[Special Feature: Rethinking the Japanese Living Environment] Takeo Ogawa: The Springs of the Nijo Family—Residences and Culture in the Muromachi Period

Section 55 of "Tsurezuregusa" (Essays in Idleness) discusses housing. The opening passage states: "A house should be built with the summer in mind. In winter, one can live anywhere. In hot weather, a bad dwelling is unbearable." In the high heat and humidity of Kyoto, one must admit this makes sense. It continues: "Deep water does not look cool. Shallow, flowing water is far cooler." This suggests letting a murmuring spring flow through the garden; indeed, famous residences in Kyoto featured an Izumi-dono (Spring Pavilion) or Tsuri-dono (Fishing Pavilion) facing running water to seek a moment of coolness during the sweltering heat. The opening of the "Tokonatsu" (Wild Carnation) chapter of "The Tale of Genji" also reads: "On a very hot day, he went out to the eastern Fishing Pavilion to enjoy the cool breeze." So, what were actual residences like?

Karasuma Oike Station on the Kyoto City Subway is the intersection of Karasuma-dori and Oike-dori, and the neighborhood is called "Oike-no-cho." Today, no pond water is visible anywhere, but in the northwest corner, on the grounds of the former Tatsuike Elementary School, an abundant spring once welled up and formed a large pond. Since natural springs are rare within the city limits (Rakuchu), the palaces of Empresses and Retired Emperors were built there since the Heian period. This was the Oshikoji Karasuma-dono, so famous that the name "Izumi-tei" (Spring Pavilion) referred specifically to this place.

The number of powerful figures who loved this spring is too many to count. One of them was Retired Emperor Go-Toba. On August 3, 1209 (Jogen 3), he established a Sento (palace for a retired emperor) here (according to the "Sento Gounshi Buruiki").

Go-Toba was a sovereign who favored places with clear, flowing water, where he enjoyed various pastimes with his close retainers, such as horse racing, swimming, archery contests, and gambling. The Oshikoji Karasuma-dono was no exception. Fujiwara no Teika wrote bitterly: "During this time, it is nothing but sumo again. In this, his unlucky year (age 33), July, he should be most circumspect, yet this occurs daily at the spring of the 'bad place'; I am filled with fear and lamentation" (Meigetsuki, entry for July 19, 1212). Perhaps because they were so unrestrained, the spring was harshly referred to as the "spring of the bad place." However, this fact also clearly shows that springs and garden ponds often allowed people to feel momentarily liberated.

In the late Kamakura period, Oshikoji Karasuma-dono became the main residence of the Nijo family, one of the regent houses (note that this Nijo family is a direct descendant of Fujiwara no Michinaga and Yorimichi, one of the five regent houses, and is distinct from the Nijo family of poetic masters). From this house soon emerged the famous politician and man of culture, Yoshimoto (Regent Go-Fukoon-in, 1320–1388). This residence was the stage for the diverse activities of Yoshimoto, who is best known for his achievements in loving and perfecting renga (linked verse).

Yoshimoto loved the historic residence and strove to maintain the gardens. According to recent excavation results, at least five renovations have been identified in the garden. Particularly during the Northern and Southern Courts period, the ground was excavated to create an artificial slope from east to west, a pond spread toward the southwest, and there was a waterfall. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that a shingle beach (suhama) covered with small stones showed beautiful curves, and several pavilions were built facing the water. In the "Rakuchu Rakugai-zu" (Scenes in and around the Capital) from the Sengoku period (Uesugi version, right screen, fifth panel), two spring pavilions with shingle and cypress bark roofs are depicted, with young men playing go inside, a host standing on the veranda guiding guests, and a pond filled to the brim with water.

This Oshikoji Karasuma-dono is not merely the former residence of a famous court noble; it is a symbol of Muromachi culture and a very interesting case study in how a residence incorporates its surroundings. I would like to discuss this further.

When considering the housing and culture of the Muromachi period, the emergence of the "kaisho" (meeting place) has long drawn attention. A kaisho was a venue for performing arts such as renga, Wakan Renku (linked Japanese and Chinese verse), tea ceremonies, flower arrangement, and incense smelling. During this period, they began to be built as independent pavilions within the estate. For example, renga is often called the "literature of the seat (za)," and indeed, the interior of a kaisho has a flat floor without partitions or level differences, making it suitable as a place where people of different ranks and classes could sit together. In traditional Shinden-zukuri architecture, the areas for sitting—the main room (moya), aisles (hisashi), outer aisles, and the garden—were strictly determined and visualized according to rank. While Muromachi culture often emphasizes the influence of Zen Buddhism and the power of the warrior class, the "kaisho" was actually accepted into the residences of conservative court nobles, becoming the womb for vibrant new cultural activities.

