Azuchi-Momoyama period
Historical periods安土桃山時代 ・ Reading: Azuchi-Momoyama jidai
Definition
The short, brilliant era from 1568 to 1600 when the warlords Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi reunified Japan. Its bold, gilded Momoyama style survives in ornate temple and shrine gates, painted screens, and the tea ceremony.
Reunification by force
Oda Nobunaga marched into Kyoto in 1568 and set about ending a century of civil war, showing no mercy to armed monasteries: in 1571 he burned the great Tendai complex of Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei. After his death in 1582 his general Toyotomi Hideyoshi completed the reunification, rebuilt Kyoto's temples, and staged spectacular ceremonies. The era takes its name from Nobunaga's castle at Azuchi and Hideyoshi's at Momoyama.
The Momoyama style
Castle culture bred an art of gold and grandeur: walls of gold leaf painted with tigers and pines, and lavishly carved, gilded gates. The finest surviving examples are karamon gates, like the one at Nishi Hongan-ji in Kyoto, so rich in carving it is nicknamed the gate you could stare at until sundown. In deliberate contrast, the tea master Sen no Rikyū perfected wabi-cha, the austere tea ceremony held in a bare rustic hut, and both extremes still shape the look of Japanese temples and gardens today.
Common questions
- Why did Nobunaga burn Enryaku-ji?
The monastery on Mount Hiei fielded thousands of warrior monks and sided with his enemies. In 1571 Nobunaga destroyed the entire complex; the temple was later rebuilt and is a UNESCO World Heritage site today.
- What does Momoyama style mean?
The opulent art of the reunification era: gold leaf screens, vivid paintings of animals and seasonal trees, and richly carved gilded gates. Ornate karamon gates at Kyoto temples and shrines are its best surviving examples.
- Who was Sen no Rikyū?
The tea master (1522-1591) who served Nobunaga and Hideyoshi and perfected wabi-cha, the austere style of tea ceremony. His aesthetic of rustic simplicity remains central to tea rooms found at many temples.