How Did Isolation Affect Japan’s Popular Culture
- popular culture in Japan began to become increasingly popular as certain classes (merchants) grew wealthier.
- the samurais now began to devote their time and creativity to the arts
- the daimyo were interested in the arts since they wanted to have the nicest and most elaborate houses. They wanted to support the people that would make that happen (architects, painters, etc.).
- the daimyo also encouraged and supported the education of samurai.
Kabuki Theatre
- became very popular especially among the merchant class.
- meant to reflect the life of Japanese people and often depicted moral dilemmas.
- was full of action and elaborate costuming
- the first kabuki was performed by a women but the bakufu believed that this went against public morality. Females were no longer allowed to perform and men played all of the parts.
Banraku Theatre
- a puppet theatre for adults
- this type of theatre was named after the first puppeteer group that took part in these plays
- along with kabuki was only performed by non-humans/hinin.
Geishas
- women who were trained in things such as singing, dancing and floral arrangement.
- they were supposed to know proper etiquette.
- how they looked and acted mirrored what was culturally important.
Woodblock Images
- were created from original paintings so that the original prints could be reproduced
- made art much more inexpensive and more people could own it.
- was often of nature or normal, everyday events
- at first, was not seen as art but eventually the artists who created woodblock images become more respected.
Books
- was first popular in Kyoto but quickly spread to the other large cities in Japan.
- instead of using the popular printing press, the Japanese used wooden printing blocks since it was simpler to use with their writing characters and pictures could be included
- was not controlled by the bakufu but certain things were not allowed to be written about: Christianity, politics, offensive material.
- romance novels, handbooks, calendars and maps were popular however.
Literature
- writing began to be written in everyday language about everyday subjects.
- more people had the opportunity to enjoy it.
- Ihara Saikaku: the first popular writer in Japan
- Baho Matsuo: created the haiku which became a very popular form of poetry.