Nijo Yoshimoto developed the Izumi-dono into a "kaisho." As mentioned earlier, the Izumi-dono had been famous since ancient times, and Yoshimoto seems to have actively used it as a kaisho. The garden provided an ideal environment for entertaining guests.

In April 1380 (Koryaku 2), Gido Shushin, a Zen monk of the Muso school of Rinzai Zen and a master of Five Mountains Literature, arrived in Kyoto from Kamakura. Attracted by his literary reputation, Yoshimoto desired a meeting. According to Gido's diary, "Kuga Nichiyo Kufu Ryakushu," he first visited Oshikoji Karasuma-dono on August 8. After meeting Yoshimoto at the Izumi-dono (water pavilion), he was guided to the Gyotokaku (water tower) to enjoy Wakan Renku. Wakan Renku involves alternating five-character Chinese verses with Japanese verses of 5-7-5 or 7-7 syllables in the manner of renga; Yoshimoto established the rules (shikimoku) for this in his later years. It was the literary art most suited to and popular in the Muromachi and Sengoku societies where court nobles, warriors, and Zen monks sat together, and the existence of the kaisho provided the physical infrastructure for it.

"Went to the Wakan Renku gathering at the Nijo Palace, entered through the west gate, and toured the spring garden, pond, pavilions, and rocks. Its beauty is beyond words. The pond is named Ryutaku (Leaping Dragon), which records a fact; recently, at midday, there was a miracle of a dragon leaping down in the rain. The place called Gyotokaku contains the 'to' (seat) where the Emperor sat. It is called Sanshotei, Shoshotei, Zoshonkaku, Ryokuyokyo, Seiheisui, Kangyodai, Koreisen, and Suimeiro. Presently, the Jun-go (Yoshimoto) appeared and received me at the water pavilion. We expressed our long-held desire to meet and proceeded to the Gyotokaku for a hundred-verse Wakan Renku. Those present were Sanzan of Ankoku-ji, Gyokuko of Doshun-ji, Kishi of Daryu-ji, and the son of the Regent, the attendant Bonsho." (Notes and glosses by the author)

Yoshimoto selected ten scenic spots from the pavilions, gardens, and facilities, naming them Baikoken (Shinden), Sanshotei (Spring Pavilion/Water Pavilion), Gyotokaku (Water Tower), Zoshonkaku, Suimeiro, Ryutakuchi, Seiheisui, Koreisen, Ryokuyokyo, and Kangyodai. These are known as the "Ten Scenes of the Nijo Palace." "Ten Scenes" (Jikkyo) is a practice in Zen temples of giving symbolic names to the scenery within the grounds to serve as subjects for poetry. While Ten Scenes would later be seen everywhere, the "Ten Scenes of the Nijo Palace" is one of the earliest examples for a layman.

The names Gyotokaku and Zoshonkaku appear here. Since the "kaku" in "Suikaku" (water tower) refers to a multi-story building, it means he newly constructed a two-story garden facility facing the pond water.

"Gyotokaku" commemorated a visit by Retired Emperor Go-Kogon, and "Suimeiro" is also said to have been named by Go-Kogon. (Additionally, "Ryutakuchi" comes from the miracle of a white dragon ascending to heaven from the pond. Tatsuike Elementary School is named after this pond.)

"Zoshonkaku" was a beloved kaisho for viewing wisteria flowers from late spring to early summer. Its existence as early as 1347 (Jowa 3) is noted in the "Tsukubashu." The wisteria flowers casting shadows on the pond and swaying like waves were a famous feature of Oshikoji Karasuma-dono. This was based on the motif of the old poem, "The wisteria waves in the pond of my dwelling have bloomed; I wonder when the mountain cuckoo will come to sing" (Kokinshu, Summer, 135, anonymous), and was also a metaphor for the head of the Fujiwara clan (Toshi no Choja), so Yoshimoto's attachment to it was particularly strong. It was also in mid-April of 1375 (Eiwa 1) that the 13-year-old boy Zeami was summoned by Yoshimoto, showing talent not only in Sarugaku but also in renga and kemari; the impressed Yoshimoto granted him the name "Fujiwaka" (Wisteria Youth) in the water tower where the wisteria was in full bloom.

