One of the classifications of periods. Approximately 20 years of the period while Toyotomi Hideyoshi took power in the late 16th century. For art history, between the Azuchi-Momoyama period and the early Edo period is important as a transition period between medieval Japan and early modern times. In particular, constructions of magnificent castles, palaces, temples, and shrines, as well as decorative paintings on paper sliding doors and screens inside those buildings were developed. Also, the development of genre-paintings that show ordinary life and craft technology such as pottery, lacquer work, dyeing and weaving is remarkable.

Kano Mitsunobu (1565–1608) was the first son of Kano Eitoku (1543–1590) who led the artists’ world of the Momoyama period. He made a number of works with his father Eitoku while serving Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. However, many of their works were lost. The screen paintings of the Kangakuin Reception Hall in Miidera Temple are one of his greatest works that show his style.

Nobunaga (b. 1534 – d. 1582) was a renowned warrior during the Sengoku (Warring States) Period of the 15th-16th centuries. Originally based in Mino (current-day Gifu Prefecture), Nobunaga set out for Kyoto in September 1568 in an attempt to unify the nation and install Ashikaga Yoshiaki as shogun. He encamped at Miidera Temple on 24 September just before reaching Kyoto, using the Kojo-in as accommodation for the future shogun. Nobunaga himself stayed at Gokuraku-in. He subsequently gained control over a substantial part of Japan and built Azuchi Castle in Omi (present-day Shiga Prefecture). His ambition to conquer the entire country ultimately failed when, at Honnoji Temple in 1582, he fell victim to a coup by his general Akechi Mitsuhide.

A warlord in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. First, he served to Oda Nobunaga, and as soon as Nobunaga died due to the Honnoji Incident in 1582, he declared himself as the successor, defeated his enemies and unified the country. From 1583, Hideyoshi began the construction of Osaka Castle, the castle tower of which has a lavish five-story structure on the outside and an eight-story structure inside that was suitable for the supreme ruler. While he was called Hotaiko, luxurious Momoyama culture, including tea ceremonies and paintings of the Kano school, flourished.

Relations between Miidera Temple and Hideyoshi were generally favorable; however, in 1595, his later years, he suddenly imposed an order to Miidera Temple to confiscate all of the assets belonging to the temple. After Hideyoshi’s death in August 1598, Miidera Temple was restored by his legal wife, Kita no Mandokoro.

A prominent painter during the late 16th-century Azuchi Momoyama Period. He pioneered a new style of painting that reflected the social dynamics of the time, attracting demand from emerging rulers such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Eitoku designed works for Azuchi Castle, Jurakudai, Osaka Castle and other major locations. He had a longstanding connection with Konoe Sakihisa, head of the Konoe Family, one of the five most powerful aristocratic families in Japan. Konoe’s younger brother Docho was chief abbot of Miidera Temple. This perhaps explains why Eitoku’s eldest son, Mitsunobu, was entrusted with producing the wall paintings at Kangakuin Kyakuden.

Oda Nobunaga built Azuchi Castle over a three-year period from 1576 to 1579 at a site in present-day Omi Hachiman, Shiga Prefecture, with panoramic views over Lake Biwa. The design of this imposing castle complex was revolutionary for its time, not least by incorporating Japan’s first large high-rise tenshu (central tower). The interior was decorated with magnificent wall paintings by artists like Kano Eitoku that gave expression to the vibrant social environment that emanating from Nobunaga’s creative initiative. It was destroyed by fire after Nobunaga’s assassination at Honnoji Temple in 1582. The ruins have been designated by the Japanese government as a National Historic Site.