JAPANESE COSTUMES

The Japanese wear two types of clothing. In modern Japan clothing is typically divided into western clothing ( yfuku?) and Japanese clothing ( wafuku?). While the traditional ethnic garments of Japan are still in use, they are mainly worn for ceremonies and special events, funerals, coming-of-age ceremonies (seijin shiki), and festivals. Western clothing is worn often in day-to-day life. Men and women wear "western-style" clothing because of the strong western influence due to the Western's sought for world domination in the past that causes an influx in global fashion as well as endangering other rich cultures.[citation needed] While the westernization of fashions has continued at a rapid pace, the kimono still lives on within the Japanese rich culture. Japanese clothing consisted entirely of a great variety of kimono. They first appeared in the Jomon period, with no distinction between male and female. After Japan opened up for trading with the outside world, other options started to come in. Officers and men of some units of the shogunal army and navy were among the first to adopt western clothing, fashioned after the styles worn by English marines stationed at Yokohama. The style only grew from there, moving out from the military to other lifestyles. Students of public colleges and universities were ordered to wear western-style uniforms and businessmen, teachers, doctors, bankers, and other leaders of the new society wore suits to work and at large social functions. Although western-style dress was becoming more popular for the work place, schools, and streets it was not worn by everybody. Since World War II most areas of Japanese life have been taken over by western clothing. Types and styles An example of a Japanese clothing is the kimono; the kimono is a traditional garment. Japanese kimonos are wrapped around the body, sometimes in several layers, and are secured in place by sashes with a wide obi to complete it. The modern kimono is not worn as often as it once was. Most women now wear western-style clothing and only wear kimono for special occasions. In modern Japan kimono are a marked feminine costume and a national attire. There are six types of kimonos that a woman can wear: furisode, uchikake, houmongi, yukata, tomesode, and mofuku, depending on her marital status and the event she intends to attend. Japanese clothing, specifically kimono, is styled to fit the seasons. Clothing with more rustic colors and patterns (like russet leaves) are favored in autumn, while in spring more vibrant colors and floral designs (like cherry blossoms) are common. In winter, those dressing in kimono tend to wear darker colors and multiple layers (sometimes as many as ten). It is important to dress for the season in layers, to not become too hot or cold. These days one rarely sees kimonos except at festivals or parties.

JAPANESE ART & CRAFTS

Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture, ink painting and calligraphy on silk and paper, ukiyo-e woodblock prints, kirie, kirigami, origami, and more recently manga - modern Japanese cartoons - along with a myriad of other types of works of art. It also has a long history, ranging from the beginnings of human habitation in Japan, sometime in the 10th millennium BC, to the present. Historically, Japan has been subject to sudden invasions of new and alien ideas followed by long periods of minimal contact with the outside world. Over time the Japanese developed the ability to absorb, imitate, and finally assimilate those elements of foreign culture that complemented their aesthetic preferences. The earliest complex art in Japan was produced in the 7th and 8th centuries in connection with Buddhism. In the 9th century, as the Japanese began to turn away from China and develop indigenous forms of expression, the secular arts became increasingly important; until the late 15th century, both religious and secular arts flourished. After the nin War (14671477), Japan entered a period of political, social, and economic disruption that lasted for over a century. In the state that emerged under the leadership of the Tokugawa shogunate, organized religion played a much less important role in people's lives, and the arts that survived were primarily secular. Painting is the preferred artistic expression in Japan, practiced by amateurs and professionals alike. Until modern times, the Japanese wrote with a brush rather than a pen, and their familiarity with brush techniques has made them particularly sensitive to the values and aesthetics of painting. With the rise of popular culture in the Edo period, a style of woodblock prints called ukiyo-e became a major art form and its techniques were fine tuned to produce colorful prints of everything from daily news to schoolbooks. The Japanese, in this period, found sculpture a much less sympathetic medium for artistic expression; most Japanese sculpture is associated with religion, and the medium's use declined with the lessening importance of traditional Buddhism. Japanese ceramics are among the finest in the world and include the earliest known artifacts of their culture. In architecture, Japanese preferences for natural materials and an interaction of interior and exterior space are clearly expressed. Today, Japan rivals most other modern nations in its contributions to modern art, fashion and architecture, with creations of a truly modern, global, and multi-cultural (or acultural) bent.

