KyotoAuthor :
Hardback
Published : Thursday 30 October 2014
Description
Kyoto was Japanâ?Ts political and cultural capital for more than a millennium before the dawn of the modern era. Until about the fifteenth century, it was also among the worldâ?Ts largest cities and, as the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, it was a place where the political, artistic, and religious currents of Asia coalesced and flourished. Despite these and many other traits that make Kyoto a place of both Japanese and world historical significance, the physical appearance of the pre-modern city remains largely unknown. Through a synthesis of textual, pictorial, and archaeological sources, this work attempts to shed light on Kyotoâ?Ts pre-modern urban landscape with the aim of opening up new ways of thinking about key aspects of pre-modern Japanese history. The book begins with an examination of Kyotoâ?Ts highly idealized urban plan (adapted from Chinese models in the eighth century) and the reasons behind its eventual failure. The formation of the suburbs of Kamigy? and Shimogy? is compared to the creation of large exurban temple-palace complexes by retired emperors from the late eleventh century. Each, it is argued, was a material manifestation of the advancement of privatized power that inspired a medieval discourse aimed at excluding â?ooutsiders.â?? By examining this discourse, a case is made that medieval power holders, despite growing autonomy, continued to see the emperor and classical state system as the ultimate sources of political legitimacy. This sentiment was shared by the leaders of the Ashikaga shogunate, who established their headquarters in Kyoto in 1336. The narrative examines how these warrior leaders interacted with the capitalâ?Ts urban landscape, revealing a surprising degree of deference to classical building protocols and urban codes. Remaining chapters look at the dramatic changes that took place during the Age of Warring States (1467â?"1580s) and Kyotoâ?Ts post-war revitalization under the leadership of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Nobunagaâ?Ts construction of Nij? Castle in 1569 transformed Kyotoâ?Ts fundamental character and, as Japanâ?Ts first castle town, it set an example soon replicated throughout the archipelago. In closing, the book explores how Hideyoshiâ?"like so many before him, yet with much greater zealâ?"used monumentalism to co-opt and leverage the authority of Kyotoâ?Ts traditional institutions. Richly illustrated with original maps and diagrams, Kyoto is a panoramic examination of space and architecture spanning eight centuries. It narrates a history of Japanâ?Ts pre-modern capital relevant to the fields of institutional history, material culture, art and architectural history, religion, and urban planning. Students and scholars of Japan will be introduced to new ways of thinking about old historical problems while readers interested in the cities and architecture of East Asia and beyond will benefit from a novel approach that synthesizes a wide variety of sources.
You may also like ...
by
Hardback
07 Jun 2024
East Asian and Indian philosophy
€17.54
Extended stock – Dispatch 5-7 days
by
Paperback
30 Jul 2016
City and town planning: architectural aspects
€38.55
Extended stock – Dispatch 5-7 days
by
Hardback
30 Oct 2014
City and town planning: architectural aspects
€93.60
Extended stock – Dispatch 5-7 days
by
Hardback
12 Sep 2024
Childrens interactive and activity books and kits
€12.86
Reviews