Besides, the country being isolated from the Asiatic mainland by sea, the nation has been free from foreign aggression and from the evil influences of the continent. Down to the last days of Tokugawa Shogunate she had little external trouble apart from the wars with Korea and the invasion she suffered from the Mongols. Even on these occasions victory al ways lay on her side, and consequently the people have been preserved from prejudice and exclusivism — faults so apt to be found in na tions that have frequently experienced hard treatment from victorious invaders. The Jap anese have ever shown hospitality to foreigners and have assimilated and profited by foreign civilizations. Nor have the numerous civil wars left the people destitute of feeling or given them a cruel character. The land standing, so to speak, on a group of volcanoes, terrible devastations have often afflicted the nation; yet it has not impaired their optimistic disposition, fostered by the rich bounties of Nature. They even take delight in viewing the strange and majestic forms of the volcanic rocks and use them as materials of poetry and painting.
In short, such noble traits as piety, benevo lence, alertness, cheerfulness, artistic inclination, simplicity, purity, bravery, sobriety and straight forwardness, may be found in abundance among this nation. Moreover, they are wonderfully clever in the use of their fingers, shown in a variety of artistic employments. They are not a people of profound speculation, but are highly gifted with intuitive insight and assimilative and ameliorative capacities. These national characteristics are manifest through the entire history of Japanese art and constitute its main features.
As has been stated, the Japanese love so briety and simplicity and are by nature dis inclined to ostentation. Hence their productions are marked by grace as well as skill. We can readily see that the young shoots of Japanese art sprang up in the earliest period of their national existence, though owing to the want of necessary encouragement their growth was not rapid.
The oldest forms of artistic design seem to have been ornaments used in decorating dress, weapons, tombs, coffins and articles employed in religious ceremonies. This may be proved by various archaeological relics, discovered in many districts. They have, however, little artistic merit, and are only valuable as throwing some light upon ancient art — for showing us specimens of original and purely Japanese art.
From the very outset of authentic history the Japanese commenced intercourse with the Koreans, and the latter's civilization, primitive as it was, at once began to influence the former, but not so much as to accelerate the develop ment of their art. The subjugation of Korea by the heroic Empress Jingo (201 A.D.) bound Korea to send annual tributes to Japan, and through this channel the art and industry of the continent flowed into the island empire.
Later, in the reign of Ojin, Pep-che (Kudara), one of the three Korean states, introduced to Japan the literature of China. This event marks a great epoch in the history of Japanese civilization; after that every institution was copied from China, artisans were invited, and during the reign of Yuryaku, In-sa-ra-a (In shiraga), a painter of Pep-che, was employed. In the 13th year of the Emperor Kimmei (A.D. 552) the king of Pep-die presented a statue of Buddha,. a copy of the sacred canon and several articles of ornament, such as banners and canopies. The statue had been made in China after the Dynasties' and it was the first Buddhist image to come to Japan. With these presents Buddhism found its way into the empire and became an important factor in the progress of Japanese art.
The civilization of the Asiatic continent has so strongly influenced Japanese art that, since its first introduction, its every wave and billow have left some trace on the art of Japan. Thus the ancient art of China and Korea opened the way for the artistic progress of Suiko's reign, and the flowery times of the T'ang dynasty had their counterparts in the age of the Emperors Tenchi, Shomu and Kwammu. And if we take into consideration the fact that during the eSix Dynasties," and the dynasties of Sui and T'ang, China already had close intercourse with India, which, in. its turn, was in contact with Greece and Rome, we may justly say that the early civilization of Japan was indirectly con nected with those of Europe and India. Dur ing the age of the Fujiwara's regency Japanese art began to assume a definite form and even developed certain distinct features, but subse quently in the age of the Kamakura and Ashi kaga Shoguns, Chinese influence (Sung and Yuan dynasties) became once more remarkable. However, it was not of long duration; for m the Toyotomi and Tokugawa regimes national art again took its own course, though we must not neglect the fresh effect produced on it by the new civilization of Ming and Ching dynasties.
Thus we see the great and constant influence of foreign civilizations on the artistic history of Japan, yet it would be a gross error to regard Japanese art as nothing but an imitation of the arts of India, China and Korea, and that without these prototypes Japanese art would never have existed or would never have emerged from its prehistoric stage. There would be nothing wrong in calling Japanese art a branch of Oriental art, but it has a nobler mission than being a mere branch — it aims at extracting the essence of Oriental art and con structing it on a purified and ennobled basis. Though it has been guided and encouraged by exotic arts, it has never been a blind follower: it has digested them and, at the same time, has well preserved its own individuality.