors on horseback using swords
  (both), lances (Europe) or bows and arrows
  (Japan).
• Valued single combat with worthy opponent.
• Making of armor, helmets, and horse trappings
  reached the highest levels.

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Similarities of medieval knights and samurai

• Gradually became obsolete after 1500s due to
  improved military technology (arquebus) and
  tactics (group attacks). Lasted awhile using
  arquebus forces combined with massed pikes or
  nagae-yari.
• Castles with squat, angular walls and deep
  ditches provided a barracks and refuge for armies.

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Himeiji Castle Demolished and rebuilt by
Hideyoshi in 1580 rebuilt by Ikeda Terumasa in
1601-08.
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Cypress Trees attributed to Kanô Eitoku (1590)
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3. Late 16th - early 17th century The lead-up
to Japans early modern times.

• Momoyama period (1568-1600)
• Reunification by three great samurai
• Oda Nobunaga
• 2. Toyotomi Hideyoshi
• 3. Tokugawa Ieyasu

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Oda Nobunaga(1534-1582)

• Tried to bring all Japan under a single sword
  (tenka fubu).
• Curbed trade monopolies by occupational guilds
  (za).
• Encouraged more open markets by offering his
  protection tax immunities.
• Helped commerce by abolishing toll stations
  encouraged building ships and construction of
  roads.
• Crushed the power of Buddhist monasteries.

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Welcomed traders Christian missionaries from
the west (and obtained guns).
1554 - Nobunaga was first to use organized volley
firing in Japan at battle of Muraki.
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Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598)

• In 1590 - completes unification after Nobunagas
  assassination in 1582.
• Named kampaku (regent) to the emperor and later
  takes title of taiko (retired regent).
• Had several impressive castles including ones at
  Osaka and Himeiji built.
• Invaded Korea twice (1592-96 and 1597-98).

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• 1588 - Sword Hunt (katana-gari) collects swords
  from everyone except samurai, who only have right
  to carry them.
• Freezes class structure (samurai cant farm
  peasants cant leave the land or travel).
• Makes tax collection efficient
• 1582-1598 - National land survey to assess land
  value.
• Punishes any peasant seeking tax exemptions.
• Makes a koku of rice (about 5 bushels) standard
  measurement for salaries.for samurai.

Hideyoshis Policies
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Hideyoshi promotes tea ceremony (chanoyu)
1585 - Holds a tea gathering at a small palace
inside the Imperial Palace.1586 - Performs a
tea ceremony at the Imperial palace using his
portable gold tea pavillion.1587 - Finishes
building his palatial home, the Jurakadai in
Kyoto. The Great Tea Ceremony of Kitano is held
with tea master Sen no Rikyu supervising.1591 -
Forces Sen no Rikyu to commit suicide.
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Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616)

• Allies with his rival Hideyoshi and awarded Kanto
  area as his fief and 2.5 million koku of rice as
  an annual allowance.
• October 21, 1600 - Takes power from Hideyoshis
  son after decisive battle of Sekigahara.
• In 1603 Named shogun by the emperor and sets
  up Tokugawa shogunate which lasts till 1868.

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Medieval period ends and city of Edo (now Tokyo)
becomes the new center of power marked by
commercial development and urbanization.
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