After the Kamakura shogunate collapsed, a general named Ashikaga Takauji won the power struggle that ensued to become the new, imperially recognized shogun. The Muromachi period (1392–1573) takes its name from the Kyoto district in which the Ashikaga shoguns maintained their headquarters. In this period Kyoto once again became the political and cultural capital of Japan. Trade with China expanded, and Zen Buddhism gained a wider following alongside older traditions, such as Pure Land Buddhism.

The Muromachi period was one of the most turbulent in Japanese history, but this was also the period when Japanese elites, influenced by Zen ideals, developed a new aesthetic associated with the tea ceremony. The tea ceremony aesthetic is based on the principles of harmony, respect, purity and tranquility. It requires an appreciation of garden design, architecture, interior design, calligraphy, painting, flower arranging, and the decorative arts. Web resources here and here.