Japanese Cultural Performances

Dynamic prints representing traditional Japanese Kabuki theatre, featuring colorful costumes and intricate scenes from historical plays.

The 47 Ronin incident immediately inspired a succession of kabuki and bunraku plays; the first, 'The Night Attack at Dawn by the Soga' appeared only two weeks after the ronin died. It was shut down by the authorities, but many others soon followed, initially in Osaka and Kyoto, farther away from the capital. Some even took the story as far as Manila, to spread the story to the rest of Asia. The most successful of the adaptations was a bunraku puppet play called Kanadehon Chūshingura (now simply called Chūshingura, or 'Treasury of Loyal Retainers'), written in 1748 by Takeda Izumo and two associates; it was later adapted into a kabuki play, which is still one of Japan's most popular. In the play, to avoid the attention of the censors, the events are transferred into the distant past, to the 14th century reign of shogun Ashikaga Takauji. Asano became Enya Hangan Takasada, Kira became Ko no Moronao and Ōishi became Ōboshi Yuranosuke Yoshio; the names of the rest of the ronin were disguise

Kabuki actors play as Ōashibara Ueno no kami Masahira, Tokiwa Mikuriya Bettō Tsuneaki, Tairano Shinnō Masakado, Musashi Gorō Takeshiba mid-19th century Utagawa Yoshitsuya Japanese. Kabuki actors play as Ōashibara Ueno no kami Masahira, Tokiwa Mikuriya Bettō Tsuneaki, Tairano Shinnō Masakado, Musashi Gorō Takeshiba 58255

Miya, Shintoist ceremony at the Atsuta sanctuary; Miya, Atsuta Shinji; The 53 stations of the Tokaido; Tokaido Gojusan Tsugi No Uchi. Two groups of men, stifferred to ropes attached to powered horses; a Torii in the foreground; on the background spectators at wooden houses with smoking fires; At night.

The 47 Ronin incident immediately inspired a succession of kabuki and bunraku plays; the first, 'The Night Attack at Dawn by the Soga' appeared only two weeks after the ronin died. It was shut down by the authorities, but many others soon followed, initially in Osaka and Kyoto, farther away from the capital. Some even took the story as far as Manila, to spread the story to the rest of Asia. The most successful of the adaptations was a bunraku puppet play called Kanadehon Chūshingura (now simply called Chūshingura, or 'Treasury of Loyal Retainers'), written in 1748 by Takeda Izumo and two associates; it was later adapted into a kabuki play, which is still one of Japan's most popular. In the play, to avoid the attention of the censors, the events are transferred into the distant past, to the 14th century reign of shogun Ashikaga Takauji. Asano became Enya Hangan Takasada, Kira became Ko no Moronao and Ōishi became Ōboshi Yuranosuke Yoshio; the names of the rest of the ronin were disguise

Funerary Procession, Ando Hiroshige, Japanese, 1797-1858, Woodblock print in colored ink on paper, This depiction of a funeral procession shows an older woman being supported by the community as she walks filled with grief. The family members who just lost a loved one wear white, unlike western traditions. At an initial glance, one might think this is a wedding., Japan, 1797-1858, landscapes, Print, Print

Asakusa Temple in Edo, Musashi province, board 17 from the series: Views of famous places in about sixty provinces /Rokuju yoshu meisho zue

Tonosawa health resort with hot springs, from the series: Taking seven hot baths in Hakone

Melting snow on the Fuji during the Sannō festival, from the series: 36 views of the Fuji in the eastern capital. .

Honoring the Three Gods of Poetry: Women Composing Poems ca. 1792 Chōbunsai Eishi Japanese A group of ladies in elegant garments and their attendants compose verse at a New Years poetry gathering. In the alcove of the leftmost print are imaginary portraits of the Three Gods of Poetry (Waka sanjin), namely Sumiyoshi, Tamatsushima, and Kakinomoto no Hitomaro.. Honoring the Three Gods of Poetry: Women Composing Poems 54839

Annaka, Daimios's Procession Going Uphill /Annaka, Board 16 from the Series: Sixty Nine Stages of The Kiso Kaido Roado KAIDO KAIDO KAIDO KAIDO ROKUJUKYU TSUGI NOUCHIU TSUGI NOUCHIU TSUGI NOUCHIU TSUGI NOUCHIU TSUGI NOUCHI

