How Traditional Japanese Art Still Remains an Element of Modern Japanese Culture

Despite art being developed earlier in the periods of Japan, it was the Kamakura period that really started to change things. For many years the Japanese developed the style of suibokuga, the art of ink wash paintings. They used black inks, and developed to dashes of colors. A lot of religion and art styles originated in China and were brought to Japan and made popular. Suibokuga was the original style of painting adopted in Japan, and would eventually be the starting point in all traditional Japanese art. The Kamakura period would begin to change their ways of art, surrounding them around nature and religious symbolism. As different religions came to Japan art changed the subjects of their paintings during the Kamakura Period. Eventually religion and nature would be the prominent subjects of paintings in the Kamakura period. The symbolism of nature and religion began to slowly disappear as different styles of art came to Japan. Nihonga paintings became more colorful, and emphasized Japanese culture. Nihonga art was an intense reaction to the growing popularity that was spreading in Japan in the later periods after Kamakura. As a result, western style painters were seen as traitors in their own country, and Japan began to isolate itself from the rest of the world.

So why and how is it still important in modern Japanese culture?

Just like any other paintings, they tell a story. Traditional paintings all show a part of Japanese history that Japan holds closely. Art was a way of expressing themselves, telling stories of changing society and religion, becoming a part of society as a whole. They were monuments of people's achievements, documentation of important events, they explained legends and beliefs as important Japanese history. Eventually they would soon become a form of media, portraying certain trends and fads just like today's culture.

"Section of Night Attack on Sanjo Palace"

In a way, Japan is still trying to emphasize their culture through their art. In a world that is rapidly growing, and the movement of Westernization creeping into countries we realize that our world today is different from before. North America has influenced different countries greatly, when it comes to art, fashion, technology, food, etc. Japan contemporary art is still trying to save their history and the culture of Japan, but showing how the Japanese people have changed. They have grown to still live with their traditions, just like any other country, but incorporate a growing world.

Traditional samurai armor

For example, this painting which is a section of “Night Attack on Sanjo Palace” depicts a battle scene during two fighting clans Minamoto and the Taira clans. They used swords, bow and arrows, and even a special kind of armor called yoroi. Despite only being a section of the whole scroll painting, there is so much action in this one area. The original scroll depicts the events of the Minamoto clan invading a night attack on the palace and abducting the weak emperor to gain control. The two clans were at war for trying to gain power from the emperor. The scroll was painted during the Kamakura period, but years after the actual attack. The artist gives the viewer a birds eye view, which was common in traditional paintings. They let you see a lot of what was going on and the use of diagonal lines adverts the eyes from the left to the right in which that would be the order of the story line. There is a lot of detail in the armor, facial emotions, and architecture.

"Football" by Tenmyouya Hisashi

We can use this Kamakura era painting as a reference to the modern day painting of Tenmyouya Hisashi's painting “Football”. You immediately notice the reference of Japanese history through the football players armor. It is very alike from the armour in “Night Attack on Sanjo Palace”. This is a direct reference as to how Japan is portraying their traditional culture and history alongside modern elements of today. The painting was used in the FIFA World Cup in 2006 which was held in Germany for all countries to see. Hisashi used lifelike and natural movements of the body in a tense moment of action.

"Star Wars" by Tenmyouya Hisashi

Another example of how Japanese history influenced modern day Japanese art is Hisashi's painting called “Star Wars”. Hopefully, you can understand the reference he is making, a popular movie in America. However, Hisashi uses a ironic depiction of his take on Star Wars, by having traditional dressed samurai warriors and futuristic space fighters in a war among the stars. They even incorporated space ships and have the fighters on clouds. This is another example of how tradition is mixed with modern culture.

Sources:

Night Attack image here

Samurai armor image here