Art Forms and Cultural Reflection in Chinese and Japanese Traditions

During China's dynastic periods, teachings and customs drawn from Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism were included in many literary works, and over time, the ideas and viewpoints presented in these works have shaped the country's values and social mores. Often, these works—which functioned as forums for societal criticism and moral instruction—emphasized the virtues of loyalty, filial devotion, and community peace. In a similar vein, Japanese period cinema produced in the Jidaigeki style illuminate the feudal era in stylized but critical depictions. These films covered, among other things, the rigid bushido regulations and the samurai way of life. The art of these two traditions not only reflects cultural standards, but also provides for an opportunity to investigate and reevaluate the ideals that exist in these traditions. In addition to shedding insight on the complex relationship that exists between tradition and modernity, they also have the ability to influence and reflect the dynamic that drives the formation of cultural identities.

Chinese dynastic literature, comprising mostly of poetry and prose, usually reflected the prevailing social mores of the period, which were based on Confucian ideas that emphasized the importance of family, social rank, and devotion to the state. One of the Five Classics, "The Book of Songs" (Shijing), is a prime example of how literature formalized these conventions; it uses poetry to exemplify values like loyalty and filial devotion (Lewis 2001). Novels composed during the Ming and Qing periods expand upon these ideas, but they are often given in a more nuanced form in subsequent works. As an illustration, Cao Xueqin's "Dream of the Red Chamber" is a

In contrast, Jidaigeki, or Japanese period cinema, often presents a more direct critique of society conventions and customs. This is a reflection of Japan's struggle to come to terms with its historical legacy after the war. The film "Seven Samurai," directed by Akira Kurosawa, for instance, depicts a society that is in a state of instability. In this film, samurai, who are typically seen as exemplary examples of morality, are instead shown to be fragile and flawed (Prince 1991). However, it is Masaki Kobayashi's "Harakiri" that delivers a searing indictment of Japan's feudal past. In the film, traditional samurai principles are subverted, and the film reveals the hollowness of bushido when it is confronted with human misery. The story, which is propelled by Hanshiro Tsugumo's pursuit of justice, emphasizes how the societal structures that are preserved by the samurai ethos frequently overlook the wellbeing of individuals, thereby revealing the hypocrisy that lies beneath the facade of honor (Masaki 1962). The change in tone of the narrative highlights how Jidaigeki is able to simultaneously criticize and appreciate conventional conventions.

There is a complex relationship that exists between preserving cultural traditions and questioning them, and Jidaigeki and dynastic Chinese literature both give light on this dynamic. Jidaigeki filmmaking, which is characterized by its more direct approach, is a reflection of Japan that has witnessed the collapse of its traditional systems. The Chinese literary tradition, on the other hand, subtly integrates criticism into narratives that, on the surface, appear to support Confucian principles. For instance, the film "Harakiri" questions the basic tenets upon which the

social structure of medieval Japan was built through the use of Tsugumo's story. In this way, the flaws of the honor code—which values appearances more than internal consistency—are exposed. In the years following World War II, the cultural atmosphere in Japan was believed to have been more open to publicly opposing conventional norms and values (Richie, 2005; Mellen, 2019). This is essentially very different from Chinese writing customs, which often use metaphor to hide its critique.

In sum, examining these many artistic expressions more closely will help one understand how various civilizations dealt with the challenge of upholding cultural standards while also experimenting with new ones. There are many literary works from the Chinese Dynastic era that subtly challenge social injustices while nevertheless upholding Confucian principles. Conversely, the jidaigeki subgenre of historical films, which openly criticizes the then-dominant traditional social conventions, captures the disillusionment that Japan felt following the war. These are some instances of how art could capture the attempts society tries to strike a balance between tradition and modernity. Through these conversations, I have learned the significance of the historical background of each culture in influencing the expression and interpretation of these issues as well as the thin line that needs to be walked between honoring tradition and promoting artistic development. The knowledge I have gained from these lessons also enables me to approach future conversations about the evolution of art with a more educated and receptive mind.

References

Lewis, Michael M. 2001. “Writing and Authority in Early China.” Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 61 (1): 198. https://doi.org/10.2307/3558592.

Masaki, Kobayashi, dir. 1962. Harakiri (切腹, Seppuku). Shochiku.

Mellen, Joan. 2019. Seven Samurai. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Prince, Stephen. 1991. “The Warrior’s Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa.” Monumenta Nipponica 46 (4): 574. https://doi.org/10.2307/2385205.

Wang, Jing. 1989. “The Poetics of Chinese Narrative: An Analysis of Andrew Plaks’ Archetype and Allegory in the ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’.” Comparative Literature Studies 26 (3): 252–70. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40246679.

Ritchie, Donald. 2005. A Hundred Years of Japanese Film: A Concise History, with a Selective Guide to DVDs and Videos. Kodansha International.