Young Woman and Girl at Gate 19th century Ryūryūkyo Shinsai Japanese. Young Woman and Girl at Gate 54921

Group of dignitaries at the torii gate Kunisada, UTAGAWA (1786 1864)

Illustration of the Commanders who Pacified Western Japan, Receiving the Emperor's Gift Cups (Saigoku chinsei shoshō tenpai o tamawaru no zu) September, 1887 Yōshū (Hashimoto) Chikanobu Japanese. Illustration of the Commanders who Pacified Western Japan, Receiving the Emperor's Gift Cups (Saigoku chinsei shoshō tenpai o tamawaru no zu) 55559

Spring Festival, Ando Hiroshige, Japanese, 1797-1858, Woodblock print in colored ink on paper, This brilliant street scene of Edo is decorated with a blooming cherry blossom. Celebrating all around the base of the tree is a parade of people dressed in traditional clothing. All the storefronts are open with their signs and lit with lanterns., Japan, 1797-1858, landscapes, Print, Print

Chinese Festival, anonymous, c. 1715 - c. 1730 print At a fair, many Chinese people of Various Pluimage have gathered around a stage on which a wrestling or fighting race takes place. Some of them look at the competition while others have a conversation or bring food around. paper etching Chinese. pleasure fair and circus. conversation, dialogue; conversation piece

Life of Nichiren: Rock Suspended by the Power of Prayer ca. 1835 Utagawa Kuniyoshi Japanese. Life of Nichiren: Rock Suspended by the Power of Prayer 45284

Honzo at Yuranosukes home in Yamashima, scene from the 9th act of the drama: Treasury of fideIIty /Chishingura

Act IX: Oishi Disguises Yuranosuke as a Komusō (Flute-Playing Monk); Oishi Attacks Honzō for Having Brought about Enya's Demise. Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) (Japan, Edo, 1786-1865). Japan, circa 1835. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Presentation of the Head of Saigo to the Prince Arisogawa Oct. 16, 1877 (Meiji 10) Yamazaki Toshinobu Japanese. Presentation of the Head of Saigo to the Prince Arisogawa 55217

Town Prosperous with Tanabata Festival (Shichu han-ei, Tanabata matsuri) From the Series One hundred Views of Edo, Ando Hiroshige, Japanese, 1797-1858, Woodblock print in colored ink on paper, The bird's eye view overlooking rooftops in a district in Edo shows Tanabata Festivities. The tall branches of bamboo are decorated with colorful pieces of paper. Written on them are hopes and wishes for the upcoming year. The silhouette of Mt. Fuji accompanies these brilliant decorations. According to legend, two deities in love were only allowed to meet once a year on this day, July seventh., Japan, 1857, landscapes, Print, Print

Scene from a Chinese legend

Chapter 42; Faithful images of the beautiful prince; Sono Sugata Hikaru No Utsushi-e. Elegantly dressed man and woman surrounded by Hofdames, looking at kneeling man and woman, seen on the back; In a large room with three standing lanterns in which candles. Presentation enclosed by brown edge in which Genji emblems.

Evening party in the Hyakunin district, Aoyama district in Edo, 1861 print Festive street scene at full moon. Several people with fans, walking in a street illuminated by lanterns with high trees and bamboo fences on either side, visible behind the thatched roofs of houses. paper color woodcut full moon. street. street (+ city(-scape) with figures, staffage)

Fishing Boats with Nets under Ryōgoku Bridge 1790s Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese Boats carrying beautiful women and fishermen nearly collide on the Sumida River near Ryōgoku Bridge, a famous summer locale. The three fishermen wearing straw skirts in the foreground are a parody of the three protagonists of the foundation story of the Asakusa temple. After two brothers caught a sculpture of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Kannon) in their net, they and the village leader who built the first temple to house the statue were worshipped as manifestations of the deity in the three shrines of Asakusa, and an annual festival in their honor has continued to the present day.. Fishing Boats with Nets under Ryōgoku Bridge 55922

Evening party in the Hyakunin district, Aoyama district in Edo; Toto Aoyama Hyakuninmachi; One hundred faces on famous places in the various provinces; Shokoku Meisho Hyakkei. Festive street scene at full moon. Different people with ranges, walking in a street illuminated by lanterns with tall trees and bamboo fences on both sides, behind which the wicker roofs of houses are visible.

