An Analysis of the Commonalities and Divergences Between Heian-Era Japanese and Modern Western Aesthetics.
Student Name
Professor Ikegami
Japanese 425
23 February 2011
Bridging the Time Gap:
An Analysis of the Commonalities and Divergences between Heian-era
Japanese and Modern Western Aesthetics.
The dichotomy of Eastern and Western in terms of global geography is something that has been examined on many levels, as the culture of the two hemispheres contrast in a very blatant manner. Ideology about social interactions to the value of education, food, music, art, religion, etc. all play a key role in what makes each civilization so unique and gives the people of each area a strong sense of a global, national, and, on a micro level, personal identity. The ethos of Japan, in particular Heian period Japan (which lasted from 794 to 1185), is perceptibly different from modern era
Western civilization not only because of location but due to a huge lapse in time. This is not to say, however, that these cultures are so isolated from one another that there is no common ground or intersection between the mentalities. In spite of such glaring dissimilarities, it is possible to find parallels in the attitude between the characters in
Murasaki Shikibu’s 11th century novel, The Tale of Genji, and people today.
First and foremost, there needs to be a direct definition and establishment of what comprises an aesthetic. Aesthetics, as defined by the American Heritage dictionary, is "the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature and expression of beauty, primarily [but not solely] within the arts” (14). It is important to clarify that while a painting could be said to have “an aesthetic appeal” or a song is “aesthetically pleasing to the ears”, the concept of aesthetics is not exclusive to the art realm. In this context, it is also a core value that an entire society upholds as sensible and proper, which can range from the general to the minutely specific. More often than not, it is a concept that is ingrained into a culture from birth and propagated with
Professor Ikegami
Japanese 425
23 February 2011
Bridging the Time Gap:
An Analysis of the Commonalities and Divergences between Heian-era
Japanese and Modern Western Aesthetics.
The dichotomy of Eastern and Western in terms of global geography is something that has been examined on many levels, as the culture of the two hemispheres contrast in a very blatant manner. Ideology about social interactions to the value of education, food, music, art, religion, etc. all play a key role in what makes each civilization so unique and gives the people of each area a strong sense of a global, national, and, on a micro level, personal identity. The ethos of Japan, in particular Heian period Japan (which lasted from 794 to 1185), is perceptibly different from modern era
Western civilization not only because of location but due to a huge lapse in time. This is not to say, however, that these cultures are so isolated from one another that there is no common ground or intersection between the mentalities. In spite of such glaring dissimilarities, it is possible to find parallels in the attitude between the characters in
Murasaki Shikibu’s 11th century novel, The Tale of Genji, and people today.
First and foremost, there needs to be a direct definition and establishment of what comprises an aesthetic. Aesthetics, as defined by the American Heritage dictionary, is "the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature and expression of beauty, primarily [but not solely] within the arts” (14). It is important to clarify that while a painting could be said to have “an aesthetic appeal” or a song is “aesthetically pleasing to the ears”, the concept of aesthetics is not exclusive to the art realm. In this context, it is also a core value that an entire society upholds as sensible and proper, which can range from the general to the minutely specific. More often than not, it is a concept that is ingrained into a culture from birth and propagated with