Muromachi

Over the years the Kamakura shogunate lost control of the provincial daimyo, and then in 1338 the Ashikaga shogunate established its headquarters in Kyoto. This Muromachi period began in 1338 and ended in 1568. The Muromachi period is notable for the opulence of its art and architecture and the refined aesthetics of the tea ceremony and the No drama.

Both the shogun and the daimyo throughout the country devoted much time to the pursuit of the arts and many became patrons for men of letters, artists and craftsmen.

In dress the warrior ethic prevailed and determined, on the whole, what people wore. Fearing it would undermine their strength, the warriors eschewed the luxurious style of court life. This cautious attitude is reflected in their choice of the suo and daimon robes along with the eboshi cap.

The last decades of the Muromachi period were marked by civil strife. Then, from the 1560s onward, Oda Nobunaga gained control of eastern Japan. After Nobunaga's death, his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, carried on the work of reunifying the country. Building temples had been a major activity of previous periods; now it was building castles, and the site of one of Hideyoshi's castles gives the Momoyama period (1573-1603) its name.  

Suo Kimono and Daimon Kimono | Dobuku kimono