In the 9th century, as the Japanese began to turn away from China and develop indigenous forms of expression, the secular arts became increasingly important; until the late 15th century, both religious and secular arts flourished.
No século IX, a medida que os xaponeses comezaron a alonxarse da China e a desenvolver formas de expresión indíxenas, as artes seculares foron gañando importancia; até o século XV, tanto a arte relixiosa como a secular floreceron.