The Higashiyama culture (東山文化 ''Higashiyama bunka'') is a segment of

Japanese culture Japanese culture has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world. Since the Jomon period, ancestral ...

that includes innovations in

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

, the

visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual a ...

and

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

during the late

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

. It originated and was promoted in the 15th century by the ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

Ashikaga Yoshimasa "Ashikaga Yoshimasa" in ''Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. was the eighth ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1449 to 1473 du ...

, after he retired to his villa in the eastern hills (東山 ''Higashiyama'') of capital city

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

History

The Ashikaga Shogunate of the 14th century renewed diplomatic relations with

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

China under Yoshinori, in an overtly vassal relationship. Through access to Chinese culture, the Shogunate imported the latest cultural trends through the Shogun Yoshimasa but with a distinctly Japanese aesthetic. This is what became known as the "Higashiyama Culture" due to the centrality of Yoshimasa's influence, and named after the district in

where he built his retreat. Yoshimasa did not single-handedly contribute to the aesthetic, but recruited artistic talents, sponsoring them, and provided valuable critique. Based largely on the ideals and

aesthetics Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste (sociology), taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Ph ...

Zen Buddhism Zen (; from Chinese: '' Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka ph ...

, especially those temples under the

Five Mountain System The system, more commonly called simply ''Five Mountain System'', was a network of state-sponsored Chan (Zen) Buddhist temples created in China during the Southern Song (1127–1279). The term "mountain" in this context means "temple" or "mona ...

, and the concept of '' wabi-sabi'', Higashiyama culture centered on the development of '' chadō'' (Japanese tea ceremony), ''

ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is also known as . The origin of ikebana can be traced back to the ancient Japanese custom of erecting Evergreen, evergreen trees and decorating them with flowers as yorishiro () to invite the go ...

'' (flower arranging), Noh drama, and '' sumi-e'' ink painting. Much of what is commonly seen today as Japanese Zen aesthetics originated in this period. Higashiyama culture is often contrasted with , the "Kitayama Culture" came earlier in the

. In this comparison

Kinkaku-ji , officially named , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan and a tourist attraction. It is designated as a World Heritage Site, a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape, and one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient K ...

, representative of Kitayama culture is compared with Ginkaku-ji, representative of Higashiyama culture. Ryoanji Temple - Kuri Main Building Interior

Ryoanji Temple - Kuri Main Building Interior

Yoshimasa's retirement villa was turned into the temple Ginkaku-ji (the Temple of the Silver Pavilion) after his death. It is situated in Kyoto's Sakyō-ku, and was the center of the Higashiyama cultural outgrowth and known for its Zen and ''wabi-sabi'' aesthetics. The retired shogun invited many artists, poets, and court nobles to his villa, encouraging the development of their arts. A vast and priceless collection of artifacts came together, which was known as the Higashiyama Treasure.

Notable people

Among the figures who influenced the Higashiyama culture are the following: * Sesshū Tōyō - a Zen-Buddhist monk and painter * Kanō Masanobu - founder of the

Kanō school The is one of the most famous schools of Japanese painting. The Kanō school of painting was the dominant style of painting from the late 15th century until the Meiji era, Meiji period which began in 1868, by which time the school had divided i ...

of painting. *

Sen no Rikyū , also known simply as Rikyū, was a Japanese tea master considered the most important influence on the ''chanoyu'', the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of '' wabi-cha''. He was also the first to emphasize several key aspect ...

- a master of the Japanese

tea ceremony Tea ceremony is a ritualized practice of making and serving tea (茶 ''cha'') in East Asia practiced in the Sinosphere. The original term from China (), literally translated as either "''way of tea''", "''etiquette for tea or tea rite''",Heiss, M ...

. *

Zeami Motokiyo , also called , was a Japanese aesthetician, actor, and playwright. His father, Kan'ami Kiyotsugu, introduced him to Noh theater performance at a young age, and found that he was a skilled actor. Kan'ami was also skilled in acting and formed a ...

