Aesthetics in Japan and Aesthetics of Japan

Japanese original art theory and aesthetics studies can trace their origin to theories on Japanese poems written early in the tenth century. From the Middle Ages to the modern era, Japanese art theory developed in various other fields, such as Noh drama, floral art, tea ceremony, and so on. Since the Meiji-era most Japanese scholars, when examining aesthetics and art-related problems, have employed a science of ”aesthetics” that is fundamentally an import from the West. It was 西周 Nishi Amane who first introduced into Japan the Western idea of aesthetics, together with other philosophical disciplines, based on a perspective of encyclopedic enlightenment. The first writing on Western aesthetics introduced into Japan was the translation of L' esthétique by Eugène Véron, entitled 維氏美學 Ishi-bigaku. 森鷗外 Mori Ogai presented, however, first systematically aesthetics written by Eduard von Hartmann, and here an academic study of aesthetics has begun in Japan. The next problem was how to introduce the traditional culture to the West. At that time, the Meiji government was promoting extreme Europeanization policies, aiming to catch up with the advanced nations of the West. Japan's traditional arts and culture were being neglected, as symbols of conservative and temporizing elements. It was 岡倉天心 Okakura Tenshin who tried to revalue and revive the national cultural tradition. In this paper I will present a history of Japanese aesthetics in cultural conflict with the West.

並列關鍵字

Aesthetics in Japan ； Mori Ogai ； Aesthetics of Japan ； Okakura Tenshin ； Eastern Romanticism

國際替代計量

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