ABSTRACT
‘Art’ is generally translated as Bijutsu (美術) or Geijutsu (芸術) in Japanese. Bijutsu means plastic or visual arts, mainly painting and sculpture, and Geijutsu is used in the broader sense of fine arts, which includes art, music, literature, drama, and so on. Of these, Bijutsu was a newly created term in the Meiji era (1868–1912), when the words and concepts of ‘Art’ were translated and introduced into Japan.
In Japan, various words and concepts related to art were imported from the West during the Meiji era, and by adopting the creative techniques and aesthetic values of Western art, Japan also sought to modernise its art. At the same time, during the Meiji period, Japan established a modern school education system following Western and incorporated art education into its curriculum.
This chapter describes the dialogue between Japan and the West, focusing on the Meiji period, when art and the school education system were established in Japan. First, based on research into the history of Japanese art, the trends in art during the Meiji period are reviewed. Next, the chapter will take up Kakuzo Okakura (岡倉覚三), a Meiji-era thinker who left a significant mark on Japanese art, and examine his work on art education and his thoughts. Based on the above discussion, this chapter is summarised by discussing recent trends of art education in Japanese school education and prospecting the future of art education in Japan.
