Births and Rebirths in Japanese Art

Book excerpt: This volume brings together five essays by prominent scholars of Japanese studies, each discussing a central topic in Japanese cultural history. Based on a series of lectures marking the inauguration of the Sainsbury Institute in Norwich and London, each essay introduces in concise and readable form subjects that the authors have worked on as part of larger publishing projects. The authors have distilled their views on aspects of their research that relate to an important artistic, cultural, or intellectual 'birth' or 'rebirth' in Japanese history. Contributors: Helmut Brinker, Tsuji Nobuo, Timon Screech, Donald Keene and John Rosenfield