Leichleiter 1
Cliff Leichleiter
2-2-2014
English 101
Kristina Young

Japanese Village Life Portrayed Through Paintings

A daily ritual of walking into work was normal in traditional Japanese Village Life. Depicted in the surreal, natural state of awareness, "Enoshima in the Sagami Province" portrayed village life in Japan before an outside influence cultivated change. A Lovely view of Mt Fuji, softly painted scenery, and dream-like people bring together the essence of village life. Another example of a painting supporting the idea is “Kakitsubata (Iris)” which, explains and narrates, a much similar time in history. A third painting, “True View of the Post Office at Edobashi” enclosed here will bring to light the introduction of westernization into Japanese culture via traditional life. “Industrialization went hand-in-hand with political and cultural Westernization.” (Dower, 1) A fourth painting, “Illustration of Ladies Sewing,” depicts the use of a modern machine. Does Japan seem resilient to change or does it embrace it? Again, two of the paintings suggest heavily that Japanese culture remained similar up to a certain date. The other example is a painting that is opposite of what was previously portrayed. While Japanese Village Life progressed at a normal rate; regardless of western influence, Western culture influenced how Japan went from a traditional way of life to a more modern way of life. Although, Japan kept many of its cultural identity; despite the western influence.

Leichleiter 2 | “Enoshima in the Sagami Province”By Katsushika Hokusai |

In the painting, ‘Enoshima in the Sagami Province,’ artist Katsushika Hokusai observed a scene worth painting and interpreted it as such. He was able to produce his art in an incredible time known as the ‘Edo Period.’ (Wikipedia, 1) Popular rise and enjoyment of the arts were favorable in this time. This was also a time of artistic and intellectual development. One of Hokusai’s influences on this particular painting was because of “his personal obsession with Mt Fuji.” (Wikipedia, 1) In fact, he created over 35 paintings with Mt Fuji referenced in them. The beauty of this painting is subtle, yet it definitely makes the mark of a true work of art. “The attitude Hokusai expressed toward his human figures is another characteristic that sets him apart from other artists of his day. In the "Thirty-six Views," the artist succeeds in identifying himself completely with the common people - not only with the merchants and artisans of the towns, but with the poor people of the country, living their lives out in the hills and fields far from the sophisticated comforts of the city. He shows them with humor and with entirely unsentimental sympathy that can be very moving. Above all, they are alive; even when a face is hidden a large hat, one feels that Hokusai
Leichleiter 3 has portrayed a real human being with feelings and a life of his own.” (KatsushikaHokusai.com) The use of softer colors and different brush stroke variations tie this piece together in harmony. It definitely brings in a fresh sense of nostalgia.
In the second painting, “Kakitsubata (Iris),” the artist Korin Ogata brought to life a beautiful scene from any typical Japanese village. | “Kakitsubata (Iris),”By Korin Ogata |
The flawless tradition of being a Geisha is personified onto paper. This piece of art was done in what can be referred to as “Korin-style” (Immortal Geisha, 1). The painting is said to be based of the artists’ life. This particular painting “describes the famous costume contest held at Maruyama, Kyoto, when the cherry blossoms were at their best there. It happened in the Genroku Period (1668-1702).” (Geisha, 1) “Kakitsubata (Iris)” The painting is full of detail, but done so on a softer level of perception. Tradition seems to run deep in this masterpiece.
The third painting that is shown, “True view of the Post Office at Edobashi,” was created by Kobayashi Ikuhide. This painting was made in 1889; sometime after the ‘Edo Period.’

Leichleiter 4 | “True view of the Post Office at Edobashi,” By Kobayashi Ikuhide |
The colors and attention to detail are noticeable. Paintings such as this one were common from the 1870’s and on because of Industrialization and Westernization. (MIT, 1) This would be considered a “true view” style of painting because of the obvious angle of the interpreted art and the detail. It portrays life in a Japanese village, only with a more modern point of view. Even the people displayed and technology went from simple and traditional to more sophisticated.
A fourth painting that is displayed, “Illustration of Ladies Sewing” by Adachi Ginkō, 1887, was also created after the Edo period. Like in the work of art before, this one also has a more vivid sense of detail and coloring. In my opinion, this painting could have been a representation of an actual place where Japanese woman sewed. As most cultures did before the Industrial Revolution, clothes were sewn by hand. In the “Illustration of Ladies Sewing,” they are shown to be using an actual sewing machine. It portrays life in a Japanese village with a more modern point of view. Such cultural manifestations of Western influence were often subsumed under the slogan “civilization and enlightenment” (bunmei kaika).

