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107-452: The Asuka period is characterized by its significant artistic , social, and political transformations, having their origins in the late Kofun period. The introduction of Buddhism marked a change in Japanese society. The Asuka period is also distinguished by the change in the name of the country from Wa ( 倭 ) to Nippon ( 日本 ) . The term "Asuka period" was first used to describe a period in

214-489: A brush rather than a pen , and their familiarity with brush techniques has made them particularly sensitive to the values and aesthetics of painting. With the rise of popular culture in the Edo period , ukiyo-e , a style of woodblock prints, became a major form and its techniques were fine-tuned to create mass-produced, colorful pictures; in spite of painting's traditional pride of place, these prints proved to be instrumental in

321-478: A syllabary system for transcribing sounds and ideas (see kana ), and most were incapable of reading texts that employed Chinese ideographs ( kanji ). Thus, the Kegon Engi Emaki combines passages of text, written with a maximum of easily readable syllables, and illustrations that have the dialogue between characters written next to the speakers, a technique comparable to contemporary comic strips. The plot of

428-587: A Korean peninsula, Buddhist icons were brought to Japan by Various immigrant groups. Particularly, the semi-seated Maitreya form was adapted into a highly developed Ancient Greek art style which was transmitted to Japan as evidenced by the Kōryū-ji Miroku Bosatsu and the Chūgū-ji Siddhartha statues. Many historians portray Korea as a mere transmitter of Buddhism. The Three Kingdoms, and particularly Baekje, were instrumental as active agents in

535-513: A central administration and an imperial court attended by subordinate clan chieftains but with no permanent capital. By the mid-seventh century, the agricultural lands had grown to a substantial public domain, subject to central policy. The basic administrative unit was the county, and society was organized into occupation groups. Most people were farmers; other were fishers, weavers, potters, artisans, armorers, and ritual specialists. From 600 to 659, Japan sent seven emissaries to Tang China. But for

642-409: A form of Vajrayana Buddhism, which he introduced into Japan in 806. At the core of Shingon worship is mandalas , diagrams of the spiritual universe, which then began to influence temple design. Japanese Buddhist architecture also adopted the stupa , originally an Indian architectural form , in its Chinese-style pagoda. The temples erected for this new sect were built in the mountains, far away from

749-417: A main rectangular structure flanked by two L-shaped wing corridors and a tail corridor, set at the edge of a large artificial pond. Inside, a single golden image of Amida ( c.  1053 ) is installed on a high platform. The Amida sculpture was executed by Jōchō , who used a new canon of proportions and a new technique ( yosegi ), in which multiple pieces of wood are carved out like shells and joined from

856-419: A major industry at various points. Japanese lacquerware is also one of the world's leading arts and crafts, and works gorgeously decorated with maki-e were exported to Europe and China, remaining important exports until the 19th century. In architecture , Japanese preferences for natural materials and an interaction of interior and exterior space are clearly expressed. The first settlers of Japan were

963-456: A minimum of detail. Catching a Catfish with a Gourd (early 15th century, Taizō-in , Myōshin-ji , Kyoto), by the priest-painter Josetsu (active c.  1400 ), marks a turning point in Muromachi painting. Executed originally for a low-standing screen, it has been remounted as a hanging scroll with inscriptions by contemporary figures above, one of which refers to the painting as being in

1070-556: A modification of Yayoi culture, attributable either to internal development or external force. This period is most notable for its tomb culture and other artifacts such as bronze mirrors and clay sculptures called haniwa which were erected outside these tombs. Throughout the Kofun period, the characteristics of these tombs evolved from smaller tombs erected on hilltops and ridges to much larger tombs built on flat land. The largest tomb in Japan,

1177-534: A new form of poetry at this time. This term was coined to distinguish native styles from those imported from China; within the umbrella of waka poetry, one of the more popular forms is known as tanka ( 短歌 , "short song") . It consists of a total of 31 Japanese syllables (morae) divided over five lines, in the syllabic pattern 5/7/5/7/7. Japanese art Art of Central Asia Art of East Asia Art of South Asia Art of Southeast Asia Art of Europe Art of Africa Art of

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1284-664: A new, more realistic style of sculpture. The two Niō guardian images (1203) in the Great South Gate of the Tōdai-ji in Nara illustrate .Unkei's dynamic supra-realistic style. The images, about 8 m (about 26 ft) tall, were carved of multiple blocks in a period of about three months, a feat indicative of a developed studio system of artisans working under the direction of a master sculptor. Unkei's polychromed wood sculptures (1208, Kōfuku-ji , Nara) of two Indian sages, Muchaku and Seshin ,

1391-480: A precedent: Japan never again accepted a "subordinate" status in its relations with China, except for Ashikaga Yoshimitsu , who accepted such a relationship with China in the 15th century. As a result, Japan in this period received no title from Chinese dynasties, while they did send tribute ( 有貢無封 , yūkō mufū ) . From the Chinese point of view, the class or position of Japan was demoted from previous centuries in which

1498-409: A scroll that deals with an intrigue at court, emphasizes figures in active motion depicted in rapidly executed brush strokes and thin but vibrant colors. E-maki also serve as some of the earliest and greatest examples of the otoko-e ("men's pictures") and onna-e ("women's pictures") styles of painting. There are many fine differences in the two styles, appealing to the aesthetic preferences of

