Saitama tourism and Buddhism: Delightful Chichibu Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Chichibu is a great place to visit. This concerns refreshing the soul, connecting with nature, walking in the mountains, enjoying outdoor sports, shopping for cultural items, and browsing around this lovely part of Saitama. Also, the landscape, irrespective of whether…
Tokyo artist during the Edo era: From fishmonger to esteemed art Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Totoya Hokkei (1780-1850) died in the late stages of the Edo Period. Remarkably, he went from being a young fishmonger to studying under Katsushika Hokusai after delving into the Kano School of Art. Therefore, the…
Dutch winter landscapes based on Hendrick Avercamp by Japanese artist Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The contemporary Japanese artist Sawako Utsumi adores Dutch art. This concerns the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries because this period was a Golden Age concerning the number of esteemed Dutch artists with unique styles (all inspired by Dutch and Flemish Renaissance…
Japan art and Western influence in late Edo and early Meiji Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Utagawa Sadahide (Gountei Sadahide) lived during a period of momentous changes in Japan. This concerns the ending of the Edo Period that began in 1603 and was eclipsed by the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Sadahide was born in…
Japan art and Buddhism – the mirror of life! Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Kaō Ninga was a holy Japanese Buddhist monk who lived during the Nanboku-chō Period. Hence, he lived during a time of major hierarchical differences. This concerns the Nanboku-chō period (1336-1392) and the lasting convulsions of the demise of the Kamakura…
Art of Japan: Depictions of women in Edo Period Modern Tokyo Times Lee Jay Walker The Kyoto artist Nishikawa Sukenobu (1671-1750) was born in the Edo Period. He became famous for his own distinctive artistic style. Thus his rich depictions of women appealed greatly to kimono makers. However, while the imperial city of Kyoto conjures…
Japanese art and the majesty of the sky Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In the four Japanese art pieces selected in this article, the passage of time is irrelevant. Hence, three artists are from the “past” while the other is “now.” However, irrespective of time, art will continue to create joy, passion, wonder, and…
Tourism in Nagano and Jigokudani Monkey Park Kanako Mita and Hiroshi Saito Modern Tokyo Times In the prefecture of Nagano, the Jigokudani Monkey Park is a great place to watch Snow Monkeys(Japanese Macaques) bathing in a natural onsen (hot spring). From a photographic point of view, the winter season from December to March is amazing. Of course,…
Buddhism and the Japanese calligrapher Sugawara Mitsushige: Bodhisattva Kannon Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The inscription of the Japanese calligrapher Sugawara Mitsushige dates the scroll to 1257. Thus the start of the brief Shoka era. Also, in this period of Japanese history, the famous Buddhist monk Nichiren (1222-1282) spread new ideas and reinvigorated Buddhism…
Japan art and influence of China: Sakaki Hyakusen and Buddhism Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Sakaki Hyakusen (1697-1752) was heavily influenced by the Middle Kingdom (China). Indeed, some believe that he was of partial Chinese descent. Irrespective of this, this notable Japanese artist focused on a broad array of art forms.…
Japan poetry and a life blighted by ill-health: Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The final years of the life of Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902) were filled with pain and long-lasting suffering. Ultimately, his life was cut short from the ravages of tuberculosis and other ailments that stemmed from this. Shiki understood the frailty…
Japan art and Hishida Shunsō: A life cut short Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Hishida Shunsō (1874-1911) hails from Japan. He was born during the Meiji Period that witnessed momentous changes throughout society. However, if you focus on the art of Shunsō, tranquility flows naturally in his art. Shunsō sadly died at a relatively…
Japan art and Gyoshu Hayami (1894-1935) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Gyoshū Hayami (1894-1935) lived during a period of modernization in Japan. At the same time, the political arena was highly explosive – from extreme nationalism to loyal communist supporters. However, in the art of Gyoshū, you feel the richness of culture,…
Japanese art and Tanaka Hōji (1812-1885) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Tanaka Hōji (1812-1885) isn’t the most famous of artists in the land of the rising sun. Despite this, he compiled some notable cultural art pieces. Hōji witnessed enormous cultural, political, and social convulsions throughout his life. Initially, he belonged to…
Japan art and culture: Kaihō Yūshō (1533-1615), Buddhism, and China Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Kaihō Yūshō (1533-1615) lived and breathed Buddhism, high culture, the arts, and the richness of Chinese culture. Yūshō was a lay Buddhist priest who fused the arts, ethics, faith, philosophy, and other aspects of Japanese high…
Japan art and the fusion of ideas: Watanabe Shikō (1683-1755) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artists Watanabe Shikō (1683-1755) was born during the first century of the Edo Period. However, his early life is like a jigsaw with many missing pieces. Therefore, differences of opinion have emerged about Watanabe. Irrespective of this,…
