The Azuchi Momoyama, or simply Momoyama Period spans the years 1573 to 1603 when political unification under Oda Nobunaga and following his assassination, his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was established.
The period takes its name from the two sumptuous and elegant castles, Nobunaga’s Azuchi Castle and Hideyoshi’s Momoyama (also known as Fushimi) Castle.
（Azuchi Castle recreation in Ise)
In stark contrast to the serenity and simplicity of Zen, and the styles favored during the preceding Muromachi Period, the Fushimi Momoyama Period is characterized as an era of grandeur and opulence, reflecting the tastes of the nouveau rich daimyo and wealthy merchant classes. Despite coming at the tail end of the Sengoku Jidai, or Warring States period, it was a time of prolific castle building and warfare.