1605-438: A second time into Japan and took root. Painting: Because of secular ventures and trading missions to China organized by Zen temples, many Chinese paintings and objects of art were imported into Japan and profoundly influenced Japanese artists working for Zen temples and the shogunate. Not only did these imports change the subject matter of painting, but they also modified the use of color; the bright colors of Yamato-e yielded to

1712-537: A subordinate status in its relations with China. The introduction of Buddhism to Japan is attributed to the Baekje king Seong in 538, exposing Japan to a new body of religious doctrine. The Soga clan , a Japanese court family that rose to prominence with the ascension of the Emperor Kinmei about 531, favored the adoption of Buddhism and of governmental and cultural models based on Chinese Confucianism . But some at

1819-526: A system of patrimonial rule based on an elaborate legal code that emerged from the Taika Reform. The Taika Reform, influenced by Chinese practices, started with land redistribution aimed at ending the existing landholding system of the great clans and their control over domains and occupational groups. What were once called "private lands and private people" ( 私地私民 , shichi shimin ) became "public lands and public people" ( 公地公民 , kōchi kōmin ) , as

1926-562: A system of trade roads (the aforementioned Gokishichidō ), built numerous Buddhist temples , had court chronicles compiled, sent students to China to study Buddhism and Confucianism, and sent Ono no Imoko to China as an emissary ( 遣隋使 , Kenzuishi ) . Six official missions of envoys, priests, and students were sent to China in the seventh century. Some remained twenty years or more; many of those who returned became prominent reformers. The sending of such scholars to learn Chinese political systems showed significant change from envoys in

2033-568: Is a famous example of this style. In 1180, a war broke out between the two most powerful warrior clans: the Taira and the Minamoto ; five years later the Minamoto emerged victorious and established a de facto seat of government at the seaside village of Kamakura , where it remained until 1333. With the shift of power from the nobility to the warrior class, the arts had to satisfy a new audience: men devoted to

2140-557: Is an expression of the smile that is called the " archaic smile ". Kudara Kannon at Hōryū-ji is the most prominent Buddhist sculpture from this period. The second stage of Buddhist art , coming after the Asuka (cultural) period, is known as the Hakuhō culture ( 白鳳文化 , Hakuhō Bunka ) , and is generally dated from the Taika Reform (646) until the moving of the capital to Nara in 710. During

2247-508: Is believed to have followed the style of the Six Dynasties of China. The characteristics of the sculptures of this age are also referred to as Tori Style, taken from the name of prominent sculptor Kuratsukuri Tori , grandson of Chinese immigrant Shiba Tatto. Some of the characteristics of the style include marked, almond-shaped eyes, and symmetrically arranged folds in the clothing. The most striking and distinguishing feature of these sculptures

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2354-492: Is one of Sesshu's most accomplished works, depicting a continuing landscape through the four seasons. In the Azuchi–Momoyama period (1573–1603), a succession of military leaders, such as Oda Nobunaga , Toyotomi Hideyoshi , and Tokugawa Ieyasu , attempted to bring peace and political stability to Japan after an era of almost 100 years of warfare. Oda, a minor chieftain, acquired power sufficient to take de facto control of

2461-581: The Daijō-kan ( 太政官 ) , with its eight ministries (for central administration, ceremonies, civil affairs, the imperial household, justice, military affairs, people's affairs, and the treasury). Although the Chinese-style civil service examination system was not adopted, the college office ( 大学寮 , Daigaku Ryō ) was founded for training future bureaucrats based on the Confucian classics. Tradition circumvented

2568-550: The Gokishichidō ( 五畿七道 , "five cities, seven roads") system was the county, and society was organized into occupation groups. Most people were farmers; others were fishers, weavers, potters, artisans, armorers, and ritual specialists. The Soga clan intermarried with the imperial family , and by 587 Soga no Umako , the Soga chieftain, was powerful enough to install his nephew as emperor and later to assassinate him and replace him with

2675-458: The Chinese zodiac year in which the coup took place, 645. Although it did not constitute a legal code, the Taika Reform mandated a series of reforms that established the ritsuryō system of social, fiscal, and administrative mechanisms of the seventh to tenth centuries. Ritsu ( 律 ) was a code of penal laws, while ryō ( 令 ) was an administrative code. Combined, the two terms came to describe

2782-495: The Empress Suiko (r. 593–628). Suiko, the first of eight sovereign empresses, is sometimes considered a mere figurehead for Umako and Prince Regent Shōtoku Taishi (574–622). However she wielded power in her own right, and the role of Shōtoku Taishi is often exaggerated to the point of legend. Shōtoku, recognized as a great intellectual of this period of reform, was a devout Buddhist and was well-read in Chinese literature . He

2889-739: The Fujiwara period , Pure Land Buddhism , which offered easy salvation through belief in Amida (the Buddha of the Western Paradise), became popular. This period is named after the Fujiwara family , then the most powerful in the country, who ruled as regents for the Emperor, becoming, in effect, civil dictators. Concurrently, the Kyoto nobility developed a society devoted to elegant aesthetic pursuits. So secure and beautiful

