Getting Artsy
THIS ART GENRE, PRODUCED WITH WOODBLOCKS AND DEPICTING THE “FLOATING WORLD” OF PLEASURE AND COMMERCE, WAS EXTREMELY POPULAR DURING THE EDO PERIOD.
UKIYOE
THIS MAN IS CREDITED AS THE MOST POPULAR AUTHOR ON THE SUBJECT OF JAPANESE CULTURAL ESSENCE AND BUSHIDO.
NITOBE INAZOU
THIS JAPANESE TRADITIONAL THEATER GENRE USES PUPPETS TO TELL POPULAR STORIES AND IS USUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY SHAMISEN MUSIC.
BUNRAKU
THIS AMERICAN FILM IS INSPIRED BY THE SATSUMA REBELLION AND STARS TOM CRUISE AND WATANABE KEN.
THE LAST SAMURAI
THIS “TIMELESS WAY OF THE WARRIOR” IS ACTUALLY A MODERN INVENTED TRADITION, BUT CONTINUES TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE’S UNDERSTANDING OF SAMURAI AND JAPAN.
BUSHIDO
THIS LITERARY AND ARTISTIC TECHNIQUE CREATES A “DOUBLE VISION” BETWEEN ILLUSTRATION AND THEATER THROUGH VISUAL ALLUSION.
MITATE
KNOWN AS “EYEBALLS MATSU,” THIS MAN WAS AN EXTREMELY POPULAR KABUKI AND SILENT FILM ACTOR WITH AN IMPRESSIVE REPERTOIRE OF STAGE TRICKS.
ONOE MATSUNOSUKE
AS OPPOSED TO THE “SOFT” AND RESTRAINED WAGOTO STYLE, THIS KABUKI STYLE IS “ROUGH” AND ANIMATED.
ARAGOTO
NAMED AFTER AN OKINAWAN STIR-FRY DISH, THIS TRANSCULTURAL ANIME (RE)MIXES TOGETHER IMAGES OF SAMURAI AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN HIPHOP.
SAMURAI CHAMPLOO
THIS JAPANESE TERM REFERS TO THE SAMURAI IDEAL OF DUTY OR SOCIAL OBLIGATION TO OTHERS, ESPECIALLY ONE’S SUPERIOR.
GIRI
THIS LITERARY GENRE IS KNOWN FOR ITS YELLOW COVER, SATIRICAL TONE, AND CONNECTION TO THE KABUKI THEATER WORLD.
KIBYOUSHI
THIS WOMAN INVENTED THE FIRST KABUKI TRADITION WHICH FEATURED AN ALL-WOMEN TROUPE, BUT LATER HER ARTFORM WAS BANNED FOR BEING TOO SEXY
OKUNI
THIS EPIC STORY ABOUT THE 47 RONINS’ VENDETTA WAS FIRST TOLD THROUGH PUPPET THEATER AND WAS LATER ADAPTED OVER AND OVER IN KABUKI AND KIBYOSHI.
CHUSHINGURA
THIS JAPANESE ANIME AND FILM DIRECTOR IS BEST KNOWN FOR DIRECTING THE ANIME CAMURAI CHAMPLOO.
WATANABE SHIN'ICHIROU
THIS GOVERNMENT TRADITION REQUIRED SAMURAI TO TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THEIR HOME DOMAINS AND THE CAPITAL OF EDO.
ALTERNATE ATTENDANCE (SANKIN KOUTAI)
AN ARTISTIC GENRE RELATED TO UKIYOE, THESE MEIJI PERIOD WOODBLOCK PRINTS ARE STUNNING IN THEIR VIVID DEPICTION OF CONTEMPORARY WAR AND POLITICS.
NISHIKI E
THIS SAMURAI WAS ORIGINALLY A KEY FIGURE IN THE IMPERIAL MEIJI GOVERNMENT, BUT LATER WENT ON TO FOMENT A DESTRUCTIVE REBELLION WHICH LED TO HIS DEATH.
SAIGOU TAKAMORI
SOMETIMES CALLED THE “SHAKESPEARE OF JAPAN,” THIS MAN WROTE MORE THAN A HUNDRED POPULAR BUNRAKU AND KABUKI PLAYS.
CHIKAMATSU
THIS JAPANESE TERM REFERS TO THE PERFORMERS WHO PROVIDED THE NARRATION AND SOUNDTRACK, INSPIRED BY KABUKI AND NOH, FOR SILENT FILMS.
THIS JAPANESE TERM DESCRIBES A FEELING THAT CHALLENGES THE IDEAL OF SOCIAL OBLIGATION OR DUTY AND OFTEN LEADS A SAMURAI TO RUIN.
NINJOU
THIS MAN IS KNOWN AS THE LAST GREAT PAINTER OF THE JAPANESE PAINTING TRADITION. HIS UKIYOE PRINTS ARE ESPECIALLY VALUABLE.
UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI
THIS CONTEMPORARY ARTIST COMBINES ELITE SAMURAI IDEALS AND LOWER-CLASS STREET CULTURE TO CREATE A “NEW JAPANESE” ART TRADITION
TENMYOUYA HISASHI
THESE KABUKI PERFORMERS WERE SAID TO PORTRAY FEMININITY AND BEAUTY EVEN BETTER THAN ACTUAL WOMEN.
ONNAGATA
THIS MAN RAN A KABUKI THEATER BEFORE HE BRANCHED OUT INTO DIRECTING FILMS, CREATING THE JAPANESE PERIOD FILM GENRE (JIDAI).
MAKINO SHOUZOU
THIS TERM REFERENCES TENMYOUYA HISASHI’S IDENTIFICATION WITH GRAND, UNCONVENTIONAL, AND EVEN COUNTERCULTURAL SAMURAI.
NEO SAMURAI