JAPANESE MUSIC
The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern. The word for music in Japanese is (ongaku), combining the kanji ("on" sound) with the kanji ("gaku" music).[1] Japan is the second largest music market in the world, with a total retail value of 4,096.7 million dollars[2] and most of the market is dominated by Japanese artists.[citation needed] Local music often appears at karaoke venues, which is on lease from the record labels. Traditional Japanese music is quite different from Western Music and is based on the intervals of human breathing rather than mathematical timing.[3] In 1873, a British traveler claimed that Japanese music, "exasperates beyond all endurance the European breast."[4] Traditional and folk music There are two forms of music recognized to be the oldest forms of traditional Japanese music. They are shmy ( or ?), or Buddhist chanting, and gagaku (?) or orchestral court music, both of which date to the Nara and Heian periods.[citation needed] Gagaku is a type of classical music that has been performed at the Imperial court since the Heian period[citation needed]. Kagura-uta (), Azuma-asobi() and Yamato-uta () are indigenous repertories. Tgaku () and komagaku originated from the Chinese Tang dynasty via the Korean peninsula[citation needed]. In addition, gagaku is divided into kangen () (instrumental music) and bugaku () (dance accompanied by gagaku). Originating as early as the 13th century are honkyoku ( "original pieces"). These are single (solo) shakuhachi () pieces played by mendicant Fuke sect priests of Zen buddhism[citation needed] . These priests, called komus ("emptiness monk"), played honkyoku for alms and enlightenment. The Fuke sect ceased to exist in the 19th century, but a verbal and written lineage of many honkyoku continues today, though this music is now often practiced in a concert or performance setting.[citation needed] The samurai often listened to and performed in these music activities, in their practices of enriching their lives and understanding[citation needed]. Traditional music Biwa hshi, Heike biwa, ms, and goze The biwa ( - Chinese: pipa), a form of short-necked lute, was played by a group of itinerant performers (biwa hshi) () who used it to accompany stories.[citation needed] The most famous of these stories is The Tale of the Heike, a 12th-century history of the triumph of the Minamoto clan over the Taira[citation needed]. Biwa hshi began organizing themselves into a guildlike association (td) for visually impaired men as early as the thirteenth century. This guild eventually controlled a large portion of the musical culture of Japan.

JAPANESE CULTURE
The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jmon period, to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe, and North America. The inhabitants of Japan experienced a long period of relative isolation from the outside world during the Tokugawa shogunate, until the arrival of "The Black Ships" and the Meiji period. Japanese language Japanese is the official and primary language of Japan. Japanese is relatively small but has a lexically distinct pitch-accent system. Early Japanese is known largely on the basis of its state in the 8th century, when the three major works of Old Japanese were compiled. The earliest attestation of the Japanese language is in a Chinese document from 252 AD. Japanese is written with a combination of three scripts: hiragana, derived from the Chinese cursive script, katakana, derived as a shorthand from Chinese characters, and kanji, imported from China. The Latin alphabet, rmaji, is also often used in modern Japanese, especially for company names and logos, advertising, and when inputting Japanese into a computer. The Hindu-Arabic numerals are generally used for numbers, but traditional Sino-Japanese numerals are also common. Literature Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan. Eventually, Japanese literature developed into a separate style in its own right as Japanese writers began writing their own works about Japan. Since Japan reopened its ports to Western trading and diplomacy in the 19th century, Western and Eastern literature have strongly affected each other and continue to do so.

KOREAN ARTS & CRAFTS

Korean arts include traditions in calligraphy, music, painting and pottery, often marked by the use of natural forms, surface decoration and bold colors or sounds. Introduction The earliest examples of Korean art consist of stone age works dating from 3000 BCE. These mainly consist of votive sculptures, although petroglyphs have also been recently rediscovered. This early period was followed by the art styles of various Korean kingdoms and dynasties. Korean artists sometimes modified Chinese traditions with a native preference for simple elegance, purity of nature and spontaneity. The Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) was one of the most prolific periods for artists in many disciplines, especially in pottery. The Korean art market is concentrated in the Insadong district of Seoul where over 50 small galleries exhibit and there are occasional fine arts auctions. Galleries are co-operatively run, small and often with curated and finely designed exhibits. In every town there are smaller regional galleries, with local artists showing in traditional and contemporary media. Art galleries usually have a mix of media. Attempts at bringing Western conceptual art into the foreground have usually had their best success outside of Korea in New York, San Francisco, London and Paris. History Introduction Professionals have begun to acknowledge and sort through Koreas own unique art culture and important role in not only transmitting Chinese culture but also assimilating it and creating a unique culture of its own. "An art given birth to and developed by a nation is its own art." says one scholar.