2996-643: The Fukukenjaku Kannon (不空羂索観音立像, the most popular bodhisattva), crafted of dry lacquer (cloth dipped in lacquer and shaped over a wooden armature); the Kaidanin (戒壇院, Ordination Hall) with its magnificent clay statues of the Four Guardian Kings ; and the storehouse, called the Shōsōin . This last structure is of great importance as an art-historical cache, because in it are stored the utensils that were used in

3103-559: The Jōmon people ( c.  10,500  – c.  300 BCE ), named for the cord markings that decorated the surfaces of their clay vessels, were nomadic hunter-gatherers who later practiced organized farming and built cities with populations of hundreds if not thousands. They built simple houses of wood and thatch set into shallow earthen pits to provide warmth from the soil. They crafted lavishly decorated pottery storage vessels , clay figurines called dogū , and crystal jewels. During

3210-604: The Shang dynasty . They held that Heaven had revoked its mandate from the Shang and given it to the Zhou in retribution for Shang corruption and misrule. Heaven bestowed the mandate on whoever was most fit to rule. The title held the monarch responsible for the prosperity and security of his people by the threat of taking away his mandate. "Son of Heaven" was often one of several titles adopted by Sinospheric monarchs. The Emperor Taizong of Tang held

3317-459: The Tokugawa shogunate , organized religion played a much less important role in people's lives, and the arts that survived were primarily secular. The Meiji Period (1868–1912) saw an abrupt influx of Western styles, which have continued to be important. Painting is the preferred artistic expression in Japan, practiced by amateurs and professionals alike. Until modern times, the Japanese wrote with

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3424-587: The e-maki , the lives of the two Korean priests who founded the Kegon sect, is swiftly paced and filled with fantastic feats such as a journey to the palace of the Ocean King, and a poignant mom story. A work in a more conservative vein is the illustrated version of Murasaki Shikibu's diary . E-maki versions of her novel continued to be produced, but the nobility, attuned to the new interest in realism yet nostalgic for past days of wealth and power, revived and illustrated

3531-560: The imperial Japanese embassies to China were established. Although the missions continued, the transformation of Japan through Chinese influences declined, despite the close connections that had existed during the early Kofun period. Meanwhile, the kingdoms of the Korean peninsula, often at odds with each other, frequently sent diplomatic missions with gifts to Japan, probably with the aim of securing Japanese neutrality or diplomatic/military support in their rivalries; ultimately, this proved to be of

3638-461: The monochromes of painting in the Chinese manner, where paintings generally only have black and white or different tones of a single color. Typical of early Muromachi painting is the depiction by the priest-painter Kao (active early 15th century) of the legendary monk Kensu (Hsien-tzu in Chinese) at the moment he achieved enlightenment. This type of painting was executed with quick brush strokes and

3745-460: The ritsu of the code was adopted from the Chinese system, the ryō was arranged in a local style. Some scholars argue that it was to a certain extent based on Chinese models. The Taihō Code provided for Confucian-model penal provisions (light rather than harsh punishments) and Chinese-style central administration through the Jingi-kan ( 神祇官 ) , which was devoted to Shinto and court rituals, and

3852-412: The "new style". In the foreground a man is depicted on the bank of a stream holding a small gourd and looking at a large slithery catfish. Mist fills the middle ground, and the background mountains appear to be far in the distance. It is generally assumed that the "new style" of the painting, executed about 1413, refers to a more Chinese sense of deep space within the picture plane. The foremost artists of

3959-436: The 10th millennium BCE, to the present day. Japan has alternated between periods of exposure to new ideas, and long periods of minimal contact with the outside world. Over time the country absorbed, imitated, and finally assimilated elements of foreign culture that complemented already-existing aesthetic preferences. The earliest complex art in Japan was produced in the 7th and 8th centuries in connection with Buddhism . In

4066-459: The 7th and 8th centuries, however, the major focus in contacts between Japan and the Asian continent was the development of Buddhism. Not all scholars agree on the significant dates and the appropriate names to apply to various time periods between 552, the official date of the introduction of Buddhism into Japan, and 784, when the Japanese capital was transferred from Nara. The most common designations are

4173-455: 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. After the Ōnin War (1467–1477), Japan entered a period of political, social, and economic turmoil that lasted for over a century. In the state that emerged under the leadership of

4280-469: The Americas Art of Oceania Japanese art consists of a wide range of art styles and media that includes ancient pottery , sculpture , ink painting and calligraphy on silk and paper, ukiyo-e paintings and woodblock prints , ceramics , origami , bonsai , and more recently manga and anime . It has a long history, ranging from the beginnings of human habitation in Japan, sometime in

4387-422: The Asuka period started with conflicts between clans over religious beliefs, later in the period, the imported religions became syncretized with Japan's native folk beliefs. Some architectural structures built in the period still remain today. Wooden buildings at Hōryū-ji , built in the seventh century, show some influence from Chinese and west Asian countries. For instance, the pillars at Hōryū-ji are similar to

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4494-480: The Court and the laity in the capital. The irregular topography of these sites forced Japanese architects to rethink the problems of temple construction, and in so doing to choose more indigenous elements of design. Cypress-bark roofs replaced those of ceramic tile, wood planks were used instead of earthen floors, and a separate worship area for the laity was added in front of the main sanctuary. The temple that best reflects

