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Fine Arts

    The oldest surviving objects of Japanese art are earthen images dating from the Stone Age and crude stone

A picture scroll depicting scenes from hell, Kamakura period. (Tokyo National Museum)

Detail of Cypress Trees by Kano Eitoku on a folding screen, late 16th century. (Tokyo National Museum)

A ukiyoe woodblock print from the Edo period, with Mount Fuji in the background. (Tokyo National Museum)

Reiko's Smile by Kishida Ryusei, 1921. (Tokyo National Museum)

figures of a somewhat later period. A yet later development was mortuary clay images called haniwa, which have been excavated from ancient mausoleums. These show some technical advance and are highly prized today as examples of primitive art.

A haniwa statue excavated in Gunma Prefecture. (Tokyo National Museum)

The bodhisattva Kannon, inscribed with the date 651, preserved at the temple Horyuji. (Tokyo National Museum)

Influence of Buddhism

    The introduction of Buddhism in A.D. 538 led to a cultural period of sudden artistic flowering that reached a height in the Asuka cultural period (538- 645), when the arts were encouraged under imperial patronage. Many Buddhist temples were built, including the celebrated Horyuji Temple near Nara, which is believed to be the oldest wooden building in the world. The Buddhist influence is particularly evident in figurative sculpture, which flourished in this period. The emphasis was on solemnity and sublimity, and features were idealized.

    The Hakuho or so-called early Nara (645-710) cultural period, which followed the Asuka period, was a time of strong Chinese and Indian influence. The flatness of form and stiffness of expression in the sculpture of the Asuka period were replaced by grace and vigor. The Tempyo or so-called late Nara (710-94) cultural period was the golden age of Buddhism and Buddhist sculpture in Japan. Some of the great works of this period may be seen in and around Nara today. They reflect a great realism, combined with a rare serenity.

    An idealized style of expression returned in the following Konin-Jogan era (784-899), when the mystical teachings of the esoteric Shingon Buddhist sect influenced the sculpture of the time. The statues of this era are massive in form and mystic in expression. The Konin-Jogan era marked the first century of the Heian period, which continued until 1192. The Fujiwara family held sway, and the characteristics of the sculpture of this period are elegance and beauty, sometimes at the expense of strength.
 

    Contact with China had been broken and the influences previously introduced from abroad were now assimilated to evolve a new type of Japanese art. Delicacy and exquisiteness of form mark the new artistic taste that evolved at that time. These characteristics are also seen in the unique architecture of the period.
    Painting assumed an important position during this period, almost for the first time. It was in this era that the type of painting known as yamatoe (Japanese-style painting) and the art of emakimono (illustrated scrolls) developed.
 

Influence of Zen

    The austerity of the warrior-class regime and of Zen Buddhism was reflected in the subsequent Kamakura period (1192-1338), when sculpture became extremely realistic in style and vigorous in expression. The Zen influence was reflected in the purity and simplicity of the architecture of the period. Traces of the influence of the tradition established in the Kamakura period can be found in Japanese architecture even today. Illustrated scrolls and portrait painting were also in vogue during this period.
    Sumie, the delicate style of brush painting with black ink, was developed in the Muromachi period (1338-1573). It originated with the Buddhists of the Zen sect, who were familiar with the art of the Chinese Sung dynasty.
    The Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1603), which followed, was a time of transition. It was also a period of great artistic sophistication. Artists expressed themselves in bright colors and elaborate designs. Gorgeous folding screens were introduced. Castles and temples were decorated with elaborate wood carvings. Masks of great artistic refinement began to be worn in the noh dramas.
    The most famous single artistic form in the Edo period (1603-1868) was perhaps the ukiyoe genre print, which won immense popularity among the general public. The influence of ukiyoe on European art in the latter half of the nineteenth century is well known. Sculpture declined during the Edo period, but considerable advances were made in handicrafts.
 

Western influence
    The second half of the nineteenth century was a period when Western influences made themselves felt in Japanese art. Today Western forms and traditional Japanese styles exist side by side and sometimes mingle with each other in a new process of mutual assimilation and reinvigoration. The Japanese show a deep interest in artistic developments, both as spectators and as practitioners. Painting and drawing are unusually popular spare- time pursuits. A large number of art exhibitions are held at all times of the year in the main cities and draw large crowds. Japan's oldest and most impressive annual art show is the comprehensive Nitten Art Exhibition; to be selected for display there is one of the nation's highest art honors.
    Since the war there has been brisk international artistic exchange. Many Japanese paintings and other works of art have been shown abroad, and numerous exhibitions of foreign works are held in Japan. In recent years Japanese interest in the modern art of non-Western countries has grown, and Japan is increasingly playing host to exhibitions of artists from such countries as China, Vietnam, and Brazil