3

Lecture Date Topic

1 Jan 17 Introduction
Lunar New Year Jan 24 No Class
2 Jan 31 Origin and development of Zen Buddhism
3 Feb 7 The acceptance and development of Zen in Japan
4 Feb 14 Japanese aesthetic values 1
5 Feb 21 Japanese aesthetic values 2
6 Feb 28 Traditional Japanese arts.
Reading Week Mar 7 No Class
7 Mar 14 Influence on arts and literature
8 Mar 21 Influence on architecture and landscaping
9 Mar 28 Zen and design
10 Apr 4 Zen and lifestyle
11 Apr 11 Influence across the globe
12 Apr 18 Zen and contemporary aesthetics

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§ (1) Short Essay (800-1000 words )– 25 %
§ Suggested topics (Due Mar 13, 2023)

§ (2) Final Essay (2000 words) – 60 %

§ Suggested topics / any approved topic (Due Apr 25, 2023).

§ (3) Attendance / Participation – 15 %

§ Please sign in Attendance@HKU with your UID registered name.

https://ats.hku.hk/attend/user-guide/attendee_user_guide.pdf

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§ Outstanding – shows critical / research/ reflective elements,
novelty, correct understanding and historicity.
§ Excellent – shows some research elements, originality,
correct understanding and historicity.
§ Good – correct understanding of what is mentioned in the
lecture.
§ Satisfactory – try your best to hand in something...
§ Please submit on time.
§ No plagiarism.
§ Turnitin <30%
§ Cite everything properly (with page numbers).
§ Originality.

§ 4 or more academic sources. (for short essay, from Moodle

reading list).
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§ Due March 13.
§ 800-1000 words (exclude footnotes and bibliography).

§ Examine a traditional Japanese art form in relation to the

aesthetic values influenced by Zen Buddhism.

§ E.g. Wabi-sabi in Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Wabi-sabi of Sen no Rikyu’s Tea Bowls.
Mono-no-aware in Bonsai Arts.
Discuss the aesthetic elements in a specific Noh play.

5
§ 1.Essential concepts, practices and historical background.
§ 2.Aesthetics of Zen:
§ Philosophy and nature of beauty and taste.
§ What is consider beauty? Why pleasing?
§ Principles and concepts.

§ 3.Influences: (expression, inspiration, conveyed)

§ Japanese traditional arts;
§ Architecture and landscaping;
§ Arts and literature;
§ Spirituality;
§ Design;
§ Lifestyle.

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7
§ Zen traces its root to the historical
Buddha.
§ Modern scholars agreed Zen
originated in China.
§ Zen proliferated in the Tang and
Sung dynasties.
§ Together with Zen, Chinese culture
was valued and transmitted to Korea
and Japan.
§ Zen declined from the Ming
dynasty.

8
Japanese context

9
§ 2 routes:

§ 1) From China via Korea.

§ Old Buddhist Schools, e.g.
10 Chinese Schools.
§ 2) Directly from China by
sea.
§ Shingon (Tantric
Buddhism).
§ Zen.

10
§ Buddhism entered Japan at the end of
the Kofun period (~400 to 538 CE).
§ From Baekje (百済),
§ The Three Kingdoms Period in Korea.
(57 BCE to 668 CE).
§ Political alliance with Japan, to
counteract Silla and Goguryeo.
§ The Baekje king sent Buddhist scriptures
and a bronze Buddha statue the Imperial
court of Japan.
§ Buddhism was officially introduced to
Japan.
§ Buddhism is active since the Nara
period (奈良時代).

11
Kudara Kannon (百済観音) Hōryū-ji (法隆寺)
Nara Six Buddhist School,
later Shingon & Tendai

12
§ The Tang Dynasty (618 to 907
CE) is regarded as one of the
“golden age” of Chinese culture.
§ Heyday of Chinese art, music,
architecture, aesthetics,
literature...
§ Appealing / admired by the
Japanese.
§ Transmitted to Japan together
with Buddhism.
§ Japan also sent scholars,
monks, government officials to
China.
§ Japanese missions to Tang
China (遣唐使, kentōshi).

