Edo Period Part III - Japan - 1800s Rise of the Bourgeoisie

Edo Period Japan - 1800s Rise of the Bourgeoisie

Part III (Part III of III) Art/Entertainment

• The risen middle class becomes the new patrons of the arts

The arts and entertainment of this period continued to flourish despite the perpetual 'lock-down' of the local citizen. Even though it was still very difficult to move about the country and impossible to enter the country the arts expanded on it’s predecessors work and blossomed in the local scene. The Kano school, the Emperors official courtesan painters,

continues to be the choice of the royal court and the upper class.  Most paintings focused on images of traditional Japanese folklore, such as The Tales of Genji. Many art forms that we (Kakemono Arts) have been introduced to from this period (1800-1865) are Buddhism or Shintoism influenced. Especially the iconic emblems of the Boddhi Dharma or Daruma, the typical Asian icons of turtles, cranes, pine trees and countless birds and natural imagery which could arguably be known as the primary source of the ‘ukiyo-e’ which depicts that natural world. Especially interesting is the concepts of combined plants and birds or animals which hold a specific meaning. The author Merrily Baird (Symbols of Japan) explains many as well as the Three Friends of Winter, (shochikubai) which is an ensemble of plum, bamboo, and pine.  She goes on to explain that the three are

'shochukubai' Three Friends of Winter

‘all symbols of winter, long life, and the cultured gentleman. This convention of linking the three plants, which are consistently ranked in the same order, remains so popular among the Japanese that they use the Three Friends as both a design motif and an elegant system of designating such things such as banquet rooms or menu options in traditional restaurants.’
There are many different types of combinations which can be traced back to Chinese and Japanese origin and which have Buddhism or Shintoism concepts. As well the previously mentioned form, which is known as ukiyo-e, or ‘images of a floating world’ continued to grow in complexity and imagination. There was also writing and imagery depicting the underworld, ironically also called the ‘ukiyo-e’ which depicted the urban pleasures of the theater and brothel districts of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, this became popular art for the average urban citizen which was not unique to Japan, but the world of visual and literary arts during the high times of the bourgeoisie of the main cities was very uniquely Japanese; as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto also grew to represent the modern urban native Japanese, the arts scene could be categorized as an artistic explosion.

Geisha Woodblock Print from Edo Period

Wherein many average urban dwellers craved the imagery of this underworld and as such many different types of painting and texts were created. These were down in the mass production techniques of the woodblock print to keep the price reasonable and attainable for the average city dweller. It could be argued that this similar mass production of ‘underworld/floating world art’ could be paralleled with the animation and comic book fantasy world that saturates urban and rural Japan today, not to mention fascinates so many visual art fans from around the globe. While different methods as just mentioned continued to feed the new urban art lover, woodblock prints became obsolete to the printing press at the close of the Edo period and a new found interest in western art also became more influential at the beginning of the Meiji period. But as we shall see as we dig into the next periods Japan, the struggle between outside influences and was thought of as ‘Japanese authentic’ continued to rage on.

Edo Period Tiger

Sources:
Kenneth Henshall; A History of Japan
Merrily Baird; Symbols of Japan
Tsuneko Sadao/Stephanie Wada; Discovering the Arts of Japan

Atsuta Shrine - Nagoya

 

Atsuta Shrine, Nagoya

 

Atsuta Shrine

 

Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi or the Sacred Sword kusanagi

The shrine is based in southern Nagoya City and is considered only second in importance to Ise Shrine in nearby Mie prefecture. The reason for the founding of the shrine was one of the three Imperial regalia (3 most sacred objects of Japan), the sacred Sword Kusanagi (kusanagi) was enshrined here over 1900 years ago. It is unclear on where the sword is actually kept which adds mystery to the site.
Kusanagi no Tsuguri is a legendary Japanese sword and one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan. It was originally called the "Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven") but its name was later changed to the more popular Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi ("Grass Cutting Sword") – Wikipedia
The other two sacred objects incidentally are the Sacred Mirror (yata no kagami), held in the Ise Shrine and the Sacred Jewel which is believed to be kept in Tokyo. The main deity enshrined here is Atsuta no Okami, Or God Atsuta which is directly connected to the aforementioned sword.

Nobunaga Wall

Another interesting point of the shrine area is the Nobunaga bei wall which was donated to the shrine by one of the great military leaders of the 1500s warring Japan, General Nobunaga Oda, who after his decisive and critical victory at nearby Okehazama became the defacto leader of the nation states and the initiator in unifying the country at the end of the 16^th century, although this unification was completed by his successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Power Spot

Atsuta Shrine Power Spot - Well Hidden!