A procession of Chinese nobles. Gouache painting by a Chinese artist, ca. 1850.

Kasumigaseki; Famous places in the eastern capital; Toto Meisho. View of the highest point of the steep road in Kasumigaseki; On the street, with houses on either side, a woman with servant, a samurai and a wood seller. Presentation enclosed by green edge of bamboo stems.

. One of a series of seven paintings that together present the miracles of Mazu.

The Gion Shrine in Snow (Gionsha setchu), from the series Famous Places in Kyoto (Kyoto meisho no uchi) 1829-1839 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Hiroshige

The revenge of the Forty-seven Ronin (Shi-ju-shichi-shi), also known as the Forty-seven Samurai, the Aki vendetta, or the Genroku Aki incident (Genroku aki jiken) took place in Japan at the start of the 18th century. One noted Japanese scholar described the tale as the country's 'national legend'. It recounts the most famous case involving the samurai code of honor, bushidi. The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Ki zuke no suke. The ronin avenged their master's honor after patiently waiting and planning for two years to kill Kira. In turn, the ronin were themselves ordered to commit seppuku for committing the crime of murder. With much embellishment, this true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that all good peopl

Two pilgrims on the banks of the Koya Tamagawa River in the Kii Province, from the series: Six rivers (named) Tamagawa in different provinces /Shokoku mutsu Tamagawa

A Chinese caravan arrives at an encampment of nobles and sages. Gouache painting by a Chinese artist, ca. 1850.

Tokugawa Iemitsu Receiving Lords in Audience. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1875, July. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Event Bell in SHOMYO /SHOMYO /BANSHO

Ten Kings of Hell. Artist: Jin Chushi (Chinese, active late 12th century). Culture: China. Dimensions: Image: 51 x 19 1/2 in. (129.5 x 49.5 cm)Overall with knobs: 80 x 27 1/2 in. (203.2 x 69.9 cm). Date: before 1195.This is one from a set of scrolls (30.76.290-.294) illustrating the theme of the Ten Kings of Hell, which developed during the second half of the Tang dynasty (618-907). The theme transforms the Indian Buddhist view of judgment after death into a typically Chinese bureaucratic process. Before being permitted to transmigrate into the next life, a soul is tried by a different king each week for seven weeks; it is sent to the eighth king on the hundredth day, to the ninth after a year, and to the tenth the third year after death. Here, each scroll shows a king--assisted by a scribe and other officials--examining and passing sentence on the souls of the dead; in the foreground demons punish the wicked..Most extant Song and Yuan dynasty Buddhist paintings were preserved in Ja

Bishamon welcomes the other lucky gods, Octogonal print in album with 39 prints., Ayaoka Yûshin (mentioned on object), Japan, 1880 - 1890, paper, colour woodcut, h 223 mm × w 287 mm

Mii Temple, evening bell, board 4 from the series: Eight views of Omi /Omi Hakkei

Japan: Woodblock print depicting the god Kashima watching as the kaname-ishi rock, portrayed as a person, stands on the head of a giant catfish while a crowd of people try to subdue it, c. 1855. The Namazu, also called the Onamazu, is a creature in Japanese mythology and folktales, a gigantic catfish said to cause earthquakes and tremors. Living in the mud under the Japanese isles, the Namazu is guarded by the protector god Kashima, who restrains the catfish using the kaname-ishi rock. Whenever Kashima lets his guard down, Namazu thrashes about and causes violent earthquakes.

Procession of a Daimyo 1676-1689 Japan. Hand-colored woodblock print; oban yoko-e, sumizuri-e . Hishikawa Moronobu

Empress Jingu was consort to Emperor Chuai (notionally 192 - 200 CE), she also served as Regent from the time of her husband's death in 209 until her son Emperor jin acceded to the throne in 269. No firm dates can be assigned to this historical figure's life or reign. Jing is regarded by historians as a 'legendary' figure because of the paucity of information about her. Legend has it that she led an army in an invasion of Korea and returned to Japan victorious after three years. However, this theory is widely rejected even in Japan as there is no evidence of Japanese rule in any part of Korea at this early period. Some believe that Empress Jing's conquest is only based on the Gwanggaeto Stele (in Jilin, China). But the legend of Jing's invasion of the Korean peninsula also appears in the ancient Japanese chronicles Kojiki written in 680 and Nihon Shoki written in 720.

