Centuries of Warfare

After nearly 4 centuries of peace, the Heian period ended with the Gempei War, lasting from 1180 to 1185, during which both the Tōdai and Kōfuku temples were destroyed along with all of their contents. The war ended with the total victory of Minamoto Yoritomo. He established a headquarters at Kamakura, consolidated all military power under himself, and attained the title seii taishōgun (barbarian conquering general), or just shōgun. The emperor and civil authority, now mere figureheads, remained in Kyōtō.

The sculpture below is believed to be an image of Minamoto Yoritomo.

Kamakura Period (1185 - 1333)

While the center of national power rested with the shōgun at Kamakura, daimyō, great feudal landholders who pledged their allegiance to the shōgun, ruled the provinces. Samurai (one who serves) were the well-paid hereditary officer corps for military forces serving a daimyō or the shōgun. Should the master that samurai served die, they became ronin (masterless men) until being taken up by and pledging allegiance to another master. Ninja were secretive mercenaries, hired for reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, and bodyguarding. They developed specialized martial arts skills called ninjutsu. Samurai distained ninjas, considering their tactics to be dishonorable.

Such are some of the elements of what today is thought of as Japan's romantic feudal period. It is doubtful if anyone living in that time thought of it as being romantic. This painting, part of the 13th century Heiji Monogatari emaki, depicts the Sanjō Palace fire and battle, a precursor event leading up to the Gempei War.

Philosophy & Art

Mongol conquests in China caused Buddhist monks to flee. Some came to Japan. This wave brought new religious thinking that appealed to samurai. Warrior values of strength, discipline, austerity, and immediacy were supported, laying the groundwork for what eventually became bushido (the way of the warrior), a samurai moral code concerning attitudes, behavior, and lifestyle.

Recovery from the Gempei War brought a new emphasis to sculpture. Leading sculptors were the Kei family, especially Kōkei and his son, Unkei. The assembled woodblock approach was widely used. Much of the period's sculptures were influenced by the Nara Period idealism and Chinese Sung Dynasty realism.

Ceramics

Interaction with China and Korea increased, and in 1401, China's Ming dynasty recognized Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu as the "King of Japan." Large quantities of lacquer-ware and celadon ceramics (called tenryūji in Japan) were imported. Favored by both the aristocracy and military classes, tenryūji led to a greater appreciation of technically less sophisticated ceramics produced in Japanese kilns.

Art

The sophistication of Japanese painting advanced considerably during this period. One of the early great masters sponsored by the Ashikaga shōguns was the Chinese immigrant Zen monk, Josetsu (1405 – 1496), known today as "the father of Japanese ink painting". This is his Catching Catfish with a Gourd

It is believed that Josetsu taught Shūbun who in turn instructed Tōyō Sesshū (1420 – 1506). Sesshū was already a highly respected painter when he traveled to China in 1467 for three years where he came under the influence of Chinese styles of art, in particular the use of color. On returning to Japan, Sesshū created his own style, blending elements of both Chinese and Japanese art. His influence became so wide that many schools of art appointed him their founder. His Winter Landscape was done in the 1470s.

The military classes became patrons of the arts along with the aristocracy, but while the aristocracy favored traditionally Japanese themes (yamato-e), the military classes preferred Chinese styles (kara-e). Two great schools of art were founded during the Muromachi period to cater to these demands.

The Kanō school of art was established by Kanō Masanobu (1434 – 1530), a contemporary of Sesshū's. It lasted over 300 years, unique in art history, until the end of the Edo period (1603 – 1868). The Kanō school specialized in kara-e with a strong emphasis on brushwork, predominance of ink with little or no use of pigments, and preference for Chinese subjects, especially images of Zen patriarchs and landscapes. This 6-fold byōbu is one of Masanobu's works.

The Tosa school of art was established close to the same time as the Kanō school and lasted nearly as long. Its officially recognized founder was Tosa Mitsunobu (1434 – 1525), but earlier possible roots have been traced to Tosa Yukihiro. The Tosa school specialized in yamato-e, the painting style favored by the aristocracy. It provided many of the official painters of the emperor's court. The Tosa style is characterized by flat, decorative compositions, fine linework, great attention to detail, and brilliant color. Favorite subjects included scenes from classic literature like Genji Monogatari. The 6-fold byōbu below, Bamboo in the Four Seasons, is one of Tosa Mitsunobu's works.

The competition between these schools over the centuries stimulated considerable creativity. Occasional crossovers between the schools furthered this, most notably when the great artist, Kanō Motonobu married into the Tosa family.

Chanoyu

Tea drinking evolved during the Muromachi period from a Buddhist ritual to a highly structured ceremony, led in its development by Murata Shukō, a Zen disciple who served tea to the shōgun in a special room set aside for the purpose. At its highest level, the tea ceremony (chanoyu) involves an appreciation of garden design, architecture, interior design, calligraphy, painting, flower arranging, the decorative arts, and the preparation and service of food.