Muromachi period
The Muromachi period or Muromachi era (室町時代 Muromachi jidai), also known as the Ashikaga period or Ashikaga era (足利時代 Ashikaga jidai), is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shōgun, Ashikaga Takauji. The period ended in 1573 when the 15th and last shogun of this line, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, was driven out of the capital in Kyoto by Oda Nobunaga.
During this period, Japanese Zen played a central role in spreading not only religious teachings and practices but also art and culture, including influences derived from paintings of the Chinese Song (960–1279), Yuan, and Ming dynasties. The proximity of the imperial court to the bakufu (shogunate administration) resulted in a co-mingling of imperial family members, courtiers, daimyō, samurai, and Zen priests.
During the Muromachi period, the re-constituted Blue Cliff Record became the central text of Japanese Zen literature; it still holds that position today.[1]
Notes
- ↑ Sullivan, Matthew Juksan (2021). The Garden of Flowers and Weeds: a New Commentary on the Blue Cliff Record. Monkfish Book Publishing Company. pp. xli. ISBN 9781948626491.
Further reading
Muromachi period, Wikipedia