Decorations for Season-opening Kabuki Performances at Saruwakamachi. Utagawa Hiroshige (Japan, Edo, 1797-1858). Japan, circa 1847-1852. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Image presenting a morning kagura dance in the Omiya Temple /Omiya gengyo kagura no zu HIROSHIGE, Ichiryusai (1797 1858)

Local Customs of the Ainu Ainu. Local Customs of the Ainu, 19th century. Hand scroll, ink and colors on paper, 10 5/8 x 332 1/8 in. (27 x 843.6 cm). Asian Art 19th century

Filial piety, 12th century Chinese painting

Inari Shrine at Oji (Oji Inari no yashiro), from the series Famous Places in Edo (Koto meisho) 1827-1839 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Hiroshige

Japanese market scene: vendors are shown selling combs and hair ornaments, sandals, cloth, rice paste cakes and wigs. Colour woodcut by Shigenobu, 1865.

Nihonbashi: Daimyō Procession Setting Out, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō Road Utagawa Hiroshige (Ando) (Japanese, 1797-1858). Nihonbashi: Daimyō Procession Setting Out, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō Road, ca. 1833-1834. Color woodblock print on paper, 9 3/8 x 14 1/4 in. (23.8 x 36.2 cm). The Tokaido road connected Edo to Kyoto, running along the Pacific coast. Along the route stood fifty-three post towns, each of which is depicted in this series. Hiroshiges first journey on the Tokaido in 1832 inspired him to embark on this project, which is also known as the Hoeido Tokaido, after the publisher. The series brought unmatched fame to Hiroshige as a landscape designer. This image is the first in the series but comes from a later edition in which figures were added to the crowd of vendors in the foreground; it depicts a feudal procession led by standard-bearers coming over the bridge. Asian Art ca. 1833-1834

Praying for Rain at Ryozengasaki in Kamakura, 1271 (Bun'ei hachi Kamakura Ryozengasaki ame inoru), from the series Concise Illustrated Biography of the Great Priest Nichiren (Koso go ichidai ryakuzu) 1825-1840 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Fukagawa Hachiman Shrine (Fukagawa Hachimangu), from the series Famous Places in Edo (Edo meisho) 1854 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Hiroshige

Pictures of the Great SumoFestival. Artist: Utagawa Kunisada, Japanese, 1786-1865

Procession in Kasumigaseki; Famous places in Edo; Edo Meisho. Festive procession of decorated cars and groups of people in a tusso street high buildings and the fence of a park. Cloud patterns at the top and top of the print.

Miya Station, Festival of the Atsuta Shrine; print from the series: Tokaido gojusan tsugi-no uchi (53 Stations of the Tokaido). Utagawa, Hiroshige I (1797-1858), graphic artist

Tale of the Fox dated 1669 (Kanbun 9) Unidentified artist Illustrated handscrolls (emakimono), with alternating sections of texts and illustrations, have been used through the ages in Japan to create biographies of the Buddha and famous monks, courtly literary tales such as The Tale of Genji, and popular folk tales (otogizshi, literally “companion tales”), often with a didactic motive, as is the case here. This illustrated handscroll presents The Tale of the Fox (Kitsune no Sshi), which relates the preposterous events surrounding a Buddhist monk being seduced by a beautiful woman, only to discover that she is the spirit of a mischievous fox. Even though the monk had supposedly taken vows of celibacy, he could not resist the temptation to indulge in carnal and sumptuary delights. Aimed at children of all ages, the moralizing motive of the tale is to admonish readers not to be tempted by worldly comforts to the detriment of an upright life.Unusually, a prefatory text section is absent

Crowd during the New Years celebrations in the Kinryusan Temple in Asakusa, from the series: Famous views of Edo /Toto meisho

Jūgo | Library of Congress

The Namazu, also called the Onamazu, is a creature in Japanese mythology and folktales. The Namazu is a gigantic catfish said to cause earthquakes and tremors. Living in the mud under the Japanese isles, the Namazu is guarded by the protector god Kashima, who restrains the catfish using the kaname-ishi rock. Whenever Kashima lets his guard down, Namazu thrashes about and causes violent earthquakes. The Namazu rose to new fame and popularity after the Ansei great earthquakes that happened near Edo in 1855. This lead to the Namazu being worshipped as a god of world rectification (yonaoshi daimyojin), sent by the gods to correct some of the imbalances in the world. Catfish woodblock prints known as namazu-e became their own popular genre within days of the earthquake. They were usually unsigned and often depicted scenes of a namazu or many namazu atoning for their deeds. They were quickly squashed by the Tokugawa Shogunate, the prints censored and destroyed, with only a handful surviving