- a master playwright of Noh theater. * Sōgi - a master of renga poetry

Examples

The Tōgu-Dō building structure includes a '' shoin''-style room called the Dōjinsai. It originally had a fireplace built into the floor, and due to this, the Dōjinsai is considered the earliest extant example of a room designed for use as a tea room. There were many architectural innovations in this period, exhibited in the Ginkaku-ji in particular, which would later become core elements in the ''shoin'' style of 17th century architecture. One of these elements was the ''

tokonoma A , or simply , is a recessed space in a Japanese-style reception room, in which items for artistic appreciation are displayed. In English, a could be called an Alcove (architecture), alcove. History There are two theories about the predece ...

'', a small alcove in which scrolls are hung, and flowers or other small articles are placed to enhance the aesthetic feel of the room. The great ink-painter Sesshū Tōyō spent much time at the Ginkaku-ji, and this period also saw the birth of the

of Japanese painting as well as an early version of the '' chanoyu'' tea ceremony. Tea ceremonies would be further formalized by

in the 16th century.

Important dates

Notable dates within this period include: * February 21, 1482 (''Bummei 14, 4th day of the 2nd month''): Construction of the Silver Pavilion commenced. * January 27, 1490 (''Entoku 2, 7th day of the 1st month''): The former-Shogun Yoshimasa died at age 56 in his ''Higashiyama-dono'' estate,Titsingh
p. 361.
/ref> which marked the beginning of the end of ''Higashiyama bunka.''

Examples

Examples of Higashiyama culture include:

Architecture

*Ginkaku and Garden of Jishō-ji * Karesansui of Ryōan-ji *Karesansui of Daisen-in

Calligraphy and painting

*''View of Ama-no-Hashidate'' by Sesshū (

Kyoto National Museum The is one of the major art museums in Japan. Located in Kyoto's Higashiyama ward, the museum focuses on pre-modern Japanese and Asian art. History The Kyoto National Museum, then the Imperial Museum of Kyoto, was proposed, along with the Imp ...

) * ''Zhou Maoshu Appreciating Lotuses'', a hanging scroll by Kanō Masanobu ( Kyūshū National Museum) * ''Seikōji engi emaki'' by

Tosa Mitsunobu was a Japanese painter, the founder of the Tosa school of Japanese painting. Born into a family that had traditionally served as painters to the Imperial court, he was head of the court painting bureau from 1493 to 1496. In 1518, he was appointe ...

(

Tokyo National Museum The or TNM is an art museum in Ueno Park in the Taitō wards of Tokyo, ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the four museums operated by the , is considered the oldest national museum and the largest art museum in Japan. The museum collects, prese ...

) File:Sesshu - View of Ama-no-Hashidate.jpg, "View of Ama-no-Hashidate" by Sesshū File:Zhou Maoshu Appreciating Lotuses.jpg, "Zhou Maoshu Appreciating Lotuses", a hanging scroll by Kanō Masanobu File:Tosa Mitsunobu 001.jpg, "Seikōji engi emaki" by

Notes

References

"Higashiyama Bunka" JAANUS: Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
* Keene, Donald. (2003)
''Yoshimasa and the Silver Pavilion: The Creation of the Soul of Japan''.
New York:

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's la ...

.
OCLC 52268947
* Titsingh, Isaac, ed. (1834), iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652">Hayashi_Gahō.html" ;"title="iyun-sai Rin-siyo/ iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652 ''Nipon o daï itsi ran">Hayashi Gahō">iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652">Hayashi_Gahō.html" ;"title="iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō">iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652 ''Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou
Annales des empereurs du Japon.
' Paris: Royal Asiatic Society">Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. * Sansom, George Bailey. (1943). "Japan: A Short Cultural History". New York: Appleton Century Crofts, Inc. * Steiner, Evgeny. (2014). ''Zen-Life: Ikkyu and Beyond''. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. {{ISBN, 978-1-4438-5400-9. Culture of Japan 1460s in Japan 1470s in Japan 1480s in Japan

History

Notable people

Examples

Important dates

Examples

Architecture

Calligraphy and painting

See also

Notes

References