2025 NO.38
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The Japanese People and Space
Experiencing the Universe in Japan
The Japanese have long revered the light emanating from the sun, moon, and stars, reflecting their glowing beauty in both their physical landscapes and their visual art. For the Japanese, the magnificence of the cosmos always evokes the harmonious relationship between nature and humankind.
Meteor shower in full display over Mt. Fuji (Photo: PIXTA)
Starry sky above Konpira Shrine in Shosanbetsu Village in Hokkaido (Photo: PIXTA)
The rising sun between the Meoto Iwa (“Wedded Rocks”) at Futamigaura in Ise City, Mie Prefecture (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Folding screen depicting the moon and sun with autumnal grasses. Artwork portraying this motif, a favorite subject of Japanese paintings since ancient times, represents the Musashino plain in western Edo (present-day Tokyo).
Jitsugetsu Akikusazu Byobu (Screens dipicting sun, moon, and autumnal grasses) (Collection of Fujita Museum)
This Yohen Tenmoku tea bowl, a National Treasure believed to have been produced in the 12–13th century, is one of just three that are known to still exist. Mutations in the black bowl’s glaze create star-like flecks that bring to mind the cosmos. The nobility in early Japan were eager to own one of these very special tea bowls. (Collection of Fujita Museum)