Scene from The Illustrated Legends of Jinōji Temple (Jinōji engi emaki) 14th century Japan Jinōji is a small temple located at the foot of a mountain southwest of present-day Osaka. This extended section from a much longer handscroll is from a multi-scroll set that illustrates the legends of the temple and its founders. In this panoramic view of the temple complex, monks, pilgrims, and lay officials move from right to left toward the Golden Hall for the annual Great Maitreya Meeting, at which Buddhist scriptures were recited and ceremonies performed for the protection of the nation. The figures are painted in a lively style characterized by strong contours filled with light washes of color. The harmonious blend of landscape, architecture, and devotional practice in a temple setting is a hallmark of the scroll.. Scene from The Illustrated Legends of Jinōji Temple (Jinōji engi emaki) 45525

A Chinese wedding: the bride is carried to her new home. Colour woodcut by Shigemasa, ca. 1810.

Japan: The Pine Tree of Priest Rennyo at Morinomiya (Morinomiya Rennyo-matsu), from the series One Hundred Views of Osaka (Naniwa hyakkei), Utagawa Yoshitaki (1841-1899), 1860

The City Flourishing, Tanabata Festival (Shichu han'ei Tanabata Matsuri), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)” 1857 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Hiroshige

Picnicking And Enjoying Tea in The Hills at Ueno, Edo. Fifth and sixth page from the Book Fugenzo from Utamaro.

Yatsukoji Junction at Suji-chigai (Suji-chigai-uchi, Yatsukoji) From the Series One Hundred Famous views of Edo, Ando Hiroshige, Japanese, 1797-1858, Woodblock print in colored ink on paper, Yatsukoji is where all the roads converged. From Uchikanda to Sotokanda and Sudacho to Shitaya, all the gates were opened. Here is a procession for the Kanda Festival. The parade passes through the Takebashi-mon gate, the Tokiwabshi-mon Gate, and the Sujichgai-mon Gate, to return to the Kanda Myojin Shrine. Many other people are seen around the shrine to pay their respects., Japan, 1857, landscapes, Print, Print

Descent and Return of Amida to Western Paradise with a Believer's Soul (Gōshō mandara) ca. 1300 Japan This painting of Amida (Sanskrit: Amitbha) receiving the soul of the warrior Kumagai Naozane (1141-1208) is based on a dream recorded by the founder of the Pure Land sect, Hōnen (1133-1212). Naozane's taking of the tonsure after dutifully but ruefully killing the young Taira no Atsumori at the battle of Ichinotani during the Genpei War is one of the most affecting stories in Japanese war lore. Unique to this version of the raigō (welcoming descent) theme is the addition of the returning procession in the upper section. The sinuously curved composition of Amida's heavenly host amid the earthly and ethereal landscapes shows the complexity and beauty that Kamakura-period Buddhist painters achieved with the human form.. Descent and Return of Amida to Western Paradise with a Believer's Soul (Gōshō mandara) 45201

New Year Picture of Paired Door Gods Zhao Gongming and the Shining Daoist Immortal early 20th century Unidentified artist(s). New Year Picture of Paired Door Gods Zhao Gongming and the Shining Daoist Immortal. Unidentified artist(s) , early 20th century. China. early 20th century. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Republic period (191249). Prints

Famous places in the capital cherry tree grove at the Gion Temple /Miyako meisho. Gion orin HIROSHIGE, Ichiryusai (1797 1858)

Narrow street at night, from the series: Famous views of Edo

Processional platform called Jomyo yama, from the series: Gion Matsuri Festival in Edo Katsushika, hokusai (1760 1849)

Hakone, 1906 A long procession for a warlord (Daimyo) climbs the steep road between the mountains, the Hakone more right with the mountain of Fuji in the distance. cardboard color woodcut

Weergave van klederdracht in alle landen; Bankoku isho kagami.Group of people from different countries grouped around the emperor and empress of Japan. Upper row from left to right: Africa, Arabia, China, England, Korea and India. Lower row from left to right: America, Russia, Japanese, Turkey and France.