The next point is hardly known to the English world, this is the supposed ‘Power Spot’, a place where the spiritual powers are strong and your prayers have a better chance of success. There is a small path to the northeast section, just between the Purification hall and the kagura den. This path leads down to a small water canal, which has a rock jutting out. You are to splash water on this rock three times using the ladle provided and them to make your wish. A very calming location as you are surrounded by huge old trees and old growth forest lichens and dampness.

Personal Take

Atsuta Shrine the Green Patch from our Home Office

For us here at Kakemono Arts we are extremely luck to be able to see the shrine from our home/office and we often use the shrine as a great half way point along our jogging route.  Nothing like getting a prayer at a 1900 year old shrine on your weekly loop route. Dropping unwanted pounds and gaining some insight.
Drop us a comment if you have been here or are planning on visiting the shrine!

Edo Period 1603 - 1868 Part I Japan is Locked Down

The Edo (or Tokugawa) period was very important for the forming of modern Japan that we all know. In the decades leading up to the Edo period the territories were in disarray and separated by various small warring regions. 

The ever handsome Ieyasu Tokugawa

The three leaders whom united the country, Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and and Ieyasu Tokugawa led in the beginning by Oda, fought hard to conquer and unite the regions in the latter half of the 1600s century. Highlighted by a strong orthodox approach to daily life and commitment to family, community and most importantly the Shogun, these three strong characters, native to the Nagoya, Aichi region of Japan, rallied to create three power structures. These three main power centers were eventually consolidated  by Ieyasu Tokugawa at the final battle at Sekigahara in the year 1600. With Oda dying by ritual suicide in 1582 and his successor Toyotomi dying from illness in September 1598. The Sekigahara battle was crucial, and managed to consolidate power and for Tokugawa he was able to win over his rivals to formally establish a new capital city at Edo (aka Tokyo), Japan. Soon after establishing the new rule as Shogun of Japan the fate of the country was sealed and for the next 250 + years the country was absolutely locked down and was sealed off  from the outside world. There was virtually no contact with the outside world beyond the small island in which a small community of Dutch could reside. We will take a brief look at these ages and the resulting art and entertainment that reflected the people and their times. The period can be best broken down into the three centuries that spanned the 1600s, 1700s and 1800s all obviously with their own characteristics:

1600s

•  the shogun established himself as the unchallenged leader
•  the family was the smallest unit of power (individual had no rights)
• the state/provincial leaders called ‘daimyo’ were strictly controlled
• it was mandatory that the leaders families live in Edo and leaders must live there every other year
• these leaders kept control over there regions but the real power lied with the local village councils
•  Samurai became bureaucrats
•  bourgeois culture develops yet is limited due to heavy restrictions on class mobility and more importantly geographic mobility
• Severe punishment (often sudden execution/suicide) for going against the wishes of the Shogun or disturbing the societal ‘norm’ although the ‘norm’ has no set of policies and was more or less under the watch of the local village and the samurai

Arts/Entertainment: For painting and calligraphy the three main artists that we will mention created the Rinpa school which is often regarded as the most popular painted art form of this century.  These three were Koetsu (1558-1637) Sotatsu (d. c.1643), and Ogata Kourin (1658-1716) the latter with who proved to create a new unique style of painting on screen depicting timeless stories from the Heian period. 

Ogata Korin - Fujin

Two of the most popular themes used by these artists came from the Tales of Genji and the Tales of Ise. Both of these were typically hosted on gold leaved folding screens and were accomplished with a strong sense of detail. The distinct style is either of items of nature such as flowers, trees, and birds or mammals or as mentioned themes from traditional stories from earlier periods. 

The objects surroundings were typically inlaid with gold leaf. The school developed more design and refined techniques as time passed on with Sakai Hoitsu rediscovering the form in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Other forms, which became popular in this period and the next century were the famous ‘ukiyo-e’ or floating world art styles which started as a Shinto ideal of transition but as we find in the 1700s became famous for something other than divine spiritual passage (wink and nudge ;).

Our next look (Part II) we will be at the 1700s and the Rise of the Merchant Class.

Sources: Discovering the Arts of Japan by Tsuneko S. Sadao, Stephanie Wada

A History of Japan by Kenneth Henshall

Wikipedia; Rimpa School, Ogata Korin, Edo Period, Nobunaga Oda