KOREAN CULTURE
The current political separation of North and South Korea has resulted in divergence in modern Korean cultures; nevertheless, the traditional culture of Korea is historically shared by both states. Dance As with music, there is a distinction between court dance and folk dance. Common court dances are jeongjaemu () performed at banquets, and ilmu (), performed at Korean Confucian rituals. Jeongjaemu is divided into native dances (, hyangak jeongjae) and forms imported from Central Asia and China (, dangak jeongjae). Ilmu are divided into civil dance (, munmu) and military dance (, mumu). Many mask dramas and mask dances are performed in many regional areas of Korea.[5] The traditional clothing is the genja, it is a special kind of dress that women wear on festivals. It is pink with multiple symbols around the neck area. Traditional choreography of court dances is reflected in many contemporary productions. Taekkyeon the traditional martial art is central to the classic Korean dance. Taekkyeon being a complete system of integrated movement found its core techniques adaptable to mask, dance and other traditional artforms of Korea. Painting The earliest paintings found on the Korean peninsula are petroglyphs of prehistoric times. With the arrival of Buddhism from India via China, different techniques were introduced. These techniques quickly established themselves as the mainstream techniques, but indigenous techniques still survived. There is a tendency towards naturalism with subjects such as realistic landscapes, flowers and birds being particularly popular. Ink is the most common material used, and it is painted on mulberry paper or silk. In the 18th century indigenous techniques were advanced, particularly in calligraphy and seal engraving. Arts are both influenced by tradition and realism. For example, Hans near-photographic "Break Time at the Ironworks" shows muscular men dripping with sweat and drinking water from tin cups at a sweltering foundry. Jeong Sons "Peak Chonnyo of Mount Kumgang" is a classical Korean landscape of towering cliffs shrouded by mists.[6]

CHINESE MUSIC
Chinese music has been known historically since the dawn of Chinese civilization, with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC 256 BC). Today, the music continues a rich traditional heritage in one aspect, while emerging into a more contemporary form at the same time. Legend The legendary founder of music in Chinese mythology was Ling Lun, who made bamboo pipes tuned to the sounds of birds. Early history According to Mencius , a powerful ruler once asked him whether it was moral if he preferred popular music to the classics. The answer was that it only mattered that the ruler loved his subjects. The Imperial Music Bureau, first established in the Qin Dynasty (221207 BC), was greatly expanded under the emperor Han Wu Di (14087 BC) and charged with supervising court music and military music and determining what folk music would be officially recognized. In subsequent dynasties, the development of Chinese music was strongly influenced by foreign music, especially Central Asia. The oldest known written music is Youlan or the Solitary Orchid, attributed to Confucius (see guqin article for a sample of tablature). The first major well-documented flowering of Chinese music was for the qin during the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), though the qin is known to have been played since before the Han Dynasty. In ancient China the social status of musicians was much lower than that of painters, though music was seen as central to the harmony and longevity of the state. Almost every emperor took folk songs seriously, sending officers to collect songs to inspect the popular will. One of the Confucianist Classics, Shi Jing (The Classic of Poetry), contained many folk songs dating from 800 BC to about 400 BC. The first European to reach China with a musical instrument was Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci who presented a Harpsichord to the Lee imperial court in 1601, and trained four eunuchs to play it.[1] Dragon Dance The famous dragon dance with music is also a remembered tradition. It is seen on Chinese New Year across the world by millions. It is not known when the tradition started, but it is believed to be thousands of years ago, as entertainment of former emperors, royals, and nobles. It was and still is a very important dance in the Chinese culture.

CHINESE COSTUMES
Chinese clothing is clothing, ancient and modern, which the Chinese people wore. Chinese clothing has varied by region and time, and is recorded by the artifacts and arts of Chinese culture. Dynastic China Traditional Chinese clothing is broadly referred to as hanfu with many variations such as traditional Chinese academic dress. Depending on one's status in society, each social class had a different sense of fashion. Most Chinese men wore Chinese black cotton shoes, but wealthy higher class people would wear tough black leather shoes for formal occasions. Very rich and wealthy men would wear very bright, beautiful silk shoes sometimes having leather on the inside. Women would wear bright, silk coated Lotus shoes, with wealthy women practicing bound feet as a status symbol - a practice abolished in the early 20th century. Male shoes were mostly less elaborate than women's. Civil and military officials Chinese civil or military officials used a variety of codes to show their rank and position. The most recognized is the Mandarin square or rank badge. Another code was also the use of colorful hat knobs fixed on the top of their hats. The specific hat knob on one's hat determined one's rank. As there were twelve types of hat knobs representing the nine distinctive ranks of the civil or military position. Variations existed for Ming official headwear. Qing Dynasty (16441911) The rise of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in many ways represented a cultural rupture with the past, as Manchu clothing styles were required to be worn by all noblemen and officials. The Qing first implemented queue laws that required the populace to adopt Manch hairstyles and clothing - or face execution. Eventually, this style became widespread among the commoners.[1] A new style of dress, called tangzhuang, included the changshan worn by men and the qipao worn by women. Manchu official headwear differed from the Ming version but the Qing continued to use the Mandarin square.