4601-735: The Early Jōmon Period in many ways. These people were less nomadic and began to settle in villages. They created useful tools that to process the food they gathered and hunted, which made life easier. Through the numerous aesthetically pleasing ceramics found during this period, it is evident that they had a stable economy and more leisure time. In addition, the people of the Middle Jōmon period differed from their ancestors in their development of vessels for specific functions, for example, pots for storage. The decorations on these vessels were more realistic than those on early Jōmon ceramics. During

4708-503: The Early Jōmon period (5000–2500 BCE), villages started to be discovered and ordinary everyday objects were found such as ceramic pots for boiling water. The pots found during this time had flat bottoms and elaborate designs made out of materials such as bamboo. It is believed that some early Jōmon figurines may have been used as fertility objects based on their breasts and broad hips. The Middle Jōmon period (2500–1500 BCE), differed from

4815-561: The Goguryeo priests left Japan. The Yamato court, concentrated in the Asuka region, exercised power over clans in Kyushu and Honshu, bestowing titles, some hereditary, on clan chieftains. The Yamato name became synonymous with all of Japan as the Yamato rulers suppressed the clans and acquired agricultural lands. Based on Chinese models (including the adoption of the Chinese written language), they developed

4922-648: The Kofun period, in which the five kings of Wa sent envoys for the approval of their domains. In a move greatly resented by the Chinese, Shōtoku sought equality with the Chinese emperor by sending official correspondence that was addressed, "From the Son of Heaven in the Land of the Rising Sun to the Son of Heaven of the Land of the Setting Sun." Some would argue that Shōtoku's bold step set

5029-670: The Late and Final Jōmon period (1500–300 BCE), the weather grew colder, prompting settlers to move away from the mountains. The main food source was fish, which led them to develop fishing tools and techniques. In addition, the increase in the number of vessels suggests that each household had its own stock. Some vessels found during the Late and Final Jōmon Period were damaged which might indicate that they were used for rituals. In addition, figurines were found with distinctive fleshy bodies and goggle-like eyes. Dogū figurines Dogū ("earthen figure") are small humanoid and animal figurines dated to

5136-472: The Muromachi period are the priest-painters Shūbun and Sesshū . Shūbun, a monk at the Kyoto temple of Shōkoku-ji , created in the painting Reading in a Bamboo Grove (1446) a realistic landscape with deep recession into space. Sesshū, unlike most artists of the period, was able to journey to China and study Chinese painting at its source. Landscape of the Four Seasons ( Sansui Chokan ; c.  1486 )

5243-581: The Soga and the Nakatomi and Mononobe clans for more than a century, during which the Soga temporarily emerged ascendant. In the Taika Reform , the Funeral Simplification Edict was proclaimed, and the building of large kofun ( tumuli ) was banned. The edict also regulated size and shape of kofun by classes. As a result, later kofun , though much smaller, were distinguished by elaborate frescoes. Paintings and decorations in those kofun indicate

5350-701: The Son of Heaven (天帝之子) and tianxia . The rulers of Goryeo used the titles of Holy Emperor-King (신성제왕, 神聖帝王) and Son of Heaven and positioned Goryeo at the center of the Haedong (海東; "East of the Sea") tianxia , which encompassed the historical domain of the " Samhan ", another name for the Three Kingdoms of Korea . The title was also adopted in Vietnam, known in Vietnamese as Thiên tử ( Chữ Hán : 天子). A divine mandate gave

5457-419: The Son of Heaven in the land where the sun sets." But the Japanese emperor's title was less contingent than that of his Chinese counterpart; there was no divine mandate that would punish Japan's emperor for failing to rule justly. The right to rule of the Japanese emperor, descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu , was absolute. Based on epitaphs dating to the 4th and 5th centuries, Goguryeo had concepts of

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5564-605: The Suiko period, 552–645; the Hakuhō period , 645–710, and the Tenpyō period, 710–784. The earliest Japanese sculptures of the Buddha are dated to the 6th and 7th century. They ultimately derive from the 1st- to 3rd-century AD Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara , characterized by flowing dress patterns and realistic rendering, on which Chinese artistic traits were superimposed. After the Chinese Northern Wei buddhist art had infiltrated

5671-556: The Tōdaiji represented the center for Imperially sponsored Buddhism and its dissemination throughout Japan. Only a few fragments of the original statue survive, and the present hall and central Buddha are reconstructions from the Edo period . Clustered around the Daibutsuden on a gently sloping hillside are a number of secondary halls: the Hokke-dō (Lotus Sutra Hall), with its principal image,

5778-503: The Western world's 19th-century dialogue with Japanese art . The Japanese, in this period, found sculpture a much less sympathetic medium for artistic expression: most large Japanese sculpture is associated with religion , and the medium's use declined with the lessening importance of traditional Buddhism. Japanese pottery is among the finest in the world and includes the earliest known Japanese artifacts; Japanese export porcelain has been

5885-571: The Yamato court—such as the Nakatomi family , which was responsible for performing Shinto rituals at court, and the Mononobe , a military clan—were set on maintaining their prerogatives and resisted the alien religious influence of Buddhism. The Soga introduced Chinese-modeled fiscal policies, established the first national treasury, and considered the kingdoms of Korea as trade partners rather than as objects of territorial expansion. Acrimony continued between