Leichleiter 5 | “Illustrations of Ladies Sewing.”By Adachi Ginkō |
One can see even though there is a sewing machine present in the painting, the cloths they were sewing seems to be more traditional. Even the make up the ladies are wearing is on the traditional Japanese end as opposed to a ‘European’ style of makeup. This particular painting is done in such a fashion that it is an obvious example of westernization in traditional Japanese village life.

The paintings ‘Enoshima in the Sagami Province’ and “Kakitsubata (Iris)” are similar and share many of the same traits. For example, both works of art are done during the ‘Edo’ or ‘Genroku’ period of time in history. These paintings are done in an Ukiyo-e style of work. Surreal in nature, softer color use and details and a more traditional feel to what Japan was like during this point of time are just a few examples of how these two works are similar. Both happen to take into consideration that landscape was an important part of not only the canvas, but the world around them. They were also both done with minimalistic artistic materials and approach; to preserve the traditional way of Japanese paintings.
The painting ‘True view of the Post Office at Edobashi’ is very different from the other paintings described earlier. First of all, the amount of detail and complexity are extremely
Leichleiter 6 noticeable. It was also created during another time in history. This work of art was done during the Industrial integration into Japan. The clothes depicted on the people are very different from say ‘Kakitsubata (Iris),’ which clearly shows traditional Geisha attire. The way the angle is portrayed is very exact, compared to the ‘Enoshima in the Sagami Province’ painting; which is more of a broad perspective of a point of view. The ‘True view of the Post Office at Edobashi’ painting displays a Japan in which it is no longer as traditional and simple as it once was. The concept of ‘Westernization’ was making its way into traditional Japanese village life and onto canvas art. In addition to noticeable differences between the paintings, certain details could not be ignored. “Telegraph wires, brick and stone buildings, iron bridges, horse-drawn carriages, and even rickshaws pulled by coolies were all conspicuous aspects of “Westernization.” (MIT, 1). The amount of detail given in this painting outweighs the other two paintings; anything from color scheme, to the grasp of visualization. However, a small, yet important piece of visual information will support the thesis given earlier. Even though industrialization and westernization had come to Japan, some tradition could not be severed. “Cherry blossoms in full bloom sometimes gave a native touch to such urban scenes.” (MIT, 1)
In the painting, “Illustrations of Ladies Sewing,” it can easily compare to the above painting. However, this art piece is still very different from the other two paintings, “Enoshima in the Sagami Province” and “Kakitsubata (Iris)” Unlike the two paintings in the beginning, which thrive off of being more traditional and less detailed; “Illustrations of Ladies Sewing” is an exception. This work of art has a more modern feel to it. The use of colors and attention to detail in surroundings and in the ‘Ladies’ is far more realistic than say the village in “Enoshima in the Sagami Province.” From the 1870s into the 1890s, to be counted as “high society” in Japan
Leichleiter 7 was virtually synonymous with being seen as “highly westernized.” Woodblock-print artists dwelled lovingly on this, often placing their fashionable men and women in scenes that also included appreciation of Western music (harpsichords and chamber or choral groups) and easily accessible technological wonders such as the sewing machine. (MIT, 1). Although this particular painting has a few examples to prove westernization influenced the culture of Japan during this time, a piece of evidence shown in the painting can support my thesis. In this work of art, the ‘ladies’ are using a sewing machine. A machine of this nature would be considered highly westernized. However, the attire and color schemes worn by the ‘ladies’ in the painting are more traditional looking. New and exciting things impaled Japan, but through art references, Japan is shown to keep much of its tradition and identity.
Through writing this paper, I have learned a lot of valuable information. I can even relate to Hokusai’s personal obsession with Mt Fuji. I have always been intrigued by Asian culture; Japanese culture the most. So naturally, I felt a stronger connection writing my compare and contrast paper on Japanese art.
In conclusion, the works of art hold enough evidence to support the view that Japanese Culture was influenced by Western Culture, but did not lose traditional values and its identity.