Japan Lesson 2: Art And Culture In Heian

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Module 16: Japan

Lesson 2: Art And Culture In Heian

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​I can explain how Japanese culture experienced a golden age during the Heian period of the 800s to the 1100s.

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​Main ideas 1. Japanese nobles created great art in their court at Heian. 2. Buddhism changed in Japan during the Heian period.

​Key Terms and People

court: group of nobles who live near and serve or advise a ruler

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Lady Murasaki Shikibu: Japanese writer credited with writing the world’s first novel

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Zen: form of Buddhism involving quiet, thoughtful meditation

Multiple Choice

Zen is a form of Judaism involving quiet, thoughtful meditation

• true

• false

​Japanese Nobles Create Great Art

In 794 AD, the emperor and empress of Japan moved to Heian (HAY-ahn), a city now called Kyoto. The nobles who followed created an imperial court. These nobles had little to do with the common people of Heian. They lived apart from poorer citizens and seldom left the city. The nobles had easy lives and more free time than poorer citizens. They loved beauty and made the court at Heian the center of a golden age of art and learning between 794 AD and 1185 AD.

Multiple Choice

Heian, the city now called Kyoto, was the site of the imperial court and was a great center of the arts.

• true

• false

​These nobles dressed in beautiful silk robes and carried decorative fans. They were also lovers of the written and spoken word, and spent many hours writing in journals. Men usually wrote in Chinese, but many women wrote in Japanese. Thus women wrote most of the major works of early Japanese literature. Both men and women did write poetry.

Fill in the Blanks

​Probably the greatest of these early writers was Lady Murasaki Shikibu (moohr-ah-SAHK-ee shee-KEE-boo). Around 1000, she wrote The Tale of Genji, often considered the world’s first full length novel. It is the story of a prince named Genji and his long quest for love. During his search he meets women from many different social classes.

Multiple Choice

Lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote The Tale of Genji and is probably the greatest writer in early Chinese history.

• true

• false

​Visual arts were also popular, particularly painting, calligraphy, and architecture. The paintings were made in bright, bold colors. Most Heian architecture was based on that of the Chinese capital, Chang’an. Other architectural styles were simple and airy. Wood houses with tiled roofs featured large open spaces surrounded by elegant gardens. Performing arts also flourished at the Heian court. Eventually a form of drama called Noh developed, which combined music, dance and speaking parts. Noh plays often presented the feats of great Japanese heroes.

Open Ended

What were some of the art forms popular among the nobles of Heian?

Multiple Choice

Noh is a form of drama that combines music, speaking, and dance. Its plays tell about great heroes or figures from Japan’s past.

• true

• false

​BUDDHISM CHANGES

Common Japanese people had no time for the long, elaborate rituals practiced by the court. Both groups were deeply religious, however. The Japanese introduced important changes to the Buddhism that had arrived from China. One very popular Japanese form, called Pure Land Buddhism, did not require any special rituals. Instead, Pure Land Buddhists chanted the Buddha’s name over and over again to find enlightenment.

Open Ended

What did Pure Land Buddhism require of its followers?

​In the 1100s AD, a new form of Buddhism called Zen developed. Zen Buddhists believed that neither faith nor good behavior led to wisdom. Instead, people should practice self-discipline and meditation, or quiet thinking. These ideas appealed to many Japanese, especially warriors. As these warriors gained more influence in Japan, so did Zen Buddhism.

Multiple Choice

Calligraphy is a form of Buddhism that teaches self-discipline and meditation as the keys to wisdom.

• true

• false