5992-445: The Yamato rulers suppressed other clans and acquired agricultural lands. Based on Chinese models (including the adoption of the Chinese written language ), they developed a central administration and an imperial court attended by subordinate clan chieftains but with no permanent capital. By the mid-seventh century, the agricultural lands had grown to a substantial public domain, subject to central policy. The basic administrative unit of

6099-455: The corner posts and their branches extending to left and right, unifying the adjoining panels. Eitoku's screen, Chinese Lions , also in Kyoto, reveals the bold, brightly colored style of painting preferred by the samurai. Hasegawa Tōhaku , a contemporary of Eitoku, developed a somewhat different and more decorative style for large-scale screen paintings. In his Maple Screen (楓図), now in the temple of Chishaku-in ( ja:智積院 ), Kyoto, he placed

6206-480: The court now sought to assert its control over all of Japan and to make the people direct subjects of the throne. Land was no longer hereditary but reverted to the state at the death of the owner. Taxes were levied on harvests and on silk, cotton, cloth, thread, and other products. A corvée (labor) tax was established for military conscription and building public works. The hereditary titles of clan chieftains were abolished, and three ministries were established to advise

6313-498: The creation of monumental landscapes on the sliding doors enclosing a room. The decoration of the main room facing the garden of the Jukō-in , a subtemple of Daitoku-ji (a Zen temple in Kyoto), is perhaps the best extant example of Eitoku's work. A massive ume tree and twin pines are depicted on pairs of sliding screens in diagonally opposite corners, their trunks repeating the verticals of

6420-575: The diary in order to recapture the splendor of the author's times. One of the most beautiful passages illustrates the episode in which Murasaki Shikibu is playfully held prisoner in her room by two young courtiers, while, just outside, moonlight gleams on the mossy banks of a rivulet in the imperial garden. During the Muromachi period (1338–1573), also called the Ashikaga period, a profound change took place in Japanese culture. The Ashikaga clan took control of

6527-457: The end of the Jōmon period . They were produced all over Japan, except Okinawa . According to some scholars, the dogū were effigies of people and might have been used in sympathetic magic . Dogū are small clay figures, typically 10 to 30 centimetres (4 to 12 inches) high. Most are female, with large eyes, small waists and wide hips. Many have large bellies, suggesting that they were mother goddesses . The next wave of immigrants

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6634-649: The founding of the Kegon sect, is an excellent example of the popularizing trend in Kamakura painting. The Kegon sect, one of the most important in the Nara period, fell on hard times during the ascendancy of the Pure Land sects. After the Genpei War (1180–1185), Priest Myōe of Kōzan-ji sought to revive the sect and also to provide a refuge for women widowed by the war. The wives of samurai had been discouraged from learning more than

6741-592: The genders. But perhaps most easily noticeable are the differences in subject matter. Onna-e , epitomized by the Tale of Genji handscroll, typically deals with court life, particularly the court ladies, and with romantic themes. Otoko-e often recorded historical events, particularly battles. The Siege of the Sanjō Palace (1160), depicted in the "Night Attack on the Sanjō Palace" section of the Heiji Monogatari handscroll

6848-515: The gods and goddesses of heaven . The title "Son of Heaven" ( Chinese : 天子 ; pinyin : Tiānzǐ ; Middle Chinese : tʰen t͡sɨ ; Old Chinese ( B-S ): * l̥ˤin *tsəʔ ) is attested earliest in bronze inscriptions dated to the reign of King Kang of Zhou . This title stems from the concept of the Mandate of Heaven , created by the Zhou dynasty monarchs to justify their having deposed

6955-530: The government in 1568 and, five years later, to oust the last Ashikaga shōgun. Hideyoshi took command after Oda's death, but his plans to establish hereditary rule were foiled by Ieyasu, who established the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603. Painting: The most important school of painting in the Momoyama period was that of the Kanō school , and the greatest innovation of the period was the formula, developed by Kanō Eitoku , for

7062-516: The government. The revolt was led by Prince Naka no Ōe and Nakatomi no Kamatari , who seized control of the court from the Soga family and introduced the Taika Reform . The Japanese era corresponding to the years 645–649 was thus named Taika ( 大化 ) , meaning "great change" in reference to the Reform. The revolt leading to the Taika Reform is commonly called the Isshi Incident , referring to

7169-422: The greatest benefit to Baekje , as Japanese military support for that kingdom increased. People, many of them artisans and skilled workers, also emigrated to Japan from the Korean peninsula, including two high priests who arrived in Japan in 595: Eji from Goguryeo and Esō from Baekje. Kanroku also came from Baekje, and was a tutor to Prince Shōtoku , counseling him politically. When Japan allied with Baekje,

7276-441: The history of Japanese fine-arts and architecture. It was proposed by fine-arts scholars Sekino Tadasu ( 関野貞 ) and Okakura Kakuzō around 1900. Sekino dated the Asuka period as ending with the Taika Reform of 646. Okakura, however, saw it as ending with the transfer of the capital to the Heijō Palace of Nara. Although historians generally use Okakura's dating, many historians of art and architecture prefer Sekino's dating and use