Emperor Jiajing, 12th ruler of the Ming Dynasty (r. 1521-1567). Personal Name: Zhu Houcong, Zhū Hòucōng. Posthumous Name: Sudi, Sùdì. Temple Name: Shizong, Shìzōng. Reign Name: Ming Jiajing, Ming Jiājìng. The Jiajing Emperor was the 12th Ming Dynasty Emperor of China who ruled from 1521 to 1567. His era name means 'Admirable Tranquility'. After 45 years on the throne (the second longest reign in the Ming Dynasty), Emperor Jiajing died in 1567 - possibly due to mercury overdose - and was succeeded by his son, the Longqing Emperor. Though his long rule gave the dynasty an era of stability, Jiajing's neglect of his official duties resulted in the decline of the dynasty at the end of the 16th century.

Fūkeiga - digital file from original print | Library of Congress

The Bride Riding in the Palanquin to Her Husband's House (Koshi-iri), the third sheet of the series Marriage in Brocade Prints, the Carriage of the Virtuous Woman (Konrei nishiki misao-guruma) 1764-1770 Japan. Color woodblock print; chuban yoko-e . Suzuki Harunobu

Emperor Xuanzong giving audience to Zhang Guo, one of the 'Eight Immortals', in a painting by Yuan Dynasty painter Ren Renfa (1254-1327). Emperor Xuanzong of Tang ( 8 September 685-3 May 762), also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang (Tang Minghuang), personal name Li Longji, known as Wu Longji, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty. In the early half of his reign he was a diligent and astute ruler, ably assisted by capable chancellors like Yao Chong and Song Jing, and was credited with bringing Tang China to a pinnacle of culture and power. Emperor Xuanzong, however, was blamed for over-trusting Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong and An Lushan during his late reign, with Tang's golden age ending in the great Anshi Rebellion of An Lushan.

Decorations for the New Year Ryūryūkyo Shinsai Japanese. Decorations for the New Year 54468

Chen Hou Chou and Concubine seeking inspiration for poem, school of Chiu Ying, 16th century

Periódico ilustrado Le Petit Journal, editado en París, abril de 1897. Funeral de la emperatriz viuda Eisho, emperatriz consorte del emperador Komei del Japón.

Chinese Money Tree

Japan: The Precincts of the Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, from the series 'Famous Places in the Capital Kyoto' (Miyako meisho no uchi), Hasegawa Sadanobu I (1809-1879), c. 1868

Procession of a Daimyo 1676-1689 Japan. Hand-colored woodblock print; oban yoko-e, sumizuri-e . Hishikawa Moronobu

Merchant Muttalib and his nephew Abd-al-Muttalib goint to Mecca. Miniature from the Siyer-i Nebi, Turkish epic about the life of Muhammad, written by Mustafa, son of Yusuf of Erzurum. 16th century. Topkapi Sarayi Museum LIbrary, Istanbul, Turkey.

Temple procession in Torinomachi in the rice fields of Asakusa; Asakusa torinomachi fashion; One hundred famous faces on Edo; Meisho Edo Hyakkei. A cat overlooks the rice fields from the windowsill where a procession is on its way to a temple. The Fuji mountain is visible on the horizon.

With some 2000 religious sites - 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and architecture, Kyoto is one of the best preserved and most culturally distinguished cities in Japan. Among the most famous temples are Kiyomizu-dera, a magnificent wooden temple supported by pillars off the slope of a mountain; Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion; Ginkaku-ji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion; and Ryoan-ji, famous for its rock garden. The Heian Jingu is a Shinto shrine, built in 1895, celebrating the Imperial family and commemorating the first and last emperors to reside in Kyoto. Three special sites have connections to the imperial family: the Kyoto Gyoen area including the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Sento Imperial Palace, homes of the Emperors of Japan for many centuries; Katsura Imperial Villa, one of the nation's finest architectural treasures; and Shugaku-in Imperial Villa, one of its best Japanese gardens. The 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto

Tokugawa Yoshinobu, also known as 'Keiki', was the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful. After resigning in late 1867, he went into retirement, and largely avoided the public eye for the rest of his life.

