Traditional Japanese Arts and Culture: An Illustrated Sourcebook

Music, poetry, the visual arts, literature, and theater have played a vital part in Japanese society. But, although Japanese artists, musicians, actors, and authors have written much over the centuries about the creation, meaning, and appreciation of these various arts, most of these works 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.

Although the book focuses on the visual and literary arts, it contains material 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. Included as well are a bibliography of English-language and Japanese sources and an extensive list of suggested further readings.

Traditional Japanese Arts and Culture offers an authentic look at the conceptual richness, diversity, and continuity of the Japanese cultural traditions. Rather than impose a thick layer of interpretation, this inspired and diverse collection allows the original writers and artists to speak directly to people in all areas of Japanese studies interested in what lies beneath the surface of Japanese arts and culture.