Religious Influence on Japanese Art - Term Paper Example

Religious Influence on Japanese Art Japanese art spans a wide range of media and styles including ancient pottery, wood and bronze sculptures, silk and paper calligraphy, ink painting and performing arts (Nobutaka 52). Japan has historically been subjected to invasions by new and alien cultures, ideas and religions. As the Japanese assimilated and imitated the foreign cultural and religious elements, their forms of art also took a shape influenced by the changes (Tsutsui 104). Although a majority of Japanese people are not exclusively identified as adherents of a certain religion, the strongest indigenous religion is Shinto (Sokyo 89). Buddhism and Confucianism strongly influenced prehistoric Japanese art. It was a representation of nature in a spiritual perspective unlike the secular perspective of scientific realism (Abe 64). This paper will discuss how religion influenced Japanese art from prehistory to the 19th century. Shinto, a form of nature worship has existed from ancient Japan (Sokyo 89). It means the way of the gods. A kami is a Shinto deity (Sokyo 90). Through Shintoism, the Japanese worshipped spirits thought to inhabit in natural phenomena like waterfalls, rocks and mountains. The kami were not initially represented symbolically, but rather, their perceived habitats were demarcated. However, with the adoption of the developed Buddhism and Confucianism styles of art, the Japanese people were prompted to introduce art into Shintoism, creating Shinto sculptures and paintings (Sokyo 101). They also created artifacts used in worship that symbolized kami. These were mostly in the form of protective items and amulets. The protective items and amulets used in the ancient Shinto religion were also a form of art (Sokyo 101). They used small wooden plaques called Ema to write and draw pictures of their wishes and placed them in shrine grounds for the wishes to be fulfilled by the deities (Abe 55). Ofuda were religious talismans curved out of wood or formed from paper and metal, with names of kami inscribed on them for delivery of good luck. Paper modeling may also be traced back to daruma, which are paper doll representations of Bodhidharma, an Indian monk (Sokyo 101). The Shinto faithful used them to forward wishes to the kami. Another form of paper modeling is the inuhariko, a paper dog used to pray for good births. The Shinto also molded earthenware bells in the form of zodiacal animals called dorei, for use in prayers for good fortune. In Shinto architecture, the earliest shrines constructed to house ancestral spirits are a suggestion of the outline of single dwelling homes in ancient Japan. Similar to the ancient Japanese domestic homes, the shrines were entirely wooden (Sokyo 102). Japan’s relationship with Korea and China paved the way for the infiltration of artistic techniques and styles (Tsutsui 111). As Buddhism moved from Korea to Japan with it came artistic influences such as Buddhist texts, architecture and icons (Sugimoto 230). Art and craft specialists also migrated to Japan from China and Korea and participated in creating the new arts. With the introduction of Buddhism in the mid 6th century, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines began to incorporate the same architectural designs. The structure of the Shinto shrines got more elaborate under the Chinese and Korean influence (Sugimoto 230). Since shrines also reflected family dignity, the designs were commissioned by noble families and many more structures were built in Nara and Kyoto cities (Sugimoto 231). Buddhist art in Japan is categorized into periods or eras. It shaped Japanese art from the 6th to the 16th century (Tsutsui 109). The Amida sect of Buddhism laid the foundation of Buddhist art in Japan. Prince Shotoku encouraged Buddhist art in the Suiko period while Emperor Shomu encouraged it in the Nara period of 645 to 784. In these eras, indigenous Shinto arts were taking the shapes of Buddhist arts and architecture, and the demand for Buddhist paintings increased among the wealthy Japanese (Tsutsui 109). A sculptor by the name Jocho influenced the growth of Buddhist sculptors in the Heian era that carried on into the Kamakura era. The Japanese adopted the Buddhist art in painting their religious artifacts and scroll paintings. During the onset to the Kamakura period of 1185 to 1333, there were civil wars in Japan, and the victorious family set up it base in Kamakura. In the Kamakura period, Japan re-established ties with China, occasioning the growth of Pure Land Buddhism and Zen Buddhism (Tsutsui 110). During this period, there were intense religious exchanges between Buddhist monks in Japan and the Chinese Chan, which influenced the Japanese secular arts, including ink painting and garden design. The new Kamakura patrons advocated for and instilled naturalistic and realistic art, demonstrated by the Kei School sculptor (Abe 64). A Buddhist sculptor, Jocho developed the Kei School with other leading sculptors from previous generations. The sculptors of the Kei School, under the patronage of Unkei, were the most accomplished in the era, and their works include the sculptor of a pair Kongo Rikishi in Todai-ji, depicting muscular guardians (Abe 65). Both sculptors stand life size draped in priestly vestments. Unkei’s son headed the Kei School Studio that produced most Japanese art, further imparting a