Kitayama Culture and Society in the Northern and Southern Courts Period

The culture that flourished mainly during the time of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was Kitayama Culture. An elegant and splendid culture blossomed through the fusion of court-noble culture, warrior culture, and the influence of Zen Buddhism.

Basic Knowledge

The greatest symbol of Kitayama Culture is Kinkaku (Kinkaku of Rokuonji), built by Yoshimitsu in 1397. Its distinctive feature is the fusion of three architectural styles: the first story is in the shinden-zukuri style (the style of Heian aristocrats), the second story is in the Japanese style, and the third story is in the Zen style (Chinese style). It embodies the fusion of the three cultures of warriors, court nobles, and Zen Buddhism.
In Noh theater, the father-and-son performers Kannami and Zeami received Yoshimitsu's protection and perfected Noh as an art form. Zeami's book Fushi Kaden (The Transmission of the Flower) is a classic known throughout the world for recording the secrets of Noh.
In painting, ink-wash painting was introduced from China (the Ming dynasty), and Mincho, Josetsu, and Shubun were active. Josetsu's Hyōnenzu (a painting of catching a catfish with a gourd) is a masterpiece that turned a Zen question-and-answer problem into a painting.
In literature, the war chronicle Taiheiki (depicting the conflicts of the Northern and Southern Courts), the historical work Baishoron (the Ashikaga view of history), and Jinnō Shōtōki (by Kitabatake Chikafusa, asserting the legitimacy of the Southern Court) were written.
In society, self-governing villages called sōson were established. Villagers set village rules through meetings and gained self-government rights from their lords. These villages also became the foundation of tsuchi ikki (peasant uprisings), including the later Shōchō Tsuchi Ikki.

Further Study (Background and Influence)

The essence of Kitayama Culture was a culture supported by the worldview of Zen Buddhism (Rinzai Zen). Yoshimitsu trusted Shun'oku Myōha, a disciple of Muso Soseki (protected by Emperor Go-Daigo but later supporting the Northern Court), and organized the Gozan-Jissetsu system in Kyoto and Kamakura (a ranking system for Rinzai Zen temples). The Kyoto Five Mountains were Tenryuji, Shokokuji, Kenninji, Tofukuji, and Manjuji; the Kamakura Five Mountains were Kenchoji, Enkakuji, Jufukuji, Jochiji, and Jomyoji.
Zen monks of the Five Mountains were skilled in Chinese language and classical Chinese writing, and they drafted diplomatic documents and served as envoys to the Ming dynasty. The Gozan literature they transmitted (Chinese poetry and prose), along with ink-wash painting, tea, calligraphy, and cuisine (vegetarian cuisine), became the foundation of later Japanese culture.
Zeami of Noh elevated the art under Yoshimitsu's patronage, but after Yoshimitsu's death he was treated coldly and was exiled to Sado in his later years. This episode shows the difficulty of the relationship between artists and those in power.

Points of Caution (Easily Confused)

① Never confuse Kitayama Culture (Yoshimitsu and Kinkaku) with Higashiyama Culture (Yoshimasa and Ginkaku). The order is also important.
② Remember Kannami (father) and Zeami (son) as a pair. Fushi Kaden was written by Zeami.
③ Taiheiki (the conflicts of the Northern and Southern Courts) and The Tale of the Heike (the Genpei War) are different war chronicles from different periods.
④ The Five Mountains (the Rinzai Zen temple system) and Gozan literature (the literary movement of Chinese poetry and prose) are related but different concepts.

Practice

1. Give the name of the building representing Kitayama Culture and the year it was built.
2. Give the name of the person who perfected Noh as an art form and wrote Fushi Kaden as Kannami's son.
3. Give the name of the historical work by Kitabatake Chikafusa that asserted the legitimacy of the Southern Court.