Ashikaga From the end of the 12th to the end of the 14th century confusion reigned under the Fujiwara shoguns, who were succeeded by the greatly Ashikaga dynasty, and the capital was transferred to Kamakura. Art revived under a second Chinese influence. The dominant style was that of the Zen Buddhist temples and palaces. The temples were without pagodas, the hondo was square and lofty, ac companied by a complex group of monastic dependencies; the palaces were of singularly elegant design, if we may judge by two extant pavilions at Kioto— the celebrated Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji (15th century).
Tokugawa In 1603 the great lye yasu established the Tokugawa dynasty, with the capital at Yeddo (Tokio), and ushered in the policy of exclusion and isolation (1635 1853), and of the military feudalism of the daimyos. The ancient Shinto religion was re vived, and architecture took on a hitherto un exampled splendor of decoration, exemplified by the gorgeous temples at Nikko, Suba or Shiba and Uyeno. The judgment of critics is divided as to the merits of the Tokugawa style; the general verdict is that purity of line and refined simplicity of form were exchanged for complexity and magnificence of detail, but the beauty and impressiveness of the result are admitted by all.
The Japanese divide the Shinto temple archi tecture into 10 sub-styles (Oyashiro, Otori, Sunnyoshi, Kibitsu, etc.) ; but only a Japanese expert can distinguish them. The great major ity extant temples are of this religion and period, and many of them extremely beauti ful, as much by their surroundings, terraces, gardens, torii or gates and dependencies as by the lacquer, carving, metal adornments and brac keting of their interiors. Many have pagodas
like the Buddhist temples (e,g., at Nikko, built 1810-18). The Tokugawa palaces or castles (yashiki) are imposing compositions, despite the light construction of their central or resi dence buildings in wood and plaster. The ter races of massive masonry, the gateways, the concentric courts about the central dominant nagaiya, are well exemplified by the castles and palaces of Himeiji and Osaka, of Hikone and Kumamoto, and by the Nyo-rikyo and Katsura-rikyo at Kioto. The ordinary Japanese house is a charming but frail structure of frame, with rooms divided by fixed or sliding panels of wood and rice-paper. Each room is planned to fit a given number of mats of three by six feet, and the chief room has a recess or alcove for the daily display of a single kakemono, vase or other choice work of art, taken from the godun or fireproof storeroom. There is no distinction of type of rooms for special functions or uses. The present-day architecture of Japan is being unhappily in fluenced by Western models, especially in com mercial buildings.
Bibliography.— Conder, R. J., on Japanese Architecture' (in Transactions of Royal Institute of British Architects 1886-87, London 1887) ; Cram, R. A., (Impressions of Japanese Architecture and the Allied Arts' (New York 1905) ; Dresser, its Archi tecture, Art and Art Manufactures' (New York 1882) ; Gonse, L., Japonais' (Paris 1883) ; Morse, E. S., Homes and their Surroundings' (Boston 1886). Consult also article in Sturgis, R., of Architecture> (New York 1901), and Vols. II and III of (Official Guidebook' published by the Imperial Railways of Japan (Tokio 1914).