Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436-1490) is often remembered as a thoroughly incompetent shogun. Under his rule, the Ōnin War (1467–1477) broke out, shaking the authority of the shogunate and ushering in the long Warring States period. Yet, Yoshimasa was a great lover of the arts, with an artistic sensibility that was nothing short of first-class. It is said that even as the war crept dangerously close to his doorstep, he remained deeply engrossed in painting and calligraphy.
The Ōnin War destroyed much of Kyoto, and with it, many of the invaluable cultural assets that had been accumulated over centuries. For someone as passionate about the arts as Yoshimasa, the loss must have been unimaginable (even though his own incompetence largely caused it). In fact, this war marked a turning point in Japanese culture, leading to the emergence of a new aesthetic consciousness.
Until then, the aristocracy had embraced the lavish beauty influenced by continental Asia, but the overwhelming loss from the Ōnin War gave rise to a different aesthetic: one that valued the richness found in “nothingness” rather than attempting to restore the splendor of the past.
Yoshimasa’s later years saw the birth of what is now known as Higashiyama culture, a pivotal moment in the evolution of Japanese aesthetics. The concept of “emptiness,” or finding richness in what is absent, became firmly rooted during his time. Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion), which Yoshimasa built, stands as a symbol of this, embodying his aesthetic ideals.
One of his significant contributions was the establishment of the aesthetic foundation for chanoyu (the way of tea). The concepts of wabi-cha and wabi-sabi—the beauty of simplicity and imperfection—developed under his pursuit of “the beauty of nothingness.” He may have been a failure as a politician, but as a cultural figure, he laid the foundation for the aesthetics that Japan prides itself on today. While his reign may have been disastrous, his artistic achievements continue to deeply influence our daily lives.
As the saying goes, perhaps nothing is truly wasted in this world.
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