Zen in Japanese Culture: A Visual Journey through Art, Design, and Life

A visual journey through Zen’s influence on Japanese life, from calligraphy to the martial arts

Formed by a convergence of the Buddha’s teachings with Taoism and local tradition, Zen has had a profound impact on the art and culture of Japan. As a philosophy, Zen promotes a recognition of emptiness and impermanence. As an aesthetic, it is marked by striking simplicity and a reverence for space. It operates on the principle of wabi-sabi, the harmony found in all things transient and imperfect....