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Advent of Taikomochi and its Historical Background

(A) Historical Circumstances of the Advent of Taikomochi
Muromachi Period (1333-1568)

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In the Kamakura Period (1185-1333) when Japan underwent transition in its political culture from aristocracy-based to “samurai” (military class)-based with a consequent change in the people’s sense of values, causing uncertainty and unease among them, Buddhist monk Ippen Shonin (1239-1289) appeared to open a new sect of Buddhism “JI Sect of Pure Land Buddhism”, preaching “Nembutsu Odori“ (reciting the name of the Buddha while dancing) for Yuge-zanmai” (pursuing life of entertainment) with abandonment of everything to entrust it to the Buddha. This new sect of Buddhism attracted a large following, producing many people who withdrew from power and/or abandoned desired for possession and power, while using their capability for collection of information throughout the nation in combination with their unprejudiced minds’ eyes and insights to create new forms of culture. Such people with title (go) “Ami” attached to their names joined “doboshu” ­ attendants to the successive heads of the new samurai class in the Muromachi period (1333-1568) known as “shogun”, giving them political advice and suggestions, while exerting great influences on the development of the Japanese culture and art.

Among the prominent “doboshu” with title “Ami” was “Kan-ami” who is known to have accomplished “Sarugaku” (literally meaning “monkey music”, a Japanese traditional form of performing art that developed into the prototype of Noh play) during the reign of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1368-1394), the third shogun of the Muromachi shogunate (1338-1573), who erected Kinkakuji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto as his retreat, which was then converted into a temple according to his last wishes, symbolizing the culture of his period. Noami (1397-1471) is another typical example of “doboshu” who played a similarly important role in the development of the culture during the same period by attending Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436-1490), the eighth shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate (1338-1573), who erected Ginkakuji (Temple of the Silver Pavilion) as his retreat that was subsequently turned into a temple in accordance with his last wishes, the epitome of the culture developed during his reign. It is interesting to note that Noami, whose real name was Nakao Saneyoshi, was a vassal of the Asakura Family, war lords of the Muromachi period (1333-1568) who established their base in Echizen Province (now part of Fukui Prefecture where Taikomochi Arai has his present residence). As an attendant to the Ashikaga shogun, Noami took charge of managing the works of art and curios in the shogun’s collection, while contributing to the development of Suibokuga (ink painting) as the founder of Ami School and the establishment of the Daisu style shelf-like furniture for displaying a set of tea ceremony utensils, having influences on Sen-no-Rikyu (1522-1591), the founder of the Sen School of Tea Ceremony.

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