Higashiyama period

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Higashiyama Bunka (東山文化 lit. "culture of the Eastern Mountain"?) is a certain segment of Japanese culture originated and promoted in the 15th century by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. Based largely on the ideals and aesthetics of Zen Buddhism and the concept of wabi-sabi (beauty in simplicity), Higashiyama Bunka centered on the development of Sado (Japanese tea ceremony), ikebana (flower arranging), Noh drama, and sumi-e ink painting. Much of what is commonly seen today as traditional Japanese culture originated or developed in this period.

Yoshimasa's retirement villa, Ginkaku-ji (the Silver Pavilion), situated in Kyoto's Higashiyama district, was the center of this cultural outgrowth in a number of ways. The Pavilion is revered for its simple beauty, the silver having never been added. The rock garden next to it is likewise one of the most famous in Japan, and praised for its Zen and wabi-sabi aesthetics. It is a quintessential example of the idea that only the trained expert should be able to recognize the subtle beauty within art and architecture; the beauty of the object should not be underscored and emphasized, but gently hidden. The retired shogun also invited many artists, poets, and court nobles to his villa, encouraging the development of their arts.

The Ginkaku-ji was designed as a tea house, its architecture and limited decoration meant to enhance the experience of those taking part in tea ceremony. 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 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 Sesshu spent much time at the Ginkaku-ji, and this period also saw the birth of the Kano school of Japanese painting as well as an early version of chanoyu tea ceremony. Tea ceremony would be further formalized by Sen no Rikyu in the 16th century.

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