Abstract
Sensitivity to the beauty of animals and nuances of the natural environment are characteristic features of Japanese fine art traditions. Different species of animals attained different symbolic meanings in various periods of Japanese art, however modern society has become in many ways alienated from nature. This chapter is interdisciplinary in approach, as it deals historically with both environmental and aesthetic traditions in Japanese society. I use examples to build a narrative of the interpretation of animals in Japanese art, from its early history until the contemporary era with its depiction of animals in cute and “Superflat” art, while placing this all in the context of human/animal and environmental relationships. Additionally, I pay attention to social, political and religious ideas, and how they have influenced the presentation (mimesis) of animals in Japanese visual art.
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Merviö, M. (2018). Animals and Aesthetics in Japanese Art and Society. In: Hebert, D. (eds) International Perspectives on Translation, Education and Innovation in Japanese and Korean Societies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68434-5_18
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