Ukiyo-e Prints

The ukiyo-e above, Bodhidharma Crossing the Yangzi on a Reed, shows the Bodhidharma (Buddhist monk who founded Zen Buddhism in East Asia) as he flees China in a really intense way.  He apparently lost the favor of the Chinese Emperor, which caused him to flee across a river on a reed.  The artist, Utamaro Kitagawa, is noted for his pictures of bijin - pretty women - so this depiction of Daruma (the Bodhidharma) is especially unique.  Also, the lack of color is not for a lack of printmaking skill at this point in history, but rather a conscious choice to go with the religious theme.  The stylized waves are very characteristic of traditional Japanese prints, but the robes almost appear as a rock or mountain rising up from the water - almost suggesting that he has become enlightened enough to become part of the energies of the universe.  His intense expression also suggests his strict concentration that he is once told to have focused while staring at a wall for 7 years until his limbs fell off.

This print, Meditation Paris, by Saitou Kiyoshi, is a very interesting one to analyze.  Though most of his prints focused on an Orientalist's view of Japan with many geisha-like women and red and black color schemes suggestive of Japanese temples, he made several that strayed from these attributes.  Though he maintained a simple color scheme in this print, the subject matter of nuns or whatever these people are is not highly representative of Japan (like the dachshund).  Saitou uses a lot of texture in his prints - in some choosing to even leave in the wood's texture.  This print is very visually interesting with the curves, but also has an aura of mystery from the unexplained subjects.

Globetrottin'

 As seen here, a young boy and girl are socializing under the strict rules of their people.  A boy and girl are betrothed to each other from birth, marking the only person of the opposite gender the girl can speak to.  She learns from an early age to serve her to-be husband by making him tea, all the while maintaining several feet of distance.  In several years, after the marriage ceremony, she will take part in the horrid tradition of dying her teeth black; this will soon lead to her death from the rotting of her teeth then skull.

 Here we see the enshrined flower species that they are offering up to the Daybot.  The carefully-selected species have been groomed for years by professional monk-gardeners who lovingly bathed them in the blood of their sacrifices (usually small rodents or birds).  The little stands they sit on are said to be ancient relics that the Daybot once blessed when wandering the country to convert people.  The pink flowers are especially beloved in Japan, as they represent the solidarity and matchmaking done under cherry blossoms in season.

Above, we see the geishas and samurais going to Sunday prayers to their Shinto shrine, which they -believe houses more than one God - how blasphemous they are!  The big lantern-like statue in front of the shrine emanates sacred energy which they bow before to gain the gods' blessing.  The curved rooftop represents the dragon's tail which is said to be good luck to have amulets of.  After the ceremony of burning incense and chanting, these geishas and samurais will all journey to the communal bath and engage in scandalous activities which are considered just as spiritual as their praying.

 Here, we see the natives' idea of fun - making wooden sandals.  As one of the few free time activities in Japan - the others being playing go and discordant instruments - many women enjoy making these while gossiping.  These horrible contraptions, comparable to their Chinese sisters' foot-binding, exact much pain on the wearer, yet are considered a sign of beauty and status.  Samurai all fight in these gaytah as a sign of their power and experience - it takes roughly 30 years of practice to be able to run and swing a sword in these unbalanced shoes.  Additionally, the Japanese public generally cannot afford shoes that cover their whole foot, so they must resort to these horrors.

The peasant in this image must travel ten miles a day with his trusty ox to deliver fans and baskets to neighboring villages.  The landscape seems sloped, so he clearly is journeying over the famed Mt. Fuji that is central to the Japanese culture.  They believe that many camee - gods - live on the volcano.  The peasant here was once a samurai, but you can tell from his scarf of disgrace around his head - not to be confused with the Grecian fashion present in Paris at this time - that he was kicked out for slandering the Emperor.  Coincidentally, the Emperor must make monthly trips to Mt. Fuji to renew his blessing from the camee and make sacrifices.

Photography in Japan

 In the above picture, scenes of Nagasaki have been carefully selected for traveler's albums to depict stereotypical scenes that people would be sure to remember as well as show the expected "Japanese-y" elements of place.  In these two images, the torii gates and long boats represent the typical aspects photographers would focus on to specify the place as Japan.  The lush landscape also serves this purpose, though not to the same extent the Shinto elements do with their purposeful placement.

In this image, two Japanese women have been staged to satisfy the Western expectation of oriental women.  The obsession with femininity and delicacy is very apparent through the pastel-colored, movement-inhibiting kimonos they wear, along with the graceful poses and environment.  The woman on the left holds a flower, further adhering to our heuristic expectation of such a soft, beautiful individual.  The serene backdrop of a zen-like garden plays up the mysterious nature-focused aspect of the Western view of oriental culture.

Beato Photos

This image of a cemetery is interesting in the sense that it depicts a universal concept, yet brings out the oriental twist on graveyards in Japan.  The graves are all close together, which Beato falsely assumed meant that people have to buy plots for their family's deceased; therefore, the smaller the plot, the cheaper they could get it for.  The beautiful scenery is unique to Japan, and the headstones are ornately carved almost like little shrines.  

This portrayal of a mother carrying her child is notable to Westerners, as she carries the child on her back.  In our culture, babies are to be carried in front, which arguably allows the mother to keep better watch on the child.  To be honest, I'm not quite sure of the reasoning behind each culture's decision; however, the simple fact that they are different probably leads to thoughts of barbarism on both sides, as that seems to pollute our history.  Additionally, the traditional clothing worn by both mother and child brings to mind different things in Japan and the West.  There, the clothes might be the regular wear of middle class, but here, they seem oriental and extravagant with their obis and long sleeves.  

Yokohama Images

 In the image above, an American is depicted leisurely gallivanting through a Japanese landscape, while a local Japanese groom runs beside him to keep his horse refreshed.  Just from the positioning with the American looming over the Japanese shows the powers at play in the picture; the Japanese man is shown to be subservient as caring for not even the American man but his horse.  Additionally, he must exert a lot of effort to keep up by running alongside them, instead of being on another horse to keep pace.  The fact that they are on a bridge suggests that they might be out for a longer ride, since they are traveling over a body of water to get somewhere and will eventually have to return.  The beautiful, natural landscape almost seems marred by the blissful naivete of the foreigner and the smirk of the horse that would typically only be ridden by worthy samurai.

This image, interestingly enough, displays the false impressions the Japanese artists had of foreign countries.  In this specific scene, the artist attempts to depict American life, though the architecture was actually based off of areas of India by mistake.  Because one man saw a hot air balloon on the Japanese excursion to America, they appear multiple times in this print, as if that was an incessant recreation of everyday Americans.  All the people in the image wear some form of red, white, and blue, demonstrating exaggerated patriotism, and the flag flying in the background only exacerbates this impression.  No one seems to be doing any kind of work or anything other than leisurely activities, suggesting the Japanese's idea of Americans as wealthy, lazy, and having much free time.