CHINESE ARTS AND CRAFTS

It is common knowledge that China has a long history and glorious history in both arts and traditional crafts. These are just two of the many jewels in China's over five thousand-year culture. The arts and crafts are not only the embodiment of the people's longing for aesthetic beauty for themselves and as gifts for others, but also great treasures for China and the rest of the world. Many of the master artisans have had their skills handed down via one generation to the next so that only the offspring of such an artisan could learn the necessary skills required. The result being that they are the most valuable treasures both for a family and for the nation. Of all the Chinese arts and crafts, the most representative are Bronze Vessels, Folk Toys, Embroidery, Calligraphy, Music, Opera, Painting, Cloisonne, Jade, Kites, Lacquer Ware, PaperCuttings, Porcelain, Pottery, Seals, and Silk. They are not only a vivid reflection of the culture of China but also the embodiment of both the local people, and of the nation itself. Bronze Vessels invented some 5,000 years ago led the ancestors of modern China from the Stone Age into a new era - the Bronze Age. The bronzes produced being delicately decorated with a diverse range of designs and motifs and were widely used in many aspects of life, such as musical instruments, ceremonial offerings and weapons of war being of great significance in the history of China. China Calligraphy - a highly stylized form of writing - has been developed by many eminent calligraphers of many different dynasties. Referred to as the 'four treasures of study' (writing brush, ink stick, paper, and ink slab) are regarded as the indispensable tools when writing. Chinese Cloisonne is an enamel artwork with the primary color being blue. It is renowned for its use of high-quality material, complex manufacturing process and its use of bright and vivid colors. Chinese Jade has a history of four thousand years. Jade symbolizes merit, grace and dignity and occupies a special position in people's consciousness. It is used both to decorate rooms, and as jewelry by people hoping for a blessing. Chinese Embroidery originated in the Shang Dynasty (16th - 11th century BC), and now has four major traditional styles: Su, Shu, Xiang, and Yue. It is also an accomplished skill for the ethnic minority groups such as the Bai, Bouyei and Miao. Folk Toys are items that have a long history and a combination of artistic appreciation and playful enjoyment, and endowed with numerous meanings that express the people's wish for a happy and contented life. Chinese Kites being delicately made of paper and bamboo have numerous shapes such as swallow, centipede, butterfly etc. Regarded as an artistic marvel, the kite makers' skill in both painting and in the design of the kites' flexible flying movement are well renowned.

CHINESE CULTURE
Chinese culture is one of the world's oldest cultures.[1][2] The area in which the culture is dominant covers a large geographical region in eastern Asia with customs and traditions varying greatly between provinces, cities, and even towns. Important components of Chinese culture include literature, music, visual arts, martial arts, cuisine, etc. Identity Today there are 56 distinct recognized ethnic groups in China.[3] In terms of numbers however, Han Chinese is by far the largest group. Throughout history, many groups have merged into neighboring ethnicities or disappeared. At the same time, many within the Han identity have maintained distinct linguistic and regional cultural traditions. The term Zhonghua Minzu has been used to describe the notion of Chinese nationalism in general.[citation needed] Much of the traditional identity within the community has to do with distinguishing the family name. Regional Traditional Chinese Culture covers large geographical territories, where each region is usually divided into distinct sub-cultures. Each region is often represented by three ancestral items. For example Guangdong is represented by chenpi, aged ginger and hay.[4][5] Others include ancient cities like Lin'an (Hangzhou), which include tea leaf, bamboo shoot trunk and hickory nut.[6] Such distinctions give rise to the old Chinese proverb: ",/," (Sh l btng fng, bi l btng s), literally "the wind varies within ten li, customs vary within a hundred li.""" Society Structure Since the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period, some form of Chinese monarch has been the main ruler above all. Different periods of history have different names for the various positions within society. Conceptually each imperial or feudal period is similar, with the government and military officials ranking high in the hierarchy, and the rest of the population under regular Chinese law.[7] From the late Zhou Dynasty (1046256 BCE) onwards, traditional Chinese society was organized into a hierarchic system of socio-economic classes known as the four occupations. However, this system did not cover all social groups while the distinctions between all groups became blurred ever since the commercialization of Chinese culture in the Song Dynasty (960 1279 CE). Ancient Chinese education also has a long history; ever since the Sui Dynasty (581 618 CE) educated candidates prepared for the Imperial examinations which drafted exam graduates into government as scholar-bureaucrats.