Sōami (1525): Bridging East and West in Japanese Landscape Painting The world of 16th-century Japan was undergoing a profound transformation, marked by the waning influence of the Kamakura shogunate and the rise of the Ashikaga. Amidst this shifting landscape emerged Sōami (相阿弥), a painter whose work stands as a pivotal bridge between traditional Japanese aesthetics and the burgeoning artistic currents flowing from China. Born in Toky…