Japan is a land of beautiful scenery, culture, food, and, of course, art. While in recent times the most prevalent images from Japan might be from manga and anime, there is also a tremendous variety of art forms that have been honed to an amazing level. The arts forms are approached with a dedication that is hard to imagine in some cases and can be seen in things ranging from samurai swords to hanging scrolls.
A samurai sword isn’t the most likely of art forms considering its past use as a deadly weapon, but the care that goes into crafting these swords is unbelievable. The masters of the sword making process can create a katana (the Japanese word for samurai sword) that are beautiful, durable, incredibly sharp, and incredibly valuable. Each of the creators can actually be distinguished from one another based on the curvy line down the center of the blade – a remnant of the sword making process that is different for each artist.
Another beautiful form of Japanese art are kakemono, which are Japanese hanging scrolls. These scrolls use silk paper attached to a dowel as a canvas that can be easily rolled up and transported. The scroll design can include calligraphy, paintings, or even full novels told with pictures. With how portable the scrolls are, they are sometimes replaced with a different scroll based on the mood or season. This allows the resident to change the appearance and feel of the entryway to their home where the scrolls are often displayed.
A last form of art is Japanese calligraphy. This type of written art (called shodo in Japanese) uses brushes to write Japanese characters in beautiful ways. There are different classifications of the calligraphy that range from easily legible block lettering to styles that are very hard to read. Shodo can be found on the hanging scrolls called kakemono in addition to standard paper.
Whichever Japanese art you have the pleasure of seeing first hand, you can be sure that it the care and tradition that went into it will show through in beautiful ways.
