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Japan has always been one of the most important ancient and noble cultures. Despite having many different neighbors throughout history, Japan has managed to maintain its originality and cultural status. There are many different genres in Japanese art. Among Japanese arts, painting is one of the oldest types of Japanese art and includes many genres. Naturalism is a crucial aspect of traditional Japanese painting. Chinese painting and Western art influenced Japanese painting before the 16th century. Japanese painting styles that are important include Buddhist ritual paintings, paintings with a change in ink concentration, and Japanese calligraphy. Japanese painting has a significant historical period known as the Ashikaga period (1333-1568), which is also known as the Muromachi period. The Ashikaga period is critical because of the influence of Buddhism and Zen Buddhism in art. In this study, to explain the aesthetic components of the form and content of Japanese paintings of the Ashikaga period concerning Zen Buddhism, 15 samples of paintings from this period are analyzed after expressing the theoretical framework. In this research, data collection is done using the library method and image viewing, and the qualitative approach is used for analysis. This research shows that, like Japanese ritual, Japanese art can have dual meanings. Aesthetic concepts in Japanese culture include Wabi, Sabi, Eugene, Kire, and Mono No Aware. The characteristic of ancient Japanese aesthetics promotes respect, importance, and attention to others, both human and non-human. A composite painting based on Zen's revelatory and contemplative quality emerged during the Ashikaga period. Emphasis on the lines forming the Chinese painting method and ancient indigenous themes and motifs are the characteristics of the painting of this period. The aspects of the painting art of this period are similar to the elements of Zen Buddhism art in Japanese culture. In general, the general characteristics of Japanese painting can be summarized in the following points: virginity and little influence of other arts on it (except Chinese art), geographical features of the country and the direct impact of mountains and seas on the works, lack of distinction between the real and Idealism and the dual atmosphere of peace and chaos. Essential features of Ashikaga painting are the distance of art from temples, ancient indigenous themes and motifs, the gradual decline of the vitality of pen and ink, the emergence of Tessa and Kano painting schools, the emphasis on shaping lines, and ink painting based on the quality of Zen revelation. In the case studies from the Ashikaga period, narrative and ritual subjects played a minimal role. Landscape and nature topics or animals have the most share. In almost all cases, the angle of view is opposite. The combination of warrior and samurai concepts, with ritual and philosophical foundations and components of Buddhism and Zen Buddhism, is the basis for the formation of Japanese art in the artistic periods corresponding to these developments. In Japanese culture, a unique relationship between Buddhism and Shinto exists. The sum of these features reflects Zen's influence on the Ashikaga art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article informs on history of Japanese painting technique. It mentions in Japan during the Meiji period, when a new painting genre called Japanese painting' was born, paintings on historical subjects were given high status, and specially after the 1990s, strategic uses of Japanese painting have been made by world-renowned artists like Takashi Murakami.

This article deals with the collection of Japanese folding screens from the Náprstek Museum in Prague. First part of the article presents a historical overview and some basic facts about Japanese folding screens; subsequently the text deals with the phenomenon of screens within the context of cultural and artistic exchange after the opening of Japan to the Western world in the latter half of the 19th century. The article is completed by a catalogue featuring descriptions of all 31 items from the NpM folding screen collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article recovers the memorial and placatory function of the Illustrated Story of Emperor Antoku and its etoki (picture-explaining) at Amidaji, the non-extant mortuary temple for the tragically killed Antoku and the Taira. After discussing the content, date, and authorship of the Illustrated Story, this article reconstructs the ritual context and structure of the etoki, and the meaning of each component of this ritual--location, facility, narration, and the paintings. By embedding these meanings into the entire structure of the ritual, the article reveals that Amidaji's etoki was expected to commemorate, pacify, and help the spirits of Antoku and the Taira to attain rebirth in Amidds Pure Land. This study calls for a shift in our view of etoki, from a practical tool to a ritual practice also guided by spiritual purposes, thereby emphasizing the significance of mortuary art as a central medium in spirit pacification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on Ukiyo-e, which is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries. The French discovery of ukiyo-e prints give notion that they were cheap objects. The irrational lure of the Japanese art object led many to a contextless and visual attraction.

The article focuses on the term "tarashikomi," which is considered one of the most recognizable techniques of Japanese painting during the early modern period. The term literally means dripped in, which involves the initial application of a layer of pigment, such as monochrome ink, on heavily sized paper or silk. It is then followed by an application of a second layer of either ink or colorant while the first layer is still wet, so that the second layer spreads outward and forms a shapeless mark. Its visual appeal depends on the varied and organic surface effects through a fusion of two different layers of painting. It is associated with the Rinpa lineage of painters, a loosely affiliated group of artists, including Sakai H014D;itsu and master designer Ogata K014C;rin.

In this article, the author offers insights on the conservation of Japanese paintings. Particular focus is given to contemporary conservation treatment in Japan. Additional topics discussed include how the paintings are conserved using traditional painting techniques, how Japanese painting was traditionally done on silk or paper, and the use of wheat starch paste in art conservation.

The article focuses on the life of Claude Monet, Japanese art enthusiast. The author states that Monet's interest in Japanese art had inspired his fellow artists in the 1960's. Japanese gained attention during the opening of Japanese markets to the West, which was after the end of Japan's self-enforced isolation. An overview of the ukiyo-e art and Monet's struggle to gain his vision are presented. The author suggests that Monet brought new perspective to the meaning of ukiyo with his painting "The Water-Lily Pond—Symphony in Green."