The civilization that arose on the islands of Japan was periodically influenced by strong civilizations around it, especially China and Korea. Yet, Japan developed a unique approach to life and to art. Your objectives for this chapter include becoming familiar with Japan's long-held respect for, and delight in, natural materials, its compositional fascination with asymmetry, and a unique sense of humor and playfulness that exists in many works of Japanese art.

Goals for this chapter include:

• Develop an understanding of the geographical features of Japan, both those that isolate it and those that put it in proximity to China and Korea.

• Discover that within the Jomon period the appreciation for raw materials and asymmetry informs Japanese art for the rest of its history.

• Grasp the essentials of both Shinto and Buddhist religious currents in Japanese history and culture.

• Note the specific Japanese refashioning of imported Buddhist beliefs and models of art and architecture.

• Acquire an appreciation for the notion of "courtly refinement" that appears in the Heian period.