"'A rich set of writings . . . that collectively constitute an outstanding contribution to the study of medieval Japanese culture.'"
Paul Varley in The Journal of Asian Studies

"'The collection provides needed evidence of how the literary scene functioned in the Muromachi age.'"
Robert N. Huey in Monumenta Nipponica

"'I have only respect and admiration for the scholarship that has gone into this volume and the manner in which it is presented. Steven Carter and Mack Horton deserve special commendation for their excellent translations of the work of Japanese scholars.'"
T. J. Harper, University of Leiden

In the late Muromachi period, old centralized political establishments were giving way to new provincial powers, the growth of urban centers was causing changes in trade patterns and financial institutions, and everywhere an expanding economy was creating new centers of wealth and influence. Patterns of production and consumption were affected, including those involving the arts. But how and under what specific conditions did these changes take place? The papers in this volume represent an attempt to answer that question and others like it by focusing on patterns of patronage and professionalism in the world of poetry.

Contributors include: Steven D. Carter, H. Mack Horton, Kaneko Kinjiro, Kumakura Isao, and Tsurusaki Hiro.