The Kamakura period (1185–1333) was a time of social and political change in Japan. By the second half of the 12th century, power had shifted from the emperor and his family in Kyoto to the great landowners in the provinces. In 1185 a powerful  clan, the Minamoto, established a government controlled for the first time in history by a feudal warlord, the shogun. Their capital was at Kamakura in eastern Honshu. The imperial court remained the theoretical source of political authority, but real power resided with the shogun. 

During this era, the shoguns became the primary patrons of art and architecture. The ultra-refined sensibilities of the Heian aristocracy did not hold much interest for the shogun and the samurai class, who were above all military men. Instead, they favored artists who treated their subjects with directness and robust energy. Also in the Kamakura period more frequent contact with China brought an appreciation for cultural developments there, including new architectural styles and Zen Buddhism. Web resources here and here.

Portrait of Abbot Muju Ichien. Joined wood and pigment with rock crystal inlay for the eyes. Kamakura Period. Ca. 1312. Founder’s Hall, Choboji, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.