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Why was Yamaguchi an important location for travel and trade with China?

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Sesshū: Landscape of Four Seasons — Sesshū *Landscape of Four Seasons*, ink and light color on paper, detail of a painting by Sesshū, 1486; in the Mōri Museum, Yamaguchi, Japan. Height 40 cm.

Yamaguchi served as a vital hub for travel and trade with China primarily due to the influence and control of the Ōuchi family, a powerful western shugo (feudal lord) clan.12

Following the Ōnin War, the Ōuchi family secured control over the kangō (tally) trade with Ming dynasty China, often competing with the Hosokawa clan for dominance. Because the Ōuchi lords provided protection to trading merchants, their domain became a center for international commerce.1

Beyond its economic significance, Yamaguchi flourished as a cultural center under the Ōuchi, who planned their castle town to resemble Kyōto. This environment attracted artists such as Sesshū, who traveled to Ming China and later produced significant works for the Ōuchi clan, reflecting the deep connection between the region's political power, its trade networks, and the assimilation of Chinese artistic traditions.23