BUDDHISM IN JAPAN The Museum has a number of early Buddhist sculptures. Buddhism arrived from the continent of Asia, by way of Korea, and became the official religion in 594. From the very beginning it co-existed with shintoism, which is usually counted among the natural religions. Still today, the Japanese can venerate native deities (kami) and at the same time be Buddhists. Buddhism was accompanied by many forms of culture and artefacts, but also by Chinese characters in the form of pictograms (kanji in Japanese).
The oldest writings date from the 8th century. Buddhism at first was a religion for the ruling élite. During the Nara period (7th-8th century) and at other times, the emperors did a great deal to regulate and disseminate this religion. Tangible efforts of this kind took the form of temple-building and an entire world of Buddhist art. From the 7th century onwards there was a valuable interchange of knowledge and culture with China, and many Japanese monks studied there. In addition, a number of Chinese monks were active as teachers in Japan. Japanese Buddhism included many sects or schools, among them esoteric Buddhism, e.g. shingon and amidism (shin buddhism or The Pure Land). Zen Buddhism (Chinese: chan) is probably the sect best-known outside Japan. From the Kamakura period (1185–1392) onwards, zen was also the part of Buddhism which the samurai specially assimilated. Despite not having very many adherents, zen has exerted immense influence on culture and art through the ages, one of many such examples being its influence on the tea ceremony using powdered tea.
Bodhidharma ( Daruma ) crossing the Yangzi river on a reed. Hanging scroll. Ink on paper. Total dimensions H 177 x B 48 cm. Early 17th C. OM-1983-0014
Mokuan Shōtō (Chinese: Muan Xingtao; 1611-1684) was a Chinese Zen monk who travelled to Japan were he, among others, founded the Ōbaku Zen tradition in 1661. He was one of the calligraphers who introduced in Japan the vigourous elegant style of calligraphy used by the litterati artists of the late Ming dynasty. Mokuan Shōtō (1611–1684) Calligraphy in an informal style. Ink on paper. Total dimensions H 129.8 cm x W 37.5 cm. Second half of 17th C. OM-1982-0028
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