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 Religions
Economic Factors Buddhism
Affordable vs Shinto
Luxurious Christian...

Socio-political
Factors Foreign Cultures
Social norms Chinese
e.g. Samurai, Korean
Western
Meiji restoration Japanese
Aesthetics

§ Many factors influencing “Japanese” aesthetics.

§ A development over a long period of time.

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www.menti.com

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 A B C

§ Which of the above is a traditional Japanese attire?

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§ Tang China during that period represents a leading
cultural center.
§ In many other ways, the Japanese upper classes
patterned themselves after the Chinese: (tōfū 唐風
“style of Tang”)
§ Chinese writing system,
§ Literature,
§ Aesthetics,
§ Architecture,
§ Engineering,
§ Socio-political system,
§ Moral values,
§ Medical system,
§ Food (tea),
§ Fashion, and
§ Chinese version of Buddhism.
§ Result: the Tenpyō bunka (天平文化) in Nara.
§ Impact on Japanese culture and thoughts.
§ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXws1HmvER 17
A
§ Japan's first international and
political capital.
§ Nara period (奈良時代, 710-794 CE).
§ Heijō-kyō (平城京).
§ Modeled after Chang’an (⻑安).
§ The capital of the Tang dynasty in
China.
§ Peak population of approximately
100,000.
§ Area 25 km².

§ Merchants and traders from

China, Korea and India introduced
various foreign cultures to Heijō-
kyō.
§ Buddhist culture.
§ Buddhism became the state religion. 18
§ Old Buddhism (Kyū Bukkyō 旧仏教)
§ Nara and Heian periods.
§ Dominating the political landscape.
§ Buddhism of the Imperial and aristocrats.

§ Six Nara Schools

§ Kusha School (俱舎宗)
§ Jōjitsu School (成実宗)
§ Sanron School (三論宗)
§ Ritsu School (律宗)
§ Hosso School (法相宗)
§ Kegon School (華厳宗)
§ Two Heian Schools
§ Tendai 天台宗
§ Shingon 真⾔宗

§ Chinese (Tang) aesthetics in general.

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§ Tang/ Sung cultures.
§ Nara period.

§ Tang aesthetics.
§ Refined, “international”,
“auspiciousness”,
sophisticated and
luxury.
§ The Shōsō-in (正倉院)
collection.

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§ Tang/ Sung cultures.
§ Nara.

§ Tang aesthetics.
§ Refined and luxury.

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 A B C

§ Which of the above is a traditional Japanese attire?

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§ Japan mission (遣唐使, kentōshi) came to
a halt towards the end of the Tang
Dynasty in China (838).
§ Unstable political situation and downfall of
Tang.
§ Never resumed.

§ Beginnings of indigenous culture

development.
§ Modification of the Tenpyō culture.
§ Developed into the “National style culture”
(国⾵⽂化 Kokufū bunka).
§ Influential in later aesthetic development.
§ Chinese + new elements.

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§ National style culture (国風文化 Kokufū
bunka).
§ Chinese influences were in decline and
the national culture matured.
§ Engaged by the imperial court.
§ “Imperial” aesthetics.
§ Modification and adaptation of the
Chinese style (tōfū 唐風 “style of Tang”).
§ Art, especially poetry and literature were
developed in the Japanese indigenous
style.
§ Byōdō-in (平等院, “Temple of Equality” in
Uji).

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§ Genji Monogatari (源⽒物語)
§ Murasaki Shikibu (紫式部 973 or 978 – c. 1014
or1031)
§ Fujiwara no Kaoruko (藤原⾹⼦)
§ Court lady, poet.

§ Considered the world's first novel.

§ Court literature.
§ Court language.
§ Fiction.

§ Narrative story of 54 chapters.