Buddhist demons; Qing era (1644-1911) (1553-00-00-1553-00-00);Demon, painting, Chinese art, purchase (provenance), scrolls, vertical ganglia

San'enzan Zōjō-ji Temple in Shiba. Utagawa Toyokuni I (Japan, 1769-1825). Japan, late 18th - early 19th century. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

In 1863, Cambodia became a protectorate of France. In October 1887, the French announced the formation of the Union Indochinoise (Union of Indochina), which at that time comprised Cambodia and the three regions of Vietnam (Tonkin, Annam, and Cochinchina). In 1893, Laos was also annexed.

Hyakki Yagyo, variation: hyakki yako, (lit. 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons') is a concept in Japanese folklore. It is a parade which is composed of a hundred kinds of yokai (supernatural monsters). Legend has it that every year the yokai Nurarihyon, will lead all of the yokai through the streets of Japan during summer nights. Anyone who comes across the procession will perish or be spirited away by the yokai, unless protected by handwritten scrolls by anti-yokai onmyoji spellcasters. According to the account in the Shugaisho, a medieval Japanese encyclopedia, the only way to be kept safe from the night parade if it comes by your house is to stay inside on the specific nights associated with the Chinese zodiac or to chant a magic spell.

Shichifukujin, The seven gods of good luck., Utagawa, Toyokuni, 1786-1865, artist, between 1830 and 1844, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 36.5 x 24.9 cm (top panel), 37.9 x 24.9 cm (bottom panel), Print shows the seven lucky gods in Japanese mythology.

New Years Day. Samurai's house. Edo period. 17th- 18th cent. JAPAN.

Anonymous watercolor showing a drum concert with musicians performing, depicting instruments and audience.

Ichikawa Danjūrō II () Performing Shibaraku in the Ichimura Theater ca. 1738 Torii Kiyotada Japanese On the runway to the stage, the actor Ichikawa Danjūrō appears just before striding forward to save the day, shouting "Shibaraku!" ("Wait a moment!") in a bravado role he created. Kiyotada employed the technique of two-point perspective to show the interior of the theater. Early Kabuki performances were all-day affairs before audiences who ate, drank, and gossiped while awaiting the entrance of favorite actors, who struck their famous poses.. Ichikawa Danjūrō II () Performing Shibaraku in the Ichimura Theater 45035

. The annual arrival of Portuguese ships in the harbour of Nagasaki was a familiar theme in art around 1600. On this pair of screens, produce is being unloaded while the captain and his crew disembark. A Jesuit priest and two Japanese Christians greet him, identifiable by the prayer beads they are holding.

Shono shower rain; Shono, Hakuu; The 53 stations of the Tokaido; Tokaido Gojusan Tsugi No Uchi. Travelers on a mountain path robbed by a rain shower; At the bottom right the roofs of houses.

The Namazu, also called the Onamazu, is a creature in Japanese mythology and folktales. The Namazu is a gigantic catfish said to cause earthquakes and tremors. Living in the mud under the Japanese isles, the Namazu is guarded by the protector god Kashima, who restrains the catfish using the kaname-ishi rock. Whenever Kashima lets his guard down, Namazu thrashes about and causes violent earthquakes. The Namazu rose to new fame and popularity after the Ansei great earthquakes that happened near Edo in 1855. This lead to the Namazu being worshipped as a god of world rectification (yonaoshi daimyojin), sent by the gods to correct some of the imbalances in the world. Catfish woodblock prints known as namazu-e became their own popular genre within days of the earthquake. They were usually unsigned and often depicted scenes of a namazu or many namazu atoning for their deeds. They were quickly squashed by the Tokugawa Shogunate, the prints censored and destroyed, with only a handful surviving

Procession in a landscape - Chao Wen Jün travels to Mongolia". unknown, painter

Priest Ahari Joan, mad for love of a girl, seeks to recover his senses by meditating on a sacred text, but unable to find its meaning he becomes a skeleton-ghost

Painting on silk .Japanese envoys pay respect to absent Choson king. Chong Son screen, 17th-18th cent. KOREA.

Decoration Projects for the Celebration of Court Holidays. unknown, author

Procession late 19th century Unidentified artist. Procession 53565

In The Snow at Tsukahara on Sado Island. Snowy landscape with nichiren, founder of the Buddhist Lotus sect, in red robe, a snowy slope climbing; At the bottom of the mountain a village by the sea; With a gray sky with swirling snowflakes.

China: Cao Cao (155 - 15 March 220 CE) marches to avenge his father, from a Ming Dynasty edition of 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' called Sanguo zhi tongsu yanyi

of 2