7383-431: The hope of keeping it above political frays, such as those precipitated by the Soga clan. Within the imperial family, however, power struggles continued as the emperor's brother and son vied for the throne in the Jinshin War . The brother, who later reigned as Emperor Tenmu , consolidated Tenji's reforms and state power in the imperial court. The ritsuryō system was codified in several stages. The Ōmi Code , named after

7490-487: The initial impetus for contacts between China and Japan. The Japanese recognized the facets of Chinese culture that could profitably be incorporated into their own: a system for converting ideas and sounds into writing; historiography ; complex theories of government, such as an effective bureaucracy ; and, most important for the arts, new technologies, new building techniques, more advanced methods of casting in bronze , and new techniques and media for painting. Throughout

7597-470: The inside. Applied to the walls of the hall are small relief carvings of celestials, the host believed to have accompanied Amida when he descended from the Western Paradise to gather the souls of believers at the moment of death and transport them in lotus blossoms to Paradise. Raigō paintings on the wooden doors of the Hō-ō-dō, depicting the Descent of the Amida Buddha, are an early example of Yamato-e , Japanese-style painting, and contain representations of

7704-607: The introduction and formation of a Buddhist tradition in Japan in 538 or 552. They illustrate the terminal point of the Silk Road transmission of art during the first few centuries of our era. Other examples can be found in the development of the iconography of the Japanese Fūjin Wind God, the Niō guardians, and the near- Classical floral patterns in temple decorations. The earliest Buddhist structures still extant in Japan, and

7811-456: The kings received titles. On the other hand, Japan loosened its political relationships with China and consequently established extraordinary cultural and intellectual relationships. About twenty years after the deaths of Shōtoku Taishi (in 622), Soga no Umako (in 626), and Empress Suiko (in 628), court intrigues over succession led to a palace coup in 645 against the Soga clan 's monopolized control of

7918-495: The late seventh century, and simpler but distinctive tombs continued in use throughout the following period. In 675 the use of livestock and the consumption of some wild animals (horse, cattle, dogs, monkeys, birds) was banned by Emperor Tenmu due to the influence of Buddhism. This ban was renewed throughout the Asuka period, but ended with the Heian period. The pest animals, deer and wild boar , were not affected by this ban. Taoism

8025-462: The latter half of the 8th century, a large number of songs and poems were composed and performed by various ranked people from warriors to the Emperor. The earliest collection of these poems is known as the Man'yōshū ( 万葉集 , "collection of 10,000 leaves") . This includes works by several remarkable poets such as Princess Nukata and Kakinomoto no Hitomaro . Waka ( 和歌 , "Japanese song") also emerged as

8132-559: The legendary founders of the Hossō sect , are among the most accomplished realistic works of the period; as rendered by Unkei, they are remarkably individualized and believable images. One of the most famous works of this period is an Amitabha Triad (completed in 1195), in Jōdo-ji in Ono , created by Kaikei , Unkei's successor. Calligraphy and painting: The Kegon Engi Emaki , the illustrated history of

8239-676: The next 32 years, during a period when Japan was formulating its laws based on Chinese texts, none were sent. Though Japan cut off diplomatic relations with China, Japan sent 11 emissaries to Silla , and Silla is also recorded in Nihon Shoki as sending embassies to Japan 17 times during the reigns of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō . The ruling classes of Yamato and Baekje were on amicable terms, and Yamato deployed its navy to aid Baekje, in 660–663, against an invasion by Silla and Tang China (see battle of Baekgang ). Numerous official missions of envoys, priests, and students were sent to China in

8346-525: The oldest wooden buildings in the Far East are found at the Hōryū-ji to the southwest of Nara. First built in the early 7th century as the private temple of Crown Prince Shōtoku , it consists of 41 independent buildings. The most important ones, the main worship hall, or Kondō (Golden Hall), and Gojū-no-tō (Five-story Pagoda ), stand in the center of an open area surrounded by a roofed cloister. The Kondō , in

8453-601: The pillars of the Parthenon of ancient Greece , as seen in their entasis . The five-storied pagoda ( 五重の塔 , go-jū no tō ) is a transformation from the Indian mound-like reliquary structure called a stupa . In addition, mural paintings in the Takamatsuzuka and Kitora kofun dating from the fifth century show strong influence from Tang dynasty and Goguryeo wall painting. The Japanese Buddhist sculpture art of this period

8560-580: The provincial site of Emperor Tenji's court, was completed in about 668. Further codification took place with the promulgation by Empress Jitō in 689 of the Asuka Kiyomihara Code , named for the location of the late Emperor Temmu's court. The ritsuryō system was further consolidated and codified in 701 under the Taihō Code , which, except for a few modifications and being relegated to primarily ceremonial functions, remained in force until 1868. Though

8667-579: The recently deceased Prince Shōtoku. At the four corners of the platform are the Guardian Kings of the Four Directions , carved in wood around 650. Also housed at Hōryū-ji is the Tamamushi Shrine, a wooden replica of a Kondō , which is set on a high wooden base that is decorated with figural paintings executed in a medium of mineral pigments mixed with lacquer. Temple building in the 8th century

