Introduction
Art- like many other factors of life- changes with traditions culture, religion and international relationships. This is the case of the art in Japan especially in the Korean peninsula when the Chinese heavily impacted on the Japanese art and architecture (Kanazawa, 75). This was mainly though intermarriages, the business interactions, religion and government. This paper gets into the details of how the Korean peninsula changed the face of art in Japan.
Around the globe, art has had an impact in the kind of art that a people are popular with. For the Chinese, art of Buddha ancestry has been common as the country has had a great population of the religion of the Asian origin (Cahill, 54). This they carry to ay country that they go. China and the larger Asia are known for stunt following of religion and its respect wherever they go. Religion defines the mode of living for many people (Kanazawa, 128). During the peninsular period that ran from sixth through to the sixteenth century, the Chinese interacted in many businesses with the Japanese. This brought about a lot of cultural exchange and also religion exchange with chine being the dominant exporter as far as art, culture and religion were concerned (Harris, 63).
As the Japanese interacted and exchange in business with the Chinese, the elite who controlled the business sectors adapted Buddhism religion. This brought a turn around change in their lives and in their livelihood. Almost everything that belonged to them had to depict their new religious status. Among the things that were to change was the way they dressed and the products of art they hang in their walls (Addiss, 120).
The art products that were likened to Buddhism became common in the places that these elite were. These included paintings, sculptors, and illustrations of the changes in Buddhism, the priests, the respected persons who had long died, the places of worship and the sacred items in Buddhism. Most of the persons who were professional; in making this kind of art were the Chinese (Harris, 98). On the other hand the Japanese felt that they had the bona fide right to this new find and were quick to learn how to make and paint these art products. Eventually, art in Japan was transformed.
On the other hand, the elite who had transformed to Buddhism started to build houses that were of Buddhist ancestry. Again, the Chinese came in handy to rescue their Japanese counterparts who did not have the knowledge on how these were built (Kanazawa, 52). As in the case of art, the Japanese builders were to take over the vast contracts of the architecture and building as the quickly leant designs and their importance and meanings in Buddhism. The buildings and the interior designs were also on high demand due to the effect of intermarriages (Addiss, 75). The Chinese women who had been married by the Japanese came in with their demands. It is common knowledge that women are sensitive to buildings and interior designs at their homes. Their demands were met with little resistance as the new converts wanted to learn more of their new religion. At one time Buddhism was seen as a state religion due to high conversion rate of the government officials though this was not the case (Cahill, 54). The government offers who had converted top Buddhism had their offices decorated with the new art products.
Conclusion
A combination of the factors mentioned in this paper and other led to the turn around of art and architecture of Japanese art and architecture during the Korean peninsula. Even deep in the twenty first century, the kind of art and architecture that the Chinese impacted on Japanese is popular even dominant (Cahill, 23).
Works cited
Addiss, Stephen. The Art of Zen: Paintings and Calligraphy by Japanese Monks, 1600-1925.
New York: Abrams, 1989
Cahill, James. The Lyric Journey: Poetic Painting in China and Japan. Cambridge: Harvard
University Press, 1996
Harris, Victor. Japanese Art: Masterpieces in the British Museum. London: The British Museum,
1990
Kanazawa, Hiroshi. Japanese Ink Painting: Early Zen Masterpieces. New York: Kadansha
International, 1979
