Muromachi Period

In this episode, we break down the Muromachi period (1336-1573), when the Ashikaga shogunate took power after the failed Kenmu Restoration and eventually unraveled amid the Ōnin War and the rise of independent daimyōs. We cover the era's major economic and cultural shifts, from the influence of Zen Buddhism to a revived interest in Shinto, along with the steady escalation of provincial warfare. The episode also looks at Japan's growing foreign contacts, including the arrival of the Portuguese, the start of the Nanban trade, and the introduction of Christianity by missionaries such as .