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Emily Herschbein
Craig
ART 103
27 June 2015
Buddhism and Japan
Before Buddhism found its way from China to Japan to change art as the Japanese knew it, there
was Shinto. Shinto, or Way of the Gods, was the spiritual belief and practice during the early Japanese
time periods, and it was significant in defining certain aspects of the indigenous style of Neolithic
Japanese art. Unlike Buddhism, Shinto had no scriptures nor form, and was therefore considered an
indigenous religion itself (Stanley-Baker, 20-24). Shinto was considered primarily to be very shamanistic
and animistic, and in this belief system it was believed that the kami (super-consciousness) resided
everywhere in ancient trees, in enormous boulders, [and] in elevated wooden shrines plainly made and
without decoration. (Stanley-Baker 20) Note the importance of without decoration here, as this love
for unadorned materials and pristine freshness would become a significant attribute of Japanese Art in
the long run, and it all started here in the Yayoi period and thanks to the beliefs of Shinto (Stanley-Baker
20)! In addition to the importance of kami, Shinto was built on the understanding that natural
manifestations (sun, water, trees, rocks, sound and silence) were to be held as highly important and
awe-inspiring, and that the way to respond to these natural manifestations was to purify oneself and to
identify sacred precincts.
During the reign of the Shinto religion in Japan, the art and architecture was defined mainly by
principles of asymmetry and expressive potential. This can be seen in the Ise Jingu, which is the national
shrine and the ancestral shrine of the Imperial family. For reference, an image of this shrine can be
found on pages 26 and 27 in Japanese Art. Although by 1933 this shrine had been rebuilt sixty times, the
original and intended architectural integrity remains present. To start there are two compounds, the

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western Naiku which was thought to have been built in the fourth century, and the eastern Geku which
was thought to have been built in the late fifth century. Although one compound was dedicated to the
Heaven-illuminating Great Spirit (the traditional ancestor of the imperial house), while the other was
dedicated to the Great Spirit of Food Abundance, both compounds were divided into an eastern sector
and a western sector where one sector would be in use and the other empty (Stanley-Baker 24-25).
The idiot who had my textbook before me apparently had no idea how to use a photocopier, so
Im missing the picture on page 25 and 75% of the first line on page 26nonetheless something (each
compound, I believe) is rectilinear and is enclosed by four layered wooden fences. Everything is
arranged to produce an impression of abstract design, of planes, angles, circles in simple but dynamic
interaction: the roofs finials are forked and point to the sky, the heavy ridge pole across the roof is
topped by cylindrical and tapered billets placed perpendicular across its length, and the main pillars are
imbedded directly into the ground instead of being set into a foundation (Stanley-Baker 26). Although
this effect is not quite as asymmetric as the effect created in the Izumo Taisha Shinto shrine (See page
25 of Japanese Art), what with the worshipper having to climb a long flight of stairs to get inside the hall,
then proceed past the central pillar, and finally turn right to the innermost quadrant in order to reach
the sanctum sanctorum; the Ise Jingu shrine is still very angular, and, like the Izumo Taisha Shinto shrine,
does not necessarily follow the foursquare centrality common in Buddhist architecture (Stanley-Baker
24).
The site of the Ise Jingu is also significant as it adds to the expressive potential of the shrine. It is
said that this site had been chosen by Amatersau (the Heaven-Illuminating Spirit) herself in an
apparition to Princess Yamato in the early first century, and it sits near the Isuzu River with tall
evergreens standing by. As a result, a cool stillness is created, the only exception being the clatter of
clean-washed pebbles which are underfoot (Stanley-Baker 25). The natural colors and textures of the
wood and pebbles are not decorated which is common in Shinto art and architecture, creating a very

