In Japan, in the fourth and third centuries BC, the cultivation of
rice and the transition from a nomadic existence to farming laid the
foundations for the Yayoi culture, which became renowned for its
pottery and metalwork. Technical proficiency in the latter field
produced weapons, utensils, and necklaces and achieved particular
originality in both the form and decoration of bronze bells, known
as dotaku. These may have had a ritual function or symbolized
fertility. The ornamentation was both geometrical and naturalistic,
and the same motifs were used for decoration in red on earthenware
crockery. From the third and fourth centuries ad, the kofun, large
burial mounds, were the burial sites of a warrior aristocracy; this
is indicated by the quantities of weapons and armour found in them.
The beginning of the Asuka period (c. ad552-645) brought more
awareness of Chinese culture and close diplomatic links with Korea,
and it led to the adoption of writing with Chinese characters. The
improvement of techniques in woodworking during the Hakuho period
(ad645-710) contributed to the development of rural and religious
architecture. Shintoism inspired both sacred and domestic
architecture and was responsible for the sanctuaries of Ise and
Izumo, dedicated to the cult of the founding divinities (kami). The
arrival and diffusion of Buddhism in about the
sixth century brought a swift transition from a nonanthropo-morphic
art to the creation of large sculptures. These initially represented
Shaka, the historic Buddha; Yakushi, the Buddha of medicine; his
assistants Nikko and Gakko; and the Bodhisattva Miroku. They were
followed later by Amida, the Buddha of the Western Paradise, and the
Bodhisattvas Kannon and Seishi. The strengthening of political power
and the unification of the nation, together with the explicit
support of the new doctrine by the court, brought about a
proliferation of architectural and sculptural works associated with
Buddhism. The temples of the sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries
observed the canons of Chinese and Korean architecture: a regular
plan with pavilions on a northsouth axis, with the southern portal (nan
daimon) as the main entrance, a golden hall (kondo) to accommodate
the principal image of the cult, a pagoda (to), a refectory, and a
reading room (kodo).
In keeping with these features, the Horyuji temple (ad607) of Nara
remains a valuable testimony to Chinese-influenced Buddhist
architecture, as no wooden architecture of this period survives on
the mainland. The Shaka Triad in the golden hall, with its stiff
frontal pose, the flattening of the garment folds, and the tranquil
smile, show the iconographical characteristics of the Chinese style
of the northern Wei dynasty. Examples of tomb paintings depict
processions of men, women, and mythical animals. In about AD700, the
wall-paintings of the Horyuji temple celebrated the greatness of
Amida (Buddha of Infinite Light) and his celestial court, in a style
reminiscent of Indian art.