§ Understanding the culture of the aristocracy in
early Heian period.
§ Forms of entertainment.
§ Manner of dress.
§ Aesthetics.
§ Moral code.
§ Buddhist + Shinto influence.
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§ The power and beauty of nature.
§ Shinto influence.

§ Impermanence and suffering.

§ Mono no aware 物の哀れ
§ “the pathos of things”.
§ an empathy toward things.

§ Awareness of impermanence (無常, mujō), or

transience of things.
§ A transient gentle sadness (or wistfulness) at their
passing.
§ A longer, deeper gentle sadness about this state
being the reality of life.
§ Awareness of the transience of all things
heightens appreciation of their beauty.
§ The “present moment”.
§ Appreciate life, beauty is everywhere.
§ Japanese cultural tradition.
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§ White-powdered (Oshiroi ⽩粉) face .
§ Plucked eyebrows (Hikimayu 引眉).
§ Aristocratic women used to pluck or
shave their eyebrows and paint new ones
using a powdered ink.
§ Blackened teeth (Ohaguro お⻭⿊).
§ Using iron based dye (鉄漿 kane).

§ Banned in 1870 (hikimayu and

ohaguro).

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 A B C

§ Which of the above is a traditional Japanese attire?

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§ The jūnihitoe (十二単, "twelve
layers").
§ Itsutsuginu-karaginu-mo (五衣唐衣裳).

§ Formal court dress first worn in the

Heian period by noble ladies.
§ Straight long hair.

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§ Yamato-e (大和絵).
§ A style inspired by Tang dynasty
paintings .
§ Fully developed by the late Heian period.
§ Characteristics:
§ Detailed small figures and careful
depictions of details of buildings and
other objects.
§ Some area covered by a "floating cloud",
an oblique view from above showing
interiors of buildings as though through
a cutaway roof, and very stylized
depiction of landscape.

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When was the trend of “rustic”
aesthetics became trendy?

31
• Prehistoric and ancient periods
• Paleolithic period (石器時代 c. -14000 BCE)
• Jōmon period (縄文時代 c. 14000 BCE – 900 BCE)
• Yayoi period (弥生時代 c 900 BCE- 250 CE) (Gautama Buddha ~500 BCE)
• Kofun period (古墳時代 c. 250–538)

• Classical periods - The Emperors in power

• Asuka period (飛鳥時代, 538–710) [ Hakuhō period (白鳳時代, 646-710)]
• Nara period (奈良時代, 710–794)
• Heian period (平安時代, 794–1185)

• Feudal periods - The Shoguns 将軍 in power, Shogunate government (bakufu 幕府)

• Kamakura period (鎌倉時代, 1185–1333)
• Muromachi period (室町時代, 1333–1568)
Zen Buddhism
• Azuchi–Momoyama period (安土桃山時代, 1568–1600)
predominated
• Early modern periods (~700 years)
• Edo (Tokugawa) period (江戸時代, 1600–1868)

• Modern periods
• Meiji period (明治時代, 1868–1912)
• Taishō period (大正時代, 1912–1926)
• Shōwa period (昭和時代, 1926–1989)
• Heisei period (平成時代, 1989–2019)
• Reiwa period (令和時代, 2019–present)

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§ Zen Buddhism predominated.
§ Particularly the Rinzai school.
§ Shaped every aspects of daily
lives.
§ Played a central role in the
development of art of all
kinds—architecture, literature,
Noh drama, poetry, the tea
ceremony, landscape
gardening, and flower
arranging.
§ We now considered as
“typically Japanese” were
development in these periods.

33
Nara Six Buddhist School, Zen (Rinzai school) Rejection of Buddhism
later Shingon & Tendai
ß Zen predominated à

34
 Kamakura

Took root

Ashikaga

Promoted

Tokugawa

Trendy (among samurai) 35

§ Minamoto no Yoritomo (源賴朝1147 –
1199).
§ Ashikaga Takauji (⾜利尊⽒, 1305 –
1358).
§ Oda Nobunaga 織⽥信⻑ (1534-82).
§ Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豊⾂秀吉 (1536-98).
§ Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康 (1543-1616).