8774-471: The scenery around Kyoto. E-maki : In the last century of the Heian period, the horizontal, illustrated narrative handscroll, known as e-maki (絵巻, lit. "picture scroll"), came to the fore. Dating from about 1130, the Genji Monogatari Emaki , a famous illustrated Tale of Genji represents the earliest surviving yamato-e handscroll, and one of the high points of Japanese painting. Written about

8881-420: The seventh century. Some remained twenty years or more; many of those who returned became prominent reformers. In a move greatly resented by the Chinese, Shotoku sought equality with the Chinese emperor by sending official correspondence addressed "From the Son of Heaven in the Land of the Rising Sun to the Son of Heaven of the Land of the Setting Sun." Shotoku's bold step set a precedent: Japan never again accepted

8988-493: The shogunate and moved its headquarters back to Kyoto, to the Muromachi district of the city. With the return of government to the capital, the popularizing trends of the Kamakura period came to an end, and cultural expression took on a more aristocratic, elitist character. Zen Buddhism, the Ch'an sect traditionally thought to have been founded in China in the 6th century, was introduced for

9095-548: The skills of warfare, priests committed to making Buddhism available to illiterate commoners, and conservatives, the nobility and some members of the priesthood who regretted the declining power of the court. Thus, realism, a popularizing trend, and a classical revival characterize the art of the Kamakura period . In the Kamakura period, Kyoto and Nara remained the centres of artistic production and high culture. Sculpture: The Kei school of sculptors, particularly Unkei , created

9202-548: The spirit of early Heian Shingon temples is the Murō-ji (early 9th century), set deep in a stand of cypress trees on a mountain southeast of Nara. The wooden image (also early 9th century) of Shakyamuni , the "historic" Buddha, enshrined in a secondary building at the Murō-ji , is typical of the early Heian sculpture, with its ponderous body, covered by thick drapery folds carved in the honpa-shiki (rolling-wave) style, and its austere, withdrawn facial expression. Fujiwara art: In

9309-487: The spread of Taoism and Buddhism in this period; the Takamatsuzuka Kofun and Kitora Kofun are notable for their wall paintings. The use of elaborate kofun tombs by the imperial family and other elite thus fell out of use amidst the rise of prevailing new Buddhist beliefs, which put greater emphasis on the transience of human life. Commoners and the elite in outlying regions, however, continued to use kofun until

9416-515: The style of Chinese worship halls, is a two-story structure of post-and-beam construction, capped by an irimoya , or hipped-gabled roof of ceramic tiles. Inside the Kondō , on a large rectangular platform, are some of the most important sculptures of the period. The central image is a Shaka Trinity (623), the historical Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas , sculpture cast in bronze by the sculptor Tori Busshi (flourished early 7th century) in homage to

9523-454: The system, however, as aristocratic birth continued to be the main qualification for higher position, and titles were soon hereditary again. The Taihō Code did not address the selection of the sovereign. Several empresses reigned from the fifth to the eighth centuries, but after 770 succession was restricted to males, usually from father to son, although sometimes from ruler to brother or uncle. Fujiwara no Fuhito , son of Nakatomi no Kamatari ,

9630-552: The temple's dedication ceremony in 752, the eye-opening ritual for the Rushana image, as well as government documents and many secular objects owned by the Imperial family. Choukin (or chōkin ), the art of metal engraving or sculpting, is thought to have started in the Nara period. In 794 the capital of Japan was officially transferred to Heian-kyō (present-day Kyoto ), where it remained until 1868. The term Heian period refers to

9737-753: The term " Hakuhō period ( 白鳳時代 ) " to refer to the successive period. From the Asuka period in the 6th century, as a sub-division of the Yamato period ( 大和時代 , Yamato-jidai ) , is the first time in Japanese history when the Emperor of Japan ruled relatively uncontested from modern-day Nara Prefecture , then known as Yamato Province . The second half of the Kofun period, exercised power over clans in Kyūshū and Honshū , bestowing titles, some hereditary, on clan chieftains. The Yamato name became synonymous with all of Japan as

9844-432: The throne: The country was divided into provinces headed by governors appointed by the court, and the provinces were further divided into districts and villages. Naka no Ōe assumed the title of Crown Prince , and Kamatari was granted a new family name— Fujiwara —in recognition of his great service to the imperial family. Fujiwara no Kamatari became the first in a long line of court aristocrats. Another, long-lasting change

9951-521: The title "Son of Heaven", alongside the title " Khan of Heaven " ( Tengeri Qaghan ) which he had gained after defeating the Eastern Turkic Khaganate . Japanese monarchs likewise used a second title, tennō ( 天皇 , "Heavenly Emperor") , that, like "Son of Heaven", appealed to the emperor's connection to Heaven. The title carried widespread influence across East Asia as the ancient Chinese monarchical title, tianzi ( 天子 ) , "Son of Heaven",

10058-541: The tomb of Emperor Nintoku , houses 46 burial mounds and is shaped like a keyhole, a distinct characteristic found within later Kofun tombs. During the Asuka and Nara periods , so named because the seat of Japanese government was located in the Asuka Valley from 542 to 645 and in the city of Nara until 784, the first significant influx of continental Asian culture took place in Japan. The transmission of Buddhism provided