Art of Japan and Ikeda Koson: Hinoki Cypresses Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Ikeda Koson (1803-1868) died in the year that modernization would take place in Japan. He belongs to the dying world of the Edo Period that was replaced by the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Hence, his earlier life was…
Japan art and rinpa: Buddhism and high culture Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times One of the most distinctive art forms in Japan is the delightful cultural art of rinpa (rimpa). This art movement developed in Kyoto in the early Edo Period of the seventeenth century. Therefore, the two founding fathers – Hon’ami Kōetsu and…
The Chinese artist Shen Quan and his stay in Edo Japan: Sublime nature Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Shen Quan (Nanpin) visited Japan during the Edo Period (1603 to 1868). Hailing from China, Shen understood that Nagasaka was a window open to the outside world. In 1731, Shen visited Japan for two years. During…
Japan art and Yanagisawa Kien: Edo artist influenced by Buddhism, China, and Confucianism Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Yanagisawa Kien (1703-1758) had a firm spiritual and philosophical soul. Thus the words of Confucius and the faith of Ōbaku-shū Zen Buddhism molded Kien greatly. Kien was a noted Nanga School (bunjinga) artist.…
Japan art and the individualism of Nagasawa Rosetsu (1754-1799) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Nagasawa Rosetsu (1754-1799) lived during the Edo Period. Various opinions exist concerning his background. However, irrespective of this, Rosetsu was blessed with an independent artistic spirit. He felt deep tragedy throughout his adult life. This concerns the…
Japan art and bijin-ga (beautiful ladies) of the Edo Period Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Bijin-ga art in Japan refers to various forms of “a beautiful person.” However, in the Edo Period, the terminology mainly applies to “beautiful ladies.” Therefore, the bijin-ga art of Eishōsai Chōki is firmly based on depicting beautiful ladies in…
Japan art and self-portrait while dying: Iwasa Matabei (1578-1650) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Iwasa Matabei (1578-1650) was born during the warring period of the sixteenth century. This period eventually culminated in the Edo Period (Tokugawa Period). Edo began in 1603 and was replaced by the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Interestingly,…
Japan art and the intriguing Hanabusa Itchō (1652-1724) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Hanabusa Itchō (1652-1724) was born during the Edo Period. He is known for having a lovely artistic free spirit. Hence, while originally being inspired and taught in the classical Kano style, Itchō would abandon this art form and…
Art of Japan and Sanraku: Pre-Edo period to early Edo and anti-Christianity Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Kano Sanraku (1559-1635) was a Japanese artist who lived during the pre-Edo era (Tokugawa Period) and the early Edo Period (1603-1868). Hence, bloodshed and issues with power concentration and regional dynamics were second nature for Sanraku. Indeed, he…
Art of 12th century Japan: Mitsunaga and a glimpse into the ending of the Heian Period Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Tokiwa Mitsunaga will always be remembered for his artistic work concerning the Annual Rites and Ceremonies (1173) in twelfth-century Japan. Equally significant, it provides a glimpse into the ending of the Heian Period because…
Art of Japan and Hishida Shunsō: Nature and Buddhism Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Hishida Shunsō was born in 1874 and died in 1911. Hence, his life was cut short because of ill health. However, the rich legacy of Shunsō continues today. Interestingly, a few years before he died, he painted a stunning Buddhist…
Art of Japan and the Middle Kingdom (China): Buddhism, Confucianism, and other ideas Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The religious and philosophical ideas of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism (Daoism) impacted enormously on China, Japan, and Korea in Northeast Asia. Similarly, each nation had potent internal faiths and ideas. For example, Shintoism in Japan and…
Art of Japan and exquisite birds by Yamamoto Kōitsu (1843-1905) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The delightful art of birds depicted in this article by Yamamoto Kōitsu (Kōichi) is a wonder to behold. Indeed, the art piece titled White Heron on Hinoki Cypress is mesmerizing. Not a great deal is known about many areas…
Art of Japan and Hōitsu: A delightful triptych of nature by this Buddhist monk Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1829) lived a rich life devoted to high culture. In the last few decades of his life, he became a Buddhist monk. Therefore, the flow of art, Buddhism, literature, poetry, and other refined…
Japan art and continuity despite rapid political changes: Sakai Dōitsu (1845-1913) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Sakai Dōitsu (1845-1913) was a Japanese artist who witnessed the demise of the Edo period and the rapid changes of the Meiji era. However, he actually died during the early Taisho period that promised further modernization and greater liberty. …
Japanese Death Poem: The final moments of Prince Ōtsu (663-686) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The final weeks and moments of the life of Prince Ōtsu (663-686) were full of shock and sadness. His father, Emperor Tenmu, provided hope and optimism that his future would be bright. However, the convulsions after the death of…
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