About Japan and its unique arts

Bonsai

When some people think about Japan, little trees come to mind. Bonsai are miniature potted trees or plants. Their appearance is intended to mimic nature. Various techniques are required for cultivating bonsai. A unique aesthetic sense is expressed through the vigor, shape and structure of the plant.

Calligraphy

Sho, or Japanese calligraphy, is one of the unique arts of the East. In it, beauty is sought through the shape and position of the characters drawn, the shade of the ink, and the force of the brushstrokes.

Floral Art

Japanese floral art (ikebana) was brought to its crest of refinement in the last half of the sixteenth century by its founder, Sen-no-Rikyû. Presently, there are about three thousand schools of ikebana, two of the better-known ones being the Ikenobô school and the Ohara school.

Kabuki

Kabuki is one of Japan's traditional stage arts along with Noh, Kyôgen and Bunraku. It is believed to have originated in the seventeenth century when it was first performed by the female dancer Izumo-no-Okuni and her troupe in Kyotô.

Lacquerware

Lacquerware, also known as Japanware, includes various utensils and objects of art coated with lacquer from the Japanese lacquer tree. The lacquer not only gives the basic materials a beautiful appearance but also binds them and protects them from corrosives and moisture.

Pottery

Pottery (Yakimono) provides useful articles and objects of art at the same time. The pottery made in various periods and districts in Japan has distinctive features. The aesthetic sense and life of the period and district where it was made can be seen in the pottery itself.

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