6. Japan is universally recognized for its traditional arts along with its modern pop culture
Remember the pottery I mentioned a little earlier made by Japanese ancestors, the Jomon? Well, the designs on their pottery were actually the oldest patterns of their kind! This tells us that art has been a big part of Japanese culture and over the years, it has evolved from unique designs in their pottery to sculpting, different forms of painting, kirigami, and origami, to its martial arts, bonsai, bento, manga, anime and so much more. The Japanese take art so seriously that they have nine key principles that underline art in their own culture. You can look more into that here, but I’d like to give you an idea of the forms of art I already mentioned.
The pottery was previously mentioned, but during that same time frame eventually came sculptures. At first, they were sculptures of what we believe to be the goddess the Jomon worshiped at the time and kept maturing as time went on. The ukiyo-e is a style of Japanese woodblock painting that has been around for thousands of years. Many of the Japanese paintings we are familiar with today are typically this style of painting. Kirigami and origami are very much alike. Origami is the art of paper-folding, while kirigami is a little more intricate because in this art the paper can also be cut. We’re all familiar with martial arts, but many may not realize that it is just as much a form of Japanese art as it is self-defense. Bonsai is the art of growing tiny trees. These trees are aesthetically pleasing and can take a lot of dedication and patience to keep in a dwarf state. Bento is a more modern art taking over Japan. It is the art of preparing food to go. Many Japanese mothers practice their bento as they pack their child’s lunches, strategically arranging their food into adorable shapes and characters. Manga and anime are also more a part of the contemporary pop culture in Japan. Simply put, manga is essentially Japanese comic books, while anime is their own style of animation.
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