Kamakura Period 1185 – 1333
The Kamakura Period (1185-1333) began after the Genpei War where two powerful military clans, the Taira (Heike) and the Minamoto (Genji), battled for supremacy. After the Taira defeat in the Genpei War, real political power resided with the Minamoto clan, led by Minamoto Yoritomo, who made his headquarters in Kamakura.
The Kamakura regime under the Minamoto and its related clan, the Hōjō, had a warrior dominated culture. The warrior class, the samurai, began during this time.
The samurai wanted a religion that was not tied to ritual or learning. The time was ripe for Zen. Eisai introduced the Rinzai school to Kamakura. The Rinzai school had the doctrine of zazen (“sitting meditation”), especially kōan (“public matter”) practice. Eisai founded Kennin-ji in Kyoto.
Two other Buddhists sects gathered many followers among the commoners, collectively known as the Amidist sects: The Pure Land School or Jōdo-shū founded by Hōnen (1133 –1212) and the True Pure Land School or Jōdo Shinshū, which was founded by Shinran (1173 – 1262). Later Nichiren (1222 – 1282) started a sect which believed that calling on the Lotus Sutra could bring wealth, good luck, and protection for the state.
Buddhism profoundly influenced the great literary classics of the time. The Tale of the Heike (Heike Monogatari) is an epic account of the Genpei War.
Folding fans (ogi) came into use during this time.
The Kamakura Era is particularly known for sculpture. At Sanjūsangen-dō there are 1001 Kannon sculptures.
In architecture, the Kamakura Period was the time of the building of the great temples of Zen and the Amidist sects. Zen temples were set up at various geographic areas in Kyoto, such as Daitoku-ji, the head temple of Rinzai; Tōfuku-ji; Myoshin-ji; and Nanzen-ji. The Amidist sects founded Hogan-ji temples (Nishi and Higashi) and Chion-in.
The Hōjō clan, acting as regents for the Ashikaga shogun, ruled during much of the Kamakura Period. For the most part, it was relatively peaceful. Everything changed in 1266, when Kublai Khan dispatched an army to invade Japan. The Mongols made two invasions of Japan and both times were defeated by typhoons, which created the legend of Kamikaze (Divine Wind). Fearing another Mongol invasion the Kamakura regime maintained an expensive defense system that weakened it financially and made it vulnerable. The Emperor Go Daigo, desiring to rule, dispatched an army under Nitta Yoshida to Kamakura. Nitta Yoshida’s forces attacked Kamakura and burnt the city. The Hōjō clan and its retainers committed mass suicide, thus ending Hōjō power and the Kamakura regime.
The Kamakura regime had hired Ashikaga Takauji to lead an army against the emperor. However he switched sides and backed the emperor. Eventually, Ashikaga was made shogun, leading to the Muromachi Period.
Chapter 3.1 Kamakura Period 1185 – 1333
Chapter 3.2 Kamakura Period 1185 – 1333 Buddhism
Chapter 3.3 Kamakura Period 1185 – 1333 Art, Culture, Literature