§ All of them have had close relationship

with Zen Buddhism.
§ Zen was more than a religion.

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§ A period of governance by the Kamakura
shogunate.
§ Imperial (Kyoto) + Shogunate (Kamakura)
§ The emperors were figureheads in the feudal period.

§ Established in 1192 in Kamakura by Minamoto no

Yoritomo (源賴朝1147 – 1199).
§ The first shogun (将軍) with ruling power.
§ “First” shogun was Ōtomo no Otomaro (大伴 弟麻呂) in
Nara period (as general).

§ Emergence of the samurai, the warrior caste.

§ Establishment of the feudal system.

§ Samurai gained political power.

§ Culture of the samurai.

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§ Shoguns were usually the actual rulers. Emperor

§ Control over the imperial court.

§ “Tent government” (bakufu 幕府). Shogun
§ Kamakura Shogunate (鎌倉幕府).
Shogu
§ Absolute power over the country.

§ Shi-nō-kō-shō system. Samurai

§ Samurai (⼠ shi), farming peasants (農 nō), artisans Ronin

(⼯ kō) and merchants (商 shō).
§ Emergence of the samurai, the warrior caste, Peasants

and for the establishment of feudalism in Artisans

Japan.
§ Peasants (farmers) were considered a higher Merchants
caste than merchants. Outcaste
§ The influence of merchants was weak.
§ Produce nothing on their own.

38
 Emperor
figurehead
for the
powerful
shogun

§ Title of the military dictators of

Japan during most of the period Shogun

spanning from 1185 to 1868.

§ Japan is divided into territories
ruled by feudal lords (Daimyo 大
名).
Daimyo

§ Samurai were the well-paid

retainers of the daimyo (the great
feudal landholders). Samurai

§ They had high prestige and special

privileges such as wearing two
swords. Peasants,

§ Warriors.

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§ The feudal periods were
marked by political and
military conflict, natural
disasters, and social
disorder.
§ “Warrior state”.
§ Killing everyday.

40
§ New Buddhism (Shin Bukkyō 新仏教)
§ New Buddhist schools emerged to solve
social/life problems.
§ Buddhism of samurai and commoners.

§ New Six Kamakura Schools

§ Jōdo (Pure Land 浄⼟) (developing in
Heian period)
§ Jōdo-shū 浄⼟宗,
§ Jōdo Shinshū 浄⼟真宗,
§ Ji-shū 時宗.

§ Zen 禅
§ Rinzai-shū 臨済宗.
§ Soto-shū曹洞宗.
§ Nichiren ⽇蓮宗

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§ Zen, as a school, was introduced in the
12th century during the Kamakura period
(1185–1333).
§ By the Japanese monks who had studied Zen
in China.
§ Dainichibo Nonin (大日房能忍, d. 1194?)
established the first Zen school known as
the Daruma-school (達磨宗).
§ Vanished, Nonin was murdered, his disciples
went to Eisai and Dogen.
§ Myoan Eisai (明菴栄西, 1141-1215),
returned from China and established the
Rinzai school (臨済, Chinese: Linji).
§ Brought tea from China.
§ Eihei Dogen (永平道元,1200-1253)
established the Soto school (曹洞), the
Japanese branch of Caodong.
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 § Different Zen school/ sect.

§ Rinzai sect
§ “Samurai Zen”
§ Loved by the samurai / aristocrats.

§ Soto sect
§ “Farmer Zen” (derogatory)
§ Mass appealing.
§ Down-to-earth.
§ Some samurai were Soto followers.