Yoshimoto himself described the scenery of the garden dotted with water towers as follows:

"Since the floors are built over the water, the water flowing between the stones through the middle of the seating area is enough to soak one's sleeves. The appearance of the pond at the end of the stream, with its inlets and the layout of the islands, is very interesting. At the end of the western stream, across a mountain, a waterfall of about five feet falls. The appearance of the two-story structure built above the waterfall looks very charming, like a mountain village." (Omoi no Mama no Nikki)

This description matches the excavation results and is likely a true representation. With multiple "two-story" water towers scattered about, and a sense of three-dimensionality created by the pine mountain to the east and the waterfall to the west, it was a garden that successfully produced a "mountain village-like" atmosphere despite being in the middle of the city.

From the water towers and pavilions, one could naturally enjoy the view. Moreover, unlike traditional spring pavilions, the interiors were decorated with "karamono"—imported goods from the Song and Yuan dynasties—creating an atmosphere for artistic pastimes. Originally, such multi-story buildings did not exist in the residences of court nobles or warriors. (For example, "Nikaido" in Kamakura refers to the former Yofuku-ji temple, so named because it had a rare two-story Buddhist hall.) People would climb to the second floor of the water tower facing the pond to view the landscape and enjoy the cool air.

It was considered ideal for a renga gathering to have a view. While renga could be performed outdoors—on boats, under blossoms, or even on the battlefield—during this era, as it was being refined as a literary art, environments suitable for deepening the poetic mood were sought. In his first treatise on renga, Yoshimoto stated:

"If one intends to hold a session, one should first choose the time and seek a view (chobo). Seeing the appearance of the snow and moon, or the masonry of plants and trees as they change with the seasons, moves the heart and brings forth words. For a view, one should also seek a flower pavilion (katei). Facing the mountains and looking out over the water to concentrate one's poetic sentiment is most advantageous." (Hekirensho)

"Katei" literally refers to a stylish and elegant residence.

In retrospect, traditional gatherings for composition, waka, and music were held in the aisles (hisashi) of the Shinden. For example, in the Seiryoden of the Imperial Palace, it was the eastern aisle. This faced a small courtyard surrounded by other buildings, offering no view. The Denjo-no-ma was also favored for miscellaneous arts in the Seiryoden, but located at the southern end of the Seiryoden, it was an even more enclosed space. Here we see a major difference from the "kaisho"; to the characteristics of the kaisho—its flat structure and decoration with imported goods—one can add the element of the view.

Yoshimoto was also a rare producer, arranging not only his own residence but even the residences of others in this way. It is well known that when the third shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, became the first warrior to frequent the Imperial Court, Yoshimoto proactively assisted him. On April 28, 1379 (Koryaku 1), when the 22-year-old Yoshimitsu was welcomed to the Imperial Palace, Yoshimoto turned the Izumi-dono of the palace into a "kaisho," and a banquet was held throughout the night.

A fragment of Yoshimoto's kana account of the event survives, which shows that the interior of the Izumi-dono was decorated with imported items such as hanging scrolls, incense burners, and tables. These were the familiar items placed on the alcove (oshibata) of a kaisho, and we know that the fixed forms seen in the famous manual for room decoration, "Kundaikan Sau Choki," were established early on. The act of tailoring the Izumi-dono into a kaisho through decoration was based on Yoshimoto's plan. At that time, Yoshimitsu was in the middle of constructing the Muromachi-dono, and he seems to have immediately added a kaisho; upon its completion, he invited Yoshimoto for its unveiling (Koyoki, entry for May 20, 1380).

As a result of being maintained over many years, Oshikoji Karasuma-dono formed a refined space where the tastes of its master, Yoshimoto, reached every corner.

However, writing this might make it seem like the hobby of a high-ranking noble, a product of garden interests fueled by power and wealth. Yet, the era in which Yoshimoto lived was one of unprecedented turmoil. As the Chancellor (Kanpaku) of the Northern Court, Yoshimoto was in the midst of the Kanno Disturbance and the subsequent upheavals; between 1352 and 1361, he experienced his residence being seized several times by Southern Court forces that invaded Kyoto. Although he reclaimed it each time after a short period, the pavilions and gardens could not have remained completely unscathed. Public order in Kyoto was at its worst, and robbers often targeted the residence. Furthermore, the Nijo family had meager estates, and their finances were always tight. The scale of the Shinden, the main hall of Oshikoji Karasuma-dono, was actually small and shabby, and other regent families even insulted it as being in a state of extreme desolation.

Nevertheless, it was counted among the finest gardens in the capital and fascinated people from the court, the warrior class, and Zen circles because it overflowed with enough creativity and ingenuity to hide the physical defects of the residence behind the charm of the garden. This could be called the power of culture, but it was an artificial "world within a jar," set apart from the chaotic state of society.

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