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…
Japanese Buddhist poetry from centuries ago Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The holy Buddhist monk Jien (1155-1225) followed Tendai Buddhism. Naturally, with the passages of time and the political power dynamics of the day, it is important to enter his world. However, for Jien, “All the flowers are but the flower of the law”…
Japanese Buddhist poetry: Saigyō, nature, and solitude Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The young Saigyō Hōshi (birth name Satō Norikiyo) was born to a noble family in Kyoto. However, the cultural dynamics were shifting because Buddhism was increasingly being questioned during his period of life – despite Buddhism remaining potent. Therefore, with Saigyō living between 1118-1190,…
Japanese poetry: Highly esteemed Hitomaro from 7th to early 8th century Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (Hito-maru from the Heian era and onwards) is regarded as one of the greatest Japanese poets to have blessed this country. His name is mentioned alongside Fujiwara no Teika, Iio Sōgi (Inō Sōgi), and Matsuo Bashō.…
Japanese art and the feeling of Shinto through the prism of nature Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The contemporary Japanese artist, Sawako Utsumi, hails from northern Japan. Her artwork is often inspired by past European and Japanese artists, despite her own personal landscapes. Henceforth, in this delightful landscape, you can depict the partial influence of…
Buddhist poetry in Japan and the fallen Autumn leaf: Henjō (816-890) and Sōgi (1421-1502) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In two short poems by Henjō (816-890) and Sōgi (1421-1502), you can feel the last throes of life and the memories that become a dream world. Hence, these two holy Japanese Buddhist monks – with Henjō…
Buddhist nun: Art, poetry, Japanese anti-Buddhism, and sadness of Rengetsu (1791-1875) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Ōtagaki Rengetsu is widely acclaimed as being one of the greatest poets of nineteenth-century Japan. Indeed, her legacy is great concerning art, calligraphy, poetry, and being a graceful potter. The life of Rengetsu was shaped greatly by Buddhism.…
Japan art and the Persimmon Tree: Sawako Utsumi and homage to Sakai Hōitsu Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In time, the esteemed Japanese artist Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1829) became a Buddhist monk. However, long before Hōitsu sought solitude and becoming a Buddhist monk, he had studied various art forms. Therefore, after becoming a Buddhist monk,…
Japanese Buddhism and poetry under Emperor Shōmu in 8th century Nara Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Nara Period in eighth-century Japan is the cradle of Japanese high culture. Hence, it is fitting that Emperor Shōmu bestowed great privilege to cementing the Buddhist faith to a higher level during his reign. Emperor Shōmu was…
Japanese Buddhism and art: Hakuin Ekaku and Chinese philosophy Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The revered Zen Buddhist, Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769), understood the importance of connecting with ordinary people. Hence, under his tutelage and wisdom, he helped to restore the vitality of Rinzai Buddhism that was stagnating. Hakuin was born in Hara in the province…
Japanese artist Soga Shōhaku was influenced by the Muromachi Period Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Soga Shōhaku (1730-1781) belongs to the Edo Period. Yet, for Shōhaku, the art world of the Muromachi Period (1336 to 1573 – period officially began in 1338) is what inspired him. Therefore, the cultural angle of the…
Japanese art: The desolate Japanese Buddhist path Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Sawako Utsumi is a gifted contemporary Japanese artist. In her latest art piece, titled “The desolate Japanese Buddhist path,” Utsumi once more fuses culture, nature, and Buddhism. Ironically, she does this despite being a follower of Shintoism. This concerns her connection with old Buddhism that…
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.…
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