§ Keisaku (警策)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VzCD4XeDF4 43
§ The primary reason samurai adopted
Zen Buddhism was the belief that it
strengthened them on the
battlefield.
§ Facing “death” everyday
§ Zen helped followers dismiss such
thoughts.
§ Fight with intense concentration.
§ Self-reliance.
§ Acting in a spontaneous and intuitive
way.
§ Confronting death without fear.
§ A relief of everyday stress / life-death
situations.
§ Favoured by the shogun and upper
warrior classes.
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§ Samurai began to practice Zen meditation
with Rinzai masters.
§ Enhancing martial arts skills and reducing fear
of death on a battlefield.
§ The samurai in return supported the Rinzai
school.
§ Zen philosophy also emphasizes mastering
crafts and techniques by unifying body and
mind through action without thought.
§ Helped samurai master sword fighting, archery
and other essential battle skills.
§ Zen practices helped the samurai achieve high
levels of mastery of a clear, focused mind.
§ Samurai composed poetry, practiced the tea
ceremony and maintained gardens.
§ Molded the characters of many distinguished
warriors.
§ Bushidō (武士道, "the way of the warrior").

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§ Samurai were symbols of the ideal
warrior and citizen.
§ The “elite”.
§ Entrusted with the security of the
estates.
§ Their life-style, aesthetic values and
culture were valued by the public.
§ Heavily influenced Japanese culture.
§ The warrior classes were in power until
the mid-19th century.
§ Focus on the inner (spiritual) world,
and not the outer (material) world.
§ “Peace of mind”.
§ Most of the aesthetics ideologies are
related to Zen meditation.

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§ Killing contradicts with Buddhism?
§ Zen’s teachings on peace and non-
violence conflicted with the martial
arts?
§ It appears the majority of Zen-
practicing samurai sought the
mental discipline to be better
warriors but were not so keen on
the Buddhism part of Zen.
§ Refrain from unnecessary killing?
§ Not Buddhist, but Zen as a tool?
§ Engage in Buddhist activities, but
not necessarily Buddhist
themselves.

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§ During the Muromachi period the
Rinzai school was the most
successful of the schools, since it
was favoured by the shogun.
§ The Rinzai monks were employed by
the shogun for the governing of state
affairs.
§ In the beginning of the Muromachi
period the Gozan (Five Mountain)
system was established.
§ This system was extended throughout
Japan.
§ Effectively giving control all over
Japan.

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§ Musō Soseki (夢窓疎⽯, 1275 – 1351).

§ The most famous Rinzai monk of his time.

§ Also a calligrapher, poet and garden designer.
§ Musō Kokushi (夢窓国師) ("national master"),

§ His mother was the daughter of Hōjō

Masamura (1264-1268), 7th Shikken
(regent) of the Kamakura shogunate.
§ Established the Five Mountain System.
§ A network of temples for political and
religious administration.

49
§ Controlled and used by the ruling
class for administrative and political
purpose.
§ Distribution of government laws and
norms.
§ Monitoring of local conditions.
§ Monks worked for the government as
translators, diplomats and advisers.
§ To the Rinzai sect, their alliance with
the shogunate brought wealth,
influence and political power over
Japan.
§ Many remarkable temples belong to
the Rinzai sect.

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§ Head "First Temple of The Land” Nanzen-ji 南禅寺

Kyoto Kamakura
§ 1st rank Tenryū-ji 天龍寺 Kenchō-ji 建長寺
§ 2nd rank Shōkoku-ji 相国寺 Engaku-ji 円覚寺
§ 3rd rank Kennin-ji 建仁寺 Jufuku-ji 寿福寺
§ 4th rank Tōfuku-ji 東福寺 Jōchi-ji 浄智寺
§ 5th rank Manju-ji 万寿寺 Jōmyō-ji 浄妙寺

§ All are Rinzai Zen temples!

§ Protected and regulated by the Shogunate government.

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§ Influence on all aspects of national life,
from government and commerce to the
arts and education.
§ Shoguns were patrons of arts.
§ Art of all kinds—architecture, literature,
Noh drama, poetry, the tea ceremony,
landscape gardening, and flower
arranging—all flourished during
Muromachi times are related to Zen
Buddhism.
§ Today, the “Five Mountain” monasteries
are known for their impressive
landscaping.
§ Musō Sōseki incorporated and refined
the kare sansui (枯山水, dry mountains
and water) style of gardens.