Buddhist aspect to it (Abe 39). Another of his sons produced an astonishing sculptor of Kuya, a Japanese Buddhism teacher of the 10th century. One of the popular paintings of the Kamakura era portrays a rising Amida Buddha. The key ideology of Pure Land Buddhism is that singing the name of Amida leads to a reincarnation in the land of the pure. Therefore, large numbers of scrolls of Amida were produced and would be hung inside the rooms of the dying and Amida’s name sang out, believing the dying would be saved (Tsutsui 109). Buddhist sects in this period produced distinct paintings, which attempted to reconcile the two main faiths in Japan by illustrating Shinto deities as early signs of Buddha. Illustrated books to assist ordinary people understand the Buddha also endeared indigenous Japanese artists to imitate the forms used in the books (Paine & Soper 46). During the Momurachi period of 1338 to 1573, the government formed in the Kamakura period relocated to Kyoto. This marked the end of the Kamakura period and the Chan sect from China dominated the arts. As a result of the trading missions organized by Zen temples, Chinese objects of art and paintings were imported into Japan, influencing Japanese artists who were working in the Zen temples (Abe 64). The imported forms of art changed the styles of painting and altered the use of color. The Chinese style of monochrome painting replaced the use of Yamato-e bright colors (Abe 65). The Japanese adopted the use of black and white paints, or different tones of the same color just like the Chinese. Paintings of the Momurachi period were inspired by Kao, a 15th century Chinese monk and priest and were also referred to as the new style (Abe 67). After the Momurachi period, came the Azuchi-Momoyama period from 1573 to 1603. The most significant innovation and impact of this period was the formula created for monumental landscapes in the Zen temples (Tsutsui 91). Another milestone for this period was the opening of the Kano School, which became a famous Japanese painting school. The school taught art based on Zen teachings (Tsutsui 109). Paintings were in large scale, polychrome style. There was extensive use of silver and gold foil. Japanese military, palaces and castles adopted the gigantic wall paintings and screens developed by the Kano School for decoration. The use of art styles formulated by the Kano School carried on into the Edo period as the official art of the Imperial court (Paine & Soper 36). The performing arts of Japan have their origins in ancient Buddhist and Shinto religious performances (Nobutaka 54). They can be observed in the dramatic dances of Kabuki and Noh theaters. They were preserved through the musicians of Imperial households and shrine and temple troupes (Nobutaka 54). Rhythmic chants were introduced by Buddhism, and they were mixed with native singing to develop vocal music like Noh. In the 7th century, drums, flutes, chimes gongs and stringed instruments were imported into Japan from China and Korea and used in shrines and temples. Developed forms of the imported instruments are still in use in the Imperial court (Nobutaka 56). Shintoism also has its contributions to the present day Japanese performing arts. Kagura is an ancient ritual dance practiced by the Shinto. Music plays a highly significant role in the performance of kagura. A myth explains that kagura came into existence after the sun goddess hid in a cave when upset by her brother. A second goddess danced and made a noisy commotion. This was to entice her to come out and bring light back into the world. The Japanese still sing to the goddess as prayers and to summon the gods (Paine & Soper 47). From instrument set up to the arrangement and use of subtle sounds, the songs encourage the kami to come and dance. The rhythms sang today are common and relate to the Shinto belief of earthly and heavenly deities. In conclusion, it is evident that religion had an influence on Japanese art (Mason 9). The Japanese were the first known users of pottery, dating back to 10,000 B. C. The Jomon people of Japan made pottery from clay and pressed lengths of cord into the clay while still wet for decoration, and then fired it. At the same time, with Japan in the Stone Age, great advances in arts were being realized in China, rooted in Buddhism (Mason 23). After Japan was exposed to the advances that came through trade contacts, they started incorporating them into their own arts (Paine & Soper 42). The Japanese who remained in their indigenous religions imported Buddhist arts into them, while those who adopted foreign religions took up their artistic cultures, as well (Paine & Soper 43). Works Cited Abe, Ryuichi. The Weaving of Mantra: Kukai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse. Columbia: Columbia University Press, 1999. Print. Mason, Penelope. History of Japanese Art. 2nd ed. New Jersey: Pearson, 2005. Print. Nobutaka, Inoue. Shinto, a Short History. London: Routledge, 2003. Print. Paine, Robert Treat, and Soper, Alexander (1981). The Art and Architecture of Japan. 3rd ed. Chicago: Penguin Books Ltd, 1981. Print. Sokyo, Ono. Shinto: The Kami Way. 1st ed. Rutland: Charles E Tuttle Co, 1962. Print. Sugimoto, Yoshio. An Introduction to Japanese Society. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Print. Tsutsui, W. M. A Companion to Japanese History. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Print. Read More