Japan

Although Japan is an island nation, it has not been isolated from its neighbors. Instead, a long history of exchange and trade developed between Japan, Korea and China. While geographically closest to Korea, Japan turned to China for many of its cultural traditions. In the Nara period (645 - 794), for example, Japan modeled its capital after China's, and the latest Chinese styles were quickly adopted in the arts.

Among the most influential of imported traditions was Buddhism, which was introduced by Korean monks in the sixth century. As it did in many countries, Buddhism adapted itself to its new environment. In this case, it absorbed elements of Japan's native religious tradition, Shinto, which was based on a reverence for nature and ancestors.

Japan first strongly asserted a distinctive national identity and artistic style in the Heian period (794 - 1185). While court artists initially developed a new, colorful style of painting in the late Heian, it was Zen Buddhism - established in Japan in 1191 - that most fully redefined the arts in Japan. Zen Buddhism valued meditation and contemplation as primary paths to enlightenment. As a result, simplicity of form and a reverence for nature became hallmarks of the arts in Japan, an aesthetic reflected in everything from painting to garden design.

Japanese Art
Menuki
http://www.japanese-art.mcmail.com/Docu/menuki.htm

Japanese Buddhist Corner
Amida Buddha – Japanese Deity
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/amida.shtml

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