52
§ Kare sansui (枯⼭⽔).
§ “Dry landscape” garden, aka Zen garden.
§ The “Japanese garden”.
§ Dominant style in Edo period.

§ Usually found in Zen temples.

§ Ryōan-ji (⿓安寺). Rinzai.

§ Miniature landscape through careful

arrangements of rocks, moss, pruned trees and
bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to
represent ripples in water.
§ They were intended to imitate the essence of
nature.
§ Serve as an aid to meditation about the true
meaning of existence.
§ Rocks = mountains / islands.
§ Gravels= ocean/ water.
§ The reality is just a manifestation of the mind.

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§ Political unrest.
§ But substantial development in arts
and culture.
§ Strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism.

§ Kitayama 北⼭ culture (late 14th

cent.).
§ Higashiyama 東⼭ culture (later 15th
– early 16th cent.).
§ Ashikaga shoguns built villas there
as centers for art and culture.
§ Architecture, cuisine, chadō (tea
ceremony), ikebana (flower
arranging), Noh drama, sumi-e ink
painting...
§ Much of what is commonly regarded
today as “Japanese culture”
originated in this period.

54
§ Kitayama bunka (北⼭⽂化).
§ North mountain culture.
§ Area of Kitayama 北⼭ (Kyoto).

§ Early Muromachi period.

§ Kinkaku-ji (⾦閣寺) representative of Kitayama
culture.
§ Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (⾜利義満, 1358 –1408 3rd
shogun).
§ Kitayama-dono (北⼭殿) retirement villa which,
among other things, boasted a pavilion two-
thirds covered in gold leaf (Kinkaku shariden ⾦
閣舎利殿).
§ an important cultural center.
§ aristocratic and gorgeous.

§ After Yoshimitsu’s death, the building was

converted into a Zen temple (Kinkaku-ji ⾦閣寺)
according to his wishes.

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§ Higashiyama bunka
§ East mountain culture.
§ Higashiyama 東⼭.

§ The 8th shogun Ashikaga

Yoshimasa ⾜利義政 (1436-90).
§ Retired to his villa in the eastern
hill (東⼭ Higashiyama) of Kyoto.
§ Turned into Ginkakuji 銀閣寺
(Jishouji 慈照寺) after his death.
§ The center of the Higashiyama
culture.
§ Simplicity and subtleness.
§ (Wabi-sabi).

56
§ Japanese dance-drama that has been
performed since the 14th century.
§ Heavily influenced by Zen.
§ Zeami Motokiyo (世阿弥 元清1363-1443) and his
father, Kanami (観阿弥 1333–84), established
Noh in the present form.
§ Lay Zen clergy at age 20.
§ Favored by shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and
warlords.
§ Integrated Japanese and Chinese ancient
poetry, and Zen thoughts into his drama.
§ Wrote about 30-50 plays.

§ Wrote many treatises about Noh.

§ Philosophy of performance.
§ These treatises are the oldest known works on the
philosophy of drama in Japanese literature.
§ Treasured by shoguns, daimyos.
§ Patronized by the samurai class.
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§ The Ami family Amiha 阿弥派 (3 Amis),
§ Ink-paintings (sumi-e)
§ Nōami 能阿弥 (1397-1471),
§ Geiami 芸阿弥 (1431-85) and
§ Sōami 相阿弥 (1455-1525).

§ Became advisors and curators

(dōbōshū 同朋衆) of the Shoguns’ art
collection.
§ Chinese Southern Sung style.
§ Strongly affecting later aesthetic culture.

§ They produced a catalogue of the

Chinese paintings in the collection and
wrote the first art criticism in Japan
Kundaikan sayū chōki 君台観左右帳記.

