Differences Between Chinese and Japanese Buddhist Art

Buddhism is a very important religion in the countries of China and Japan. It has affected culture, politics, and philosophy for nearly two thousand years in both countries. Buddhists in China and Japan are similar but they are also different in the way they express their beliefs through their art.

Buddhism is a major religion in China. Along with Taoism and Confucianism, it is one of the three schools of thought in China. Buddhism was introduced to China around 67 CE from merchants traveling to China from Central Asia. Buddhism was officially introduced by two monks named Moton and Chufarlan. Together, they established the White Horse Temple which still exists today. During the 8th century Buddhism became very popular in China. The development of Buddhist art soon followed with an emphasis on statues. China incorporated strong Chinese qualities in the appearance of their art.

During the 5th and 6th centuries the Northern Dynasties started to develop Buddhist art that was very symbolic and was very abstract with its representation of the Buddhist culture. The Northern Dynasty art was much different from the initial Buddhist art. The original Buddhist art had the purpose of expressing the ideal of enlightenment in a realistic style. Eventually the Buddhist art of China would go back to more of naturalism and realistic style leading to the expression of Tang Buddhist art.

Buddhist sculpture under the Tang dynasty was more life like than the previous art under the Northern Dynasties. The Tang dynasty was very open to foreign trade and as a result Chinese Buddhist monks traveled often to India and brought back the influence of Indian Buddhist art. Near the end of the Tang dynasty, the Emperor Wuzong outlawed all foreign religions which included Buddhism so he could support Taoism. He confiscated Buddhist goods and forced Buddhists to go underground in order to continue their art.

The popularity of Buddhism in China has made it home to one of the largest collections of Buddhist art in the world. It is made clear by the many structures and scripture filled caves that are still in existence today. The Longmen Grottoes and the Dazu Stone Carvings are just a few examples of important and famous Buddhist sculptural sites. China is also the home to the Leshan Giant Buddha which is the largest Buddha statue in the world.

Japan is the largest Buddhist country in the world today. Buddhism was introduced into Japan in the 6th century when monks traveled to the Japanese islands with Buddhist scriptures and art. Japan was able to preserve many aspects of Buddhism at the same time that it was being repressed in countries like India and China. Many Buddhist temples and monasteries were built in the years following the introduction of Buddhism to the Japanese people.

The Japanese government sponsored many Buddhist paintings and sculptures. The Japanese Buddhist art was influenced by Indian, Chinese, and Korean Buddhist artwork. This mixture of artistic styles came together to form an uniquely original style that was defined by its realism. Japanese Buddhist art flourished between the 8th and 13th centuries. The art primarily focused on art of Buddhist deities which were sometimes combined with Hindu and Shinto influences.

Another development in Japanese Buddhist art was Zen art. Zen art is defined by original paintings and poetry. Zen art tries to express the true essence of the earth through impressionistic and non-dualistic representations. Buddhism remains very active in Japan today. There are around 80,000 Buddhist temples preserved in Japan presently.

Japan and China both have their own unique artistic styles. Chinese Buddhist art was influenced heavily by the Chinese culture. When Buddhism first arrived in China, the Chinese took the Buddhist art and gave it their own distinctive style. The first Chinese Buddhist art from the Northern Dynasties were more abstract and was less realistic then the Buddhist art from Central Asia at the time.

Chinese Buddhist art then began change over to a more realism approach. The abstract style was replaced because of contact with other foreign countries. Countries such as India influenced the Chinese with their more realistic approach to Buddhist sculptures and paintings. The realistic style has continued in China to present day.

Throughout its history Japanese art has relied heavily on forms and techniques borrowed from China. Buddhism was introduced to Japan by Buddhist monks that traveled there from mainland China and Korea. Japanese Buddhist art was clearly influenced partially by the artwork done during the Tang Dynasty. It was also influenced by the artwork of Korea and India as well.

The Japanese Buddhist art does differ from the Chinese art because the Japanese took the best from the Chinese, Koreans, and Indians to form their own type of art. The Chinese borrowed from other countries too but not as much as the Japanese did. The Japanese style focused more on the gods and spirits than the Chinese art did. The Japanese also started Zen art. The Chinese didn't have anything like Zen art which was more impressionistic than the other types of Buddhist art of that time.

Both the Japanese and the Chinese incorporate realism into their Buddhist art. Despite their art both containing realism there is much that is different between the two countries Buddhist art. The Chinese focused primarily on statues to express their faith through art. The Japanese on the other hand focused on paintings and poetry especially Haiku poems to express their beliefs through art. The government of Japan sponsored Buddhist paintings but the Chinese government never sponsored that type of art. A lot of the earlier Chinese art was abstract in nature while the Japanese were not interested in doing abstract art for Buddhism. The Japanese tended to focus more on realistic portrayals of Buddha and the other deities associated with Buddhism.

The Buddhist art is very important to the Buddhists living in both Japan and China. The art isn't just for the people who follow the Buddhist religion. Buddhist art has been adored and admired by all art lovers from all over the world. Many of their art is world famous like the giant statue of Buddha. The art has helped shape the cultures of both the Chinese and Japanese people.