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warm effect and an atmosphere that is of intimacy and awe. (Stanley-Baker 27) Overall the site of the
Ise Jingu and the Ise Jingu itself is just very serene and quiet, allowing for interactions between man and
nature or spirits. The Ise Jingu is an example of simplicity sometimes being the best, and it is obvious
that the shrine was built to accomodate the good ol Shinto Silence. (Stanley-Baker 27)
Buddhism entered Japan in the sixth century, bringing with it architecture, doctrine, and indoor
ceremonies, and in its trail the art and architecture that Japan had known was fated to change.
Introduced in 552 C.E. in the beginning of the Asuka period (552-645 C.E.), lots of things were happening
thanks to Japans interactions with the rest of Asia. To start, a centralized government was formed and
Nara became the first Japanese state, but generally Japan was introduced to a concept of systems,
routines and regulations. (Stanley-Baker 28) Alongside Buddhism, from China the Japanese adopted
characters, concepts of city & temple planning, customs and organization of the Chinese court, and also
the order, logic and rational elements associated with China. (Asuka Periods Notes) Religiously
Buddhism became the state religion and was able to channel silent and spontaneous interactions with
spirts into an organized method of ritual observance, filling in questions with its focus on the after-life
and giving the kami (the higher presence) a form by appearing in a plethora of human guises.
The Horyuji compound was re-built in the late 7th century and is an example of one of those
pieces of architecture which was highly influenced by Buddhism and China in general. On page 30 of
Japanese Art, there is an aerial of the entire compound, featuring the pagoda to the west and the
Golden Hall to the east. An image of the Golden Hall specifically can be found in the Asuka Periods
notes, and shows a bay system of construction, a post-and-lintel system, tiled roofs, and elaborate
bracketing that are all very characteristic of the Chinese style. It was re-done in the original style and is
the oldest surviving wooden structure in the world (Asuka Periods Notes).While the temple had
originally required the worshipper to move in northward progression from one building to the next in a
straight line, physically running into the tower-like pagoda, when it was rebuilt its long side was laid on

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the east-west axis with the chumon in the south west at the southern end. In this formation the
worshipper could make a lateral turn away from the pagoda, taking away the pagodas function of the
primordial central pillar. Because of this, the pagoda, which can be seen on page 31 of Japanese Art,
became an instrument of decoration quite like the secular drum and bel towers of imperial China
(Stanley-Baker 30-32).
Although there is no picture of it in the text and we are not allowed to use outside resources, I
want to re-touch on the original progression that the worshipper had to take at Horyugi before it was rebuilt (the straight line, forcing the worship to pay reverence to the pagoda). This set-up was very
reminiscent of the Indian stupa, where the stupa was not only reliquary but also considered the most
important source of sacred energy on the religious compound. This idea originated in principles of
circumambulation, coil-motion, magnetic fields, and divine energy fields, but when Buddhism came
along they went bye-bye. The psycho-physical aspect of religion had to make way for the politicization
and secularization of Buddhism, and this transferred to the art and architecture of religious compounds
in Japan (Stanley-Baker 32).
Another example of Japanese Art being influenced by Buddhism can be seen in the Tamamushi
Shrine, which literally has Buddhist scenes painted on the sides of the shrine. The imagery is very typical
of the Chinese elongated style, and shows Buddhas-to-be offering themselves to a starving tiger family
(Asuka Periods Notes). The Tamamushi Shrine is nicknamed the Jade Beetle Shrine because the bronze
filigree bands that ornament the pedestal were once inlaid with the iridescent wings of the tamamushi
beetle. In addition, the shrine features a hipped and gabled roof that is tiled differently in the upper and
lower portions. This differs from the roof of the previously-mentioned Horyuji temple (this temple has
roofs tiled in a continuous plane, with the rafters beneath showing a separation between the more
sharply pitched upper section and the more gently sloped lower section), inside which the Tamamushi
Shrine actually found its home for some time (Stanley-Baker 32-33).

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The influences on Japanese Art and the culture of Japan in general is a fascinating subject
because, as an archipelago, Japan was involved in a lot of trade and was submerged in many different
cultures. Although the indigenous style of Neolithic art in Japan used mainly principles of asymmetry
and expressive potential, this changed when the Chinese brought Buddhism into Japan. Buddhism
changed Japanese art and architecture, reflecting styles of the Chinese and Indian cultures to create a
unique (I use the term very broadly), new style of Japanese art.

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Works Cited
Stanley-Baker, Joan. Japanese Art. New York, NY: Thames and Hudson, 1984. June 26, 2015. Print.