Art of Japan: A flower cut down before full bloom Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The esteemed Japanese artist Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1829) must have been crestfallen on hearing of the death of Suzuki Reitan (1792-1817). After all, Reitan had studied under Hōitsu. Therefore, one of the flowers he was teaching would never bloom. Hence,…
Japan art in the Edo period: Kano-style art and rinpa Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Information about the artist Watanabe Shikō (1683-1755) is relatively sketchy. However, it is known that he was gifted from an early age. Similarly, he was born in the cultural city of Kyoto during the Edo Period. Little is known…
Saitama tourism: Heirinji Buddhist Temple and adorable compound Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The adorable Buddhist compound of Heirinji (Heirin-ji) in the prefecture of Saitama is a real treat. This relates to the Heirinji Rinzai Buddhist Temple and the delightful woodlands that surround the ancient graveyard. Therefore, the sense of the…
Japanese poet of the ninth and tenth century Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Heian court was served by the poet Mibu no Tadamine between 898-920. Thus one can imagine the flows of internal Japanese culture and the impact of the Middle Kingdom (China) on this esteemed poet from bygone days. Indeed, the Nara…
Imperial system in Japan based on revisionism concerning a female leader Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Japan is known for being a bastion of political family elites who dominate the ministerial system. Likewise, Japan ranks poorly in countless international benchmarks involving women. This concerns few female business leaders, limited political representation,…
Poetry of Japan: Fusions of cultural ideas in bygone days Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Yamanoue no Okura (660-733?) lived a very fascinating life. Naturally, many areas of his life remain unknown and are open to interpretation. This is based on the passages of time. Therefore, his true nationality isn’t fully known alongside many…
Saitama tourism: Buddhism and connecting with culture in Chichibu Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Chichibu in the prefecture of Saitama is approximately 85 minutes away from the central parts of Tokyo. Hence, if you seek to fuse mountain landscapes, spirituality, outdoor sports connected to mountains and rivers, and a slower pace…
Poetry of ancient Japan enriched by the Middle Kingdom Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The eighth-century Japanese scholar and poet Abe no Nakamaro (698-770) belongs to the cultural world that was inspired by the Middle Kingdom (China). From a very young age, he showed exemplary skills suited to the world of academia. In this…
Saitama tourism: Chichibu Shinto shrine and richness of history Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park in the prefecture of Saitama attracts a plethora of tourists. Other angles related to culture, religion, and so much more, means that Chichibu is a great base to explore this part of Japan.…
Saitama tourism: Hodosan Shinto Shrine in Nagatoro Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Hodosan Shinto Shrine in Nagatoro is a great place to connect with spirituality and nature in Saitama prefecture. Thus, despite the lore of boating, whitewater rafting, and enjoying spectacular views from Mount Hodo; the spiritual angle of Hodosan…
Tokyo tourism: Buddhism in ultra-modern Tokyo Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The faiths of Buddhism and Shintoism dot the Japanese landscape. Meanwhile, the impact of Confucianism and Taoism can be felt – and other ideas that have guided this nation throughout its history. Therefore, when visiting Tokyo, the spiritual dimension is…
Tanaka Hōji and Japan art: Taoism to Meiji era and words of Lao Tzu Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Tanaka Hōji (1812-1885) is a Japanese artist who belongs to the traditions that predate the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Hence, despite the modernizing convulsions of the Meiji Restoration on the art world of Japan, the…
Review of Tokyo Ueno Station by Renae Lucas-Hall Special Contribution: Renae Lucas-Hall According to Wikipedia, the author Yu Miri was born in Yokohama to Korean parents. Her abusive father worked in a pachinko parlour and her mother was a bar hostess. She was bullied at school and made to feel like an outsider. Years later,…
Images of old Japan based on a commercial illusion Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese photographer, Kusakabe Kimbei, was born in 1841 in Edo Japan and died in the 1930s during a period of heightened political tension in this nation. Hence, one can only imagine the things he witnessed throughout his life because…
Contemporary Japanese artist: Time reflected through art and culture Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In another stunning art piece by the contemporary Japanese artist Sawako Utsumi, she focuses on a classic by Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1829). However, in her reflection, the dynamics change in relation to the color scheme, meaning, and the bird is now…
Art of Japan and the holy Buddhist monk Kaō Ninga Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The holy Buddhist monk Kaō Ninga belongs to the world of bygone days. Hence, while the ideas of the fourteenth century represent the highpoint of his artistic life during the Muromachi period, earlier ideas equally blessed this gifted monk.…