58
§ “Peach mountain” period.
§ Overlapping the second-half of Sengoku
period (戦国時代 1467 to 1615).
§ Azuchi Castle (安⼟城, Azuchi-jō)
§ Oda Nobunaga 織⽥信⻑.
§ At Mt Azuchi, Shiga.

§ Momoyama Castle (桃⼭城, Momoyama-

jō)
§ Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豊⾂秀吉.
§ At Fushimi 伏⾒, Kyoto.

59
§ Tea drinking was originally engaged by
monk as a form of meditation.
§ Tea culture and tea drinking habit
spread widely in Samurai society.
§ Every time samurai came back from the
battlefield, they practiced the tea
ceremony to search the peace in their
mind.
§ As a “Zen meditation”.
§ Cha-no-yu (茶の湯) became very
important social and political
opportunities for the ruling class.
§ Nobunaga and Hideyoshi collected prized
tea bowls and utensils.
§ More precious than gold.
§ As “fancy” as possible.

60
§ Higashiyama culture.
§ Tea drinking should be spiritual and elegance.

§ Murata Jukō (村⽥珠光, 1423–1502).

§ Studied Zen under the priest Ikkyū Sōjun ⼀休宗
純.
§ Employed by the shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimasa as
a tea master at the Ginkaku-ji?
§ Sadō/chadō (茶道 "The Way of Tea") or cha-
no-yu (茶の湯)
§ Predominated style until nowadays.
§ Gone through a number of development in the
Momoyama period.
§ Sen no Rikyū (千利休).
§ Wabi-cha.

§ Discuss further in next lecture.

61
§ Sen no Rikyū (千利休, 1522 -1591), is
considered the most profound influence on
the Japanese "Way of Tea".
§ Rinzai Zen training.
§ Wabi-cha.

§ Advisor/ Tea master for Oda Nobunaga and

Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
§ Rikyū reformed several key aspects of the
ceremony:
§ Focus on modest simplicity, directness of
approach and honesty of self.
§ These aspects of the tea ceremony and
aesthetics persist and influencing the
modern times.
§ Tea drinking in a philosophical manner.
§ Zen thoughts: undecorated and the humble.

62
§ Established in1603 at Edo 江⼾
(Tokyo).
§ Tokugawa period (徳川時代, Tokugawa
jidai 1603 -1868).
§ 15 Shoguns.
§ 300+ regional daimyō.

§ End of the Sengoku period.

§ Japan finally unified.

§ Characterized by economic growth,

social stability, "no more wars", and
popular enjoyment of arts and
culture.

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§ Chōnin Culture (町⼈⽂化)
§ Chōnin (町⼈, "townsman")
§ Genroku Period元禄時代1688-1725.
§ Genroku Culture (元禄⽂化)

§ Peaceful Society.

§ Merchants became increasingly wealthy.

§ Trading.
§ The “Middle-class” culture.

§ Culture to “enjoy life”.

§ Integrated samurai lifestyle and art:
§ Noh (能), Cha-no-yu (茶の湯), and flower
arrangement (生け花).
§ “Zen” culture and aesthetics got
popularized.
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 A B C

§ Which of the above is a traditional Japanese attire?

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§ Meiji era (1868-1912)
§ No more samurai.

§ Meiji government officials frequently and

increasingly criticized Buddhism as a
product of decline and degeneration.
§ Anti-Buddhist riots in Japan.
§ Destroying temples, statues, and ritual
objects in a movement known as :
§ “Abolish Buddhism and destroy Shakyamuni”
haibutsu kishaku (廃仏毀釈)
§ Although Buddhism suffered a downfall,
the related aesthetics remained and
continued to be influential in the daily life
of the people.

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§ Lecture 4 & 5
§ Japanese aesthetic values.
§ Wabi-sabi (侘寂)
§ Yūgen (幽玄)
§ Mono-no-aware (物の哀れ)
§ Shibui (渋い)
§ Iki (粋)
§ Jo-ha-kyū (序破急)
⁞

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