Ken Guinto

San Diego Miramar College

Artf 125

Arts of the Asian Continents

Professor Josh Alley

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Adaptions to New Periods of Time with the Arts of Japan

Through various periods of times in history, Japanese culture has flourished and impacted

its society as a whole. Over time, the societies in Japan have formed a strong union alongside

with each other. These unions have been exposed to foreign influences, which have strengthened

their arts and culture, such as China. When learning about Japan’s multiple periods of time, such

as the Muromachi Period and Edo Period, a researcher can compare and contrast the arts that

have been left behind and have marked these eras in Japan’s timeline. From the Muromachi

Period of Japan (1392 – 1573), a researcher can view the arts of Sesson Shūkei (雪村周継) and

understand the Muromachi Period’s developing samurai culture (Keene). On the other hand, if a

researcher would like to view the art from the time where Tokyo’s former city flourished with

promising plantations, they can examine the arts from the Edo Period of Japan (1600 – 1868)

(Nishiyama, Matsunosuke, and Gerald Groemer). In particular, Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎)

is known as one of the greatest artist that has lived during this era of Japan. With the knowledge

gained from the arts of Japan, critical thinkers can understand how Japanese citizens solved

problems during these different eras. This is useful to know because understanding the past

provides a foundation that can develop solutions to current world problems and help anticipate

potential problems in the near future. With the arts of Sesson and Katsushika, researchers can

conclude that when a nation transitions from one period of time to another, advancements in

technology and lifestyles are made, and this growth in civilization establishes a more stable

community.

The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove drawn by Sesson Shūkei during the Muromachi

Period of Japan was a symbolic art piece that can be linked back to China’s Western Jin Dynasty

(265 – 589) and Three Kingdoms (220 – 280) and was created to bring harmony in Japan’s

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society during this era (Neave 147). It is important to understand the mix between political

movements and social dynamics that were performed in China during the Western Jin Dynasty in

order to fully comprehend Sesson’s intention when creating the Seven Sages of the Bamboo

Grove. In the original art piece of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Groove and Rong Qiqi from

China, seven sages known as historical figures and members of the literati gathered around a

field of bamboo (Neave 149). In this location, all the literati members drank wine, played

musical instruments, sang, and danced (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). This form of

gathering and spontaneous behavior served as a way to escape from the sufferings of everyday

life and enter a more peaceful scene (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). In addition, the acts of

spontaneous behavior can also be traced to the Chinese Southern Chan Buddhism, where monks

believed that enlightenment could arrive suddenly and spontaneously instead of arriving after a

long period of meditation and studying (Neave 184). Similar to the Seven Sages of the Bamboo

Groove and Rong Qiqi, Sesson who studied both Chinese and Japanese paintings, attempts to

recapture the escape from the political world and into a more pleasant environment in his art

piece in hopes that the Japanese can also escape the unpleasant everyday life and enjoy a more

peaceful scene. During the Muromachi Period, Shoguns of the Ashikaga Family rose to power,

and at times created turmoil in society by their constant shifts in power within family members in

order to maintain power (Keene). Therefore, Sesson creates the Seven Sages of the Bamboo

Grove where old men, women, and children have gathered and are enjoying their presence by

playing drums, drinking wine, dancing to the soothing sounds, and singing marvelous music (The

Metropolitan Museum of Art). Thus, a recreation of China’s Seven Sages of the Bamboo Groove

and Rong Qiqi can be seen in Sesson’s Seven Sages of the Bamboo Groove.

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The Katakura Tea Plantation in Suruga Province drawn by Katsushika Hokusai during

the Edo Period of Japan (1600 – 1868) is one out of thirty six in his famous series, Thirty-Six

Views of Mount Fuji, from the point of view from the Katakura Tea Plantation in the Suruga

Province. During the Edo Period of Japan, shogunate Tokugawa Ieyasu rose to power and

established his capital at Edo, Japan (Neave 355). Believing that it was for the best interest of his

Japanese citizens, Tokugawa decides to eliminate all rivals by adopting a form of Neo-Confucian

ideology, which demanded loyalty to the shogunate and the state under all circumstances with no

questions asked (Neave 355). Furthermore, Japan closed their doors from the outside world and

prevented foreigners from entering the country, except for Japan’s trading neighbors, such as the

Dutch, Chinese, and Koreans (Neave 355). As a result, the country was able to grow

independently, and cities such as Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo prospered and these new developments

in cities yielded a popular urban culture that appealed to the merchants and townspeople (Neave

364). Popular forms of entertainment included Kabuki Theater, ukiyo-e prints (浮世絵), and

sumo wrestling rings that existed in Japan’s multiple entertainment districts (江戸時代の文化と

生活). In particular, ukiyo-e representations of landscape became a popular form of art work

because of their exposure to different locations in Japan and that encouraged travel within the

country for the Japanese citizens (Neave 366). Katsushika Hokusai was very passionate about

drawing, and his interest for Western techniques and materials compelled him to draw different

perspectives of Mount Fuji in order to be able to experiment with bright colors, bold lines,

unusual points of views, and asymmetrical designs in his works (Neave 367). In The Katakura

Tea Plantation in Suruga Province, Mount Fuji can be seen in the background of a tea plantation,

where Japanese citizens are working together to make their land prosper with furtive plantations.

