Keywords- Muromachi Period

Question 1

Alt Imperial Succession

Answer 1

• Daikakuji Line & Jinmyō’in Line
• Fighting over Shōen rights and imperial rule
• Kamakura Shogunate as Arbitrator - alternate succession between two families

Question 2

Alt Imperial Succession - Kemmu Restoration

Answer 2

• 1333-1336
• Go-Daigo helped anti-bakufu rebellion, it failed
• shogunate dispatched Takauji Ashikaga who switched to side to Go-Daigo. This spelt the end for the Kamakura Shogunate
• Go-Daigo reinstated as emperor Emperor in 1336.
• Takauji as Shogun

Question 3

Muromachi Period - Shogunate

Answer 3

• After driving Go-Daigo out, Takauji placed a puppet on the throne
• This conflict between the two courts is documented
  in the epic war tale of Taiheiki
• “Muromachi” was taken from the district in Kyoto where the Ashikaga residence and administrative headquarters were located.
• No effective centralized rule
• A time of political weakness and social unrest, but also one of the most creative periods of artistic achievements
• Appearance of the “feudal” system of later periods: Shogun — Shugo — Retainers — farmers.
• Fall of Jito system with revisions of Shugo system
• Creation of the Bushi Class

Question 4

Muromachi Period - Commoner Culture

Answer 4

• Increased Economic Activity
• Kyoto: Commercial Center
• Use of Coinage from China

Question 5

Noh/Kyogen - Noh definition

Answer 5

• One of theater art-forms that survive to this day, noh will be one of the major performance genres patronized by the Ashikaga Shogunate and Tokugawa Shogunate
• Likely had roots in sarugaku (“monkey music”) and dengaku (field music) – kinds of popular theatrical forms that were performed in cities and provinces.
• Ashikaga Yoshimitsu eventually patronized the sarugaku troop of Kan’ami.
• Cultural flourishing during Yoshimitsu’s era is often called “Kitayama epoch” referring
  to the northern hills (kitayama) that Yoshimitsu retired to.

Question 6

Noh/Kyogen - Describing what’s in Noh plays

Answer 6

Main dancer is known as shite while the second lead is known as waki. Lesser personages are known as tsure (companions).

Noh actors cultivate monomane (imitation of things) and yūgen (deep and mysterious)

Five categories of noh: (1) god plays; (2) warrior plays; (3) women plays; (4) miscellaneous plays; and (5) demon plays.

Two classifications based on narrative: (1) Genzai noh (realistic noh); and (2) Mugen noh (fantastic noh).

Most mugen noh are taken from episodes of The Tale of Heike and mostly about destroyed Taira

The climax of each play generally consisted of a long-sung monologue by the shite, followed by a dance

Most plays up to this point featured figures derived from earlier literature, myth, or legend. At the end of the medieval period, however, the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi had plays written to stage his own exploits and he acted in them, sometimes as himself and sometimes not.

Question 7

Noh/Kyogen - Defining Kyogen

Answer 7

An important dimension of noh performances is the use of kyōgen (mad words) as intermissions

Unlike the archaic and “courtly” nature of noh, kyōgen often consist of more contemporary
language and performs scenes that are often comical.

Japan’s oldest dialogue-based drama (unlike noh which is dance-based)

Intimate yet oppositional relationship to noh

More dependent on context and often filled with ad libs. (unlike noh)

Question 8

Noh/Kyogen - Describing Kyogen

Answer 8

In the Edo period, kyōgen would be standardized and hence acquire a classification system similar to noh: (1) celebratory god plays; (2) landlord plays; (3) small landlord and
servant plays; (4) husband/woman plays; (5) demon/mountain ascetic plays; (6) priest/blind man plays; and (7) miscellaneous plays (about thieves and shysters).

kyōgen plays begin with stock self-introductions by the first
character on stage, such as, “I am a person who lives in this area”. These words create an intimacy between character and audience.

Noh plays present famous individuals from history/literature while kyōgen present contemporary commoner life.

Question 9

Noh/Kyogen - Zeami

Answer 9

Companion to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu

Zeami’s importance – his style came to dominate later repertoire.

Tried to synthesize Yūgen
(deep/mysterious) with Monomane
(imitation of things)

Defined Yugen courtliness and/or behaving and speaking like a courtier

Famous for his Mugen
(fantastic/phantasmagoric) noh

Emphasizes disciplining the body – noh performance as “the way”