10165-421: The trunk of the tree in the center and extended the limbs nearly to the edge of the composition, creating a flatter, less architectonic work than Eitoku, but a visually gorgeous painting. His sixfold screen, Pine Wood (松林図), is a masterly rendering in monochrome ink of a grove of trees enveloped in mist. Son of Heaven Son of Heaven , or Tianzi ( Chinese : 天子 ; pinyin : Tiānzǐ ),

10272-549: The year 1000 by Murasaki Shikibu , a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Shōshi , the novel deals with the life and loves of Genji and the world of the Heian court after his death. The 12th-century artists of the e-maki version devised a system of pictorial conventions that convey visually the emotional content of each scene. In the second half of the century, a different, livelier style of continuous narrative illustration became popular. The Ban Dainagon Ekotoba (late 12th century),

10379-562: The years between 794 and 1185, when the Kamakura shogunate was established at the end of the Genpei War . The period is further divided into the early Heian and the late Heian, or Fujiwara era , the pivotal date being 894, the year imperial embassies to China were officially discontinued. Early Heian art: In reaction to the growing wealth and power of organized Buddhism in Nara, the priest Kūkai (best known by his posthumous title Kōbō Daishi, 774–835) journeyed to China to study Shingon ,

10486-520: Was also introduced during the Asuka period. The octagonal shape of monarchs' tombs of this age and the celestial maps drawn in the Kitora and Takamatsuzuka kofun reflect the Taoist cosmology. Taoist belief was eventually amalgamated with Shintō and Buddhism to establish new styles of rituals. Onmyōdō ( 陰陽道 ) , a sort of Japanese geomancy and cosmology , is one of the fruits of these religious mixtures. While

10593-598: Was also used in reference to the status of the Chinese emperor as the Son of Heaven in the Sinosphere. The Son of Heaven was the supreme universal monarch , who ruled tianxia (means "all under heaven"). His status is rendered in English as "ruler of the whole world." The title, "Son of Heaven", was interpreted literally only in China and Japan , whose monarchs were referred to as demigods , deities , or " living gods ", chosen by

10700-487: Was among those who produced the Taihō Ritsuryō. According to history book Shoku Nihongi ( 続日本紀 ) , two of the 19 members of the committee drafting the Taihō Code were Chinese priests (Shoku Shugen and Satsu Koukaku). Chinese priests also took an active part as linguistic specialists, and received rewards two times from Empress Jitō . Chinese culture had been introduced to Japan by the Three Kingdoms of Korea before

10807-433: Was focused around the Tōdai-ji in Nara. Constructed as the headquarters for a network of temples in each of the provinces, the Tōdaiji is the most ambitious religious complex erected in the early centuries of Buddhist worship in Japan. Appropriately, the 16.2-m (53-ft) Buddha (completed 752) enshrined in the main Buddha hall, or Daibutsuden , is a Rushana Buddha, the figure that represents the essence of Buddhahood, just as

10914-407: Was influenced by Confucian principles, including the Mandate of Heaven , which suggested that the sovereign ruled at the will of a supreme force. Under Shōtoku's direction, Confucian models of rank and etiquette were adopted, and his Seventeen-article constitution prescribed ways to bring harmony to a chaotic society in Confucian terms. In addition, Shōtoku adopted the Chinese calendar , developed

11021-520: Was later adopted by the Emperor of Japan during the Asuka period . Japan sent diplomatic missions to China , then ruled by the Sui dynasty , and formed cultural and commercial ties with China. Japan's Yamato state modeled its government after the Chinese Confucian imperial bureaucracy. A Japanese mission of 607 CE delivered a message from "the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun rises  ... to

11128-556: Was the Yayoi people, named for the district in Tokyo where remnants of their settlements first were found. These people, arriving in Japan about 300 BCE, brought their knowledge of wetland rice cultivation, the manufacture of copper weapons and bronze bells ( dōtaku ), and wheel-thrown, kiln-fired ceramics . The third stage in Japanese prehistory, the Kofun period (c. 300 – 710 AD), represents

11235-494: Was the sacred monarchial and imperial title of the Chinese sovereign . It originated with the Zhou dynasty and was founded on the political and spiritual doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven . Since the Qin dynasty , the secular imperial title of the Son of Heaven was " Huangdi ". The title, "Son of Heaven", was subsequently adopted by other Sinospheric monarchs to justify their rule. The name Celestial Empire (or "Heavenly Dynasty")

11342-414: Was the use of the name Nihon ( 日本 ) , or sometimes Dai Nippon ( 大日本 , "Great Japan") in diplomatic documents and chronicles. In 662, following the reigns of Naka no Ōe's uncle and mother, Naka no Ōe assumed the throne as Emperor Tenji , taking the additional title Emperor of Japan . This new title was intended to improve the Yamato clan's image and to emphasize the divine origins of the imperial family in

11449-589: Was their world that they could not conceive of Paradise as being much different. They created a new form of Buddha hall, the Amida hall, which blends the secular with the religious, and houses one or more Buddha images within a structure resembling the mansions of the nobility. The Hō-ō-dō (Phoenix Hall, completed 1053) of the Byōdō-in , a temple in Uji to the southeast of Kyoto, is the exemplar of Fujiwara Amida halls. It consists of

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