Katsushika’s asymmetrical designs can be seen in multiple sections, such as the roof tops of the

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plantation houses, the hay that is placed in the fields, and the attire worn by the Japanese people.

Moreover, different strengths of blue are used to demonstrate the sky and body of Mount Fuji.

Although The Katakura Tea Plantation in Suruga Province is not as popular as The Great Wave

off Kanagawa, all of the paintings in the series promote his intention to increase travel. In The

Great Wave off Kanagawa, sometimes also referred to as the The Great Wave, Mount Fuji is

seen in between two waves. In this view, “disaster is about to strike three narrow boats with their

cargo of fish, caught in the trough of a giant wave” (Neave 367). In The Great Wave, we can also

see vivid colors of blue and even today, The Great Wave can be recognized as a symbol of

trademark of Japan.

The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove from the Muromachi Period served as a reminder

to escape the everyday life and focus on more pleasant moments, while the The Katakura Tea

Plantation in Suruga Province from the Edo Period served as an encouragement to travel due to

the exposure of a different landscapes out of many that are visible when admiring Mount Fuji.

Although the purposes of these two unlike arts are different, it was important for their message to

be articulated and understood by the people viewing them during the time periods that they were

created. This way, the people viewing them can focus less on the activities of the country that

involved actions from people with higher power, and focus more on their own desires and

happiness, which is a factor that can be control directly by the townspeople’s own actions. For

example, the Muromachi Period’s major highlights, such as the building of the luxurious

Takakura Palace or the introduction of tea to Japan from China as part of the widespread

adoption of the continent’s superior culture, revolved entirely on the Ashikaga Family and

people with power and ignored townspeople with little power (Keene 84 and 140). This created a

need for people who felt oppressed to concentrate less on their sufferings and more on what they

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can control. On the other hand, during the Edo Period of Japan, civilization flourished drastically

by the advancements in construction, water canals, and the creations of multiple, busy complexes,

such as the Merchant District and Pleasure Quarters (Naito 26, 74, 83, and 92). However, the

outside world was eclipsed by the boundaries of the country due to shogunate Tokugawa’s

decision to close all doors from foreign access. Therefore, the Japanese people were limited to

the world’s scenery, not just by their country’s location, but as a law. Katsushika’s arts made it

clear that new sceneries can be observed when a new perspective on a familiar scene is reveal,

and this catered to the Japanese people for them to travel and in the process, form a unity due to

the precious shared resources within the home country.

Transitions in time periods mean shifts in lifestyles and improvements in technology.

Therefore, people should be informed of previous time periods to welcome new ones and be able

to adapt to new technologies. As the Japanese gave more attention to their own actions rather

than the shogunates’ affairs, they were able to escape their sufferings and welcome happiness

during the Muromachi Period. As former shogunates were more interested in pleasing the

members of their family and maintaining rule over their nation, the last of the shogunates from

the Edo Period favored his actions more to the interest of his people. Although shogunate

Tokugawa’s decisions over his nation may be seen as an inconvenient to a particular audience, a

change of lifestyle occurred when someone with power put in consideration the lives of the

people with less power. As a result, technology, arts, and culture were able to grow profoundly.

Therefore, it is necessary for people, even today, to examine the arts of the current time period in

order to give attention to historical events. Since the identification of problems provides a step

forwards towards finding a solution, researchers should consider studying more arts from the

past to obtain more knowledge about technology, art, and culture.

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Works Cited

"江戸時代の文化と生活." 江戸時代のちょっとびっくりな文化や生活. N.p., 2016. Web. 11

Oct. 2016. <http://www.edojidai.info/>. Edo Period's Surprisingly Little Culture and Life.

"Katsushika Hokusai | Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura), Also Known

as The Great Wave, from the Series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku

Sanjūrokkei) | Japan | Edo Period (1615–1868) | The Met." The Metropolitan Museum of

Art, I.e. The Met Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.

Keene, Donald. Yoshimasa and the Silver Pavilion: The Creation of the Soul of Japan. New

York: Columbia UP, 2003. Print.

Naito, Akira, Kazuo Hozumi, and H. Mack. Horton. Edo, the City That Became Tokyo: An

Illustrated History. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2003. Print.

Neave, Dorinda, Lara C. W. Blanchard, Marika Sardar, and Miranda Bruce-Mitford. Asian Art.

1st ed. N.p.: Pearson Education, 2015. Print.

Nishiyama, Matsunosuke, and Gerald Groemer. Edo Culture: Daily Life and Diversions in

Urban Japan, 1600-1868. Honolulu, HI: U of Hawaiʻi, 1997. Print

"Sesson Shūkei | Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove | Japan | Muromachi Period (1392–1573) |

The Met." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, I.e. The Met Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 10

Oct. 2016.

"The Katakura Tea Plantation in Suruga Province." Katsushika Hokusai. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct.

2016.