The years between early 15th century and 16th century marks a significant historical event in Japan particularly due to the civil war that erupted between the provincial warlords and the ruling shoguns or the Ashikaga family also known to be under the Muromachi period. Before the arrival of first Europeans in early 1500s, Japan was ruled by the supreme warrior s under the shugunate rule who ruled the island had had the supreme powers of jurisdictions in the region. The Kyoto shoguns were the rulers during this time and controlled all the major activities such as painting, farming and pottery. Through the help of Zen Buddhism, the shoguns had already established the culture of poetry and painting in the region as well as decorative artistry which helped restore harmony among the people who believed in the Buddhism religion. The region had however faced severe civil during the 15th century between the shoguns and the feudal lords known as the daimyo in attempt to gain control of the ruling power in Japan.
Since before 1467, Japan was ruled under Feudal system of governance by the powerful Samurai warrior who was the supreme warrior from the Ashikaga clan. However, the clashes that erupted in the early 1400s led to the collapse of this feudal system and instead the regional warlords struggled to control the power of the land thus leading to the eruption of Onin war that lasted until mid 1500s. During this era, daimyo lords took over the ruling power and established a stronger headquarters which were located in Kyoto. During this period, Japan was shattered as each regional warlord took control of their region until mid 1500s when the first daimyo, Oda Nabunaga seared to take control of the entire empire by destroying all the rebellious daimyos and the Buddhist lineage and who were opposing his rule (Wayne, 197). This period of time was generally characterized by unending rivalries in an attempt to take control of the Japan Empire.
It is also during this period of time that culture and religious beliefs spread to various regions in Japan. Zen Buddhism was one of the influential factors in the culture and religion of Japanese people between this period whereby they encouraged the Samurai warriors to meditate as a way of gaining wisdom and knowledge necessary to rule the people. The religion was overwhelmingly received and practiced by the samurai, artisans and merchants who adopted the religion as a way of achieving peace of mind (Farris, 184). Zen Buddhism also influenced the role of poetry and artistry during this period as seen by various artworks drawn during this period such as the portraits of the Zen priests, pottery and seasons paintings found in the museums today. In addition, the culture of Japanese people such as flower arrangements, carvings, building architecture and some farming methods was enriched during the 1400s and early 1500s.
The first trading contact between Japan and Europeans first opened up after the arrival of the Portuguese in 1954. The daimyos welcomed the Portuguese especially due to their sophisticated weapons which were used by the regional warlords in their fight to control the empire. Other items that were traded between these countries include glassware, clocks and eyeglasses. It is after the need to spread Christianity in Japan after arrival of Portuguese that other Europeans such as Rome and Greek started trading relations with Japan while at the same time influencing the conversion of native Japanese into Catholicism. Generally, the 15ht and early 16th Century can be termed as a revolutionary period in Japan as several measures including social-cultural, political and economic measures took place
Works Cited
Farris, Wayne. Japan to 1600: A Social and Economic History. U. Hawai‘i Press, 2009.
Japan, 1400–1600 A.D.". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. Retrieved http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=08®ion=eaj
