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Wabi-sabi

The Age of Warring States had a significant impact. The constant state of warfare for nearly 150 years left an indelible mark on the Japanese psyche, which manifested itself in a cultural and philosophical metamorphosis.

To grasp the topsy-turvy nature of the era, it’s important to know that at the end of the era, Japan’s leader was Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598).

He had been born a peasant and rose to the top to unify the country. He ordered the invasion of mainland Asia, bringing war to Korea. Japan is said to have possessed the biggest firepower in the world by the end of the period.

Like Europe, where civilisation developed at breakneck speed through the constant warfare of the 16th–18th centuries, Japan went through an unprecedented transformation. To support the constant war effort, which became increasingly more expensive, warlords encouraged the development of local commerce. Commercial cities, such as Sakai, near present-day Osaka, flourished. The powerful needed the rich. In turn and by