Art of Japan and Sakai Dōitsu: Traditional art during the Meiji era Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Sakai Dōitsu (1845-1913) was born in the last few decades of the Edo period. Yet, despite the revolutionary changes of the Meiji Restoration, his art is shaped by tradition. Hence, while many Japanese artists…
Art of Japan and Ishizaki Kōyō: His early path was set Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Ishizaki Kōyō (1884-1947) hails from the prefecture of Toyama in Japan. He was the fifth born son of a merchant family. Therefore, from a very early age, his path was set and secure. Kōyō studied under…
Art of Japan and time in a new light: Hōitsu and the Persimmon Tree by Utsumi Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In these two adorable art pieces by the contemporary Japanese artist Sawako Utsumi, a different slant to the original by Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1829) emerges. In her reflection, the color narrative takes center stage.…
Japan art and the Edo artist Katsukawa Shunshō Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Katsukawa Shunshō was blessed with an independent artistic spirit. Of course, he understood the commercial angle of ukiyo-e but Shunshō wasn’t afraid to go against the grain. Outside Japan, Shunshō isn’t particularly famous but he produced many stunning art pieces. Indeed,…
Japanese art, the impact of Paris, and the shadow of war: Kanokogi Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Takeshiro Kanokogi was born in the prefecture of Okayama. Luckily, for Kanokogi, the Meiji Restoration of 1868 opened up culture and society. Therefore, he had the opportunity to focus on different artistic themes and to…
Japan art and Sakai Hōitsu: Snow, the Moon, and Cherry Blossoms Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1829) created a delightful triptych that is referred by the title Snow, the Moon, and Cherry Blossoms. Interestingly, Hōitsu completed the three motifs when he was 60 years old. The reason why this…
Review of Ellery Queen’s Japanese Mystery Stories Special Contribution: Renae Lucas-Hall Originally published by Tuttle in 1984 under the title Ellery Queen’s Japanese Golden Dozen, this cover features a watchful detective smoking in Tokyo’s back streets with Japanese street signs, red lights, and lanterns in the background. Crime fiction is very popular at the moment…
Japan art and Tanaka Hōji: Taoism, Hōitsu, and Jurōjin Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Tanaka Hōji (1812-1885) was born in the Edo period (1603-1868) and died in the Meiji era. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 is known for the modernization of Japan. However, for Hōji, he belongs to the traditional art…
Japan art and Watanabe Shikō (1683-1755): Fusion of ideas Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Information about the artist Watanabe Shikō (1683-1755) is relatively sketchy. However, it is known that he was gifted from an early age. Similarly, he was born in the cultural city of Kyoto during the Edo Period. Little is known about…
Japanese contemporary art and stunning trees Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The contemporary Japanese artist Sawako Utsumi focuses on various art themes related to European and Japanese art. In this article, the focus is on five delightful trees that highlight the beauty of nature. Each setting is different and the same relates to the…
Japan Art and a radiant moon at nightfall in distant times Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) illuminated the world of Rinpa (Rimpa) art during a period of momentous changes in Japan. This relates to liberalism, nationalism, militarism, modernity, technology, and sweeping changes that altered the landscape. However, by focusing…
Art of Japan and the fusion of ideas by Kanzan Shimomura Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Kanzan Shimomura (1873 to 1930) is a famous artistic son of Wakayama. Thus, the spiritual and cultural dimension of his art is blessed by the natural traits of Wakayama. Equally important, he was born into a family known…
Japanese Art and Yumeji Takehisa: The sadness will last forever Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The internationally esteemed Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) died tragically after shooting himself. He took many hours to die but when all hope was lost he famously said, “The sadness will last forever.” Yumeji Takehisa (1884-1934) equally died relatively young…
Japan art and Sakai Dōitsu: His heart belonged to the old world Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Sakai Dōitsu (1845-1913) was born during a very revolutionary period in Japan. This applies to the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912). However, Dōitsu firmly belongs to the rich world of rinpa (rimpa) art. Hence, while Dōitsu witnessed…
Yukio Mishima and fusion of nationalism, the word, and the perfect death Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Yukio Mishima wrote, “If we value so highly the dignity of life, how can we not also value the dignity of death? No death may be called futile.” This comment is poignant if you have never read…
Japan poetry and the Buddhist monk Jien: The suffering world Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Tendai Buddhist monk Jien (1155-1225) left behind a lasting legacy in the cultural and religious dynamics of Japan. This relates to his poems and historical accounts of the time alongside the Tendai Buddhist angle. Jien was born before…
