Traditional Japanese Arts And Culture

by Addiss, Stephen; Groemer, Gerald; Rimer, J. Thomas

• ISBN13: 9780824820183
• ISBN10: 0824820185
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-02-01
• Publisher: Univ of Hawaii Pr

Summary

Japanese artists, musicians, actors, and authors have written much over the centuries about the creation, meaning, and appreciation of various arts. Most of these works, however, are scattered among countless hard-to-find sources or make only a fleeting appearance in books devoted to other subjects. Compiled in this volume is a wealth of original material on Japanese arts and culture from the prehistoric era to the Meiji Restoration (1867). These carefully selected sources, including many translated here for the first time, are placed in their historical context and outfitted with brief commentaries, allowing the reader to make connections to larger concepts and values found in Japanese culture. The book is a treasure trove of material on the visual and literary arts, but it contains as well primary texts on topics not easily classified in Western categories, such as the martial and culinary arts, the art of tea, and flower arranging. More than 60 color and black and white illustrations enrich the collection and provide further insights into Japanese artistic and cultural values.

Table of Contents

List of Historical Periods and Era Names	ix
Preface	xi
Introduction	1	(8)
Early Japan
The Jomon, Yayoi, Tumulus, Asuka, and Nara Periods	9	(24)
Courtly Japan
The Heian Period and After	33	(48)
Samurai Japan
The Kamakura and Muromachi Periods	81	(56)
Merchant Japan
The Momoyama and Edo (Tokugawa) Periods	137	(88)
Suggested Further Readings in Western Languages	225	(8)
Bibliography	233	(8)
Text Credits	241	(4)
Index	245