This course introduces you to the rich and diverse artistic traditions of Japan from the prehistoric period to the early 20th Century. We will discuss a wide array of artistic media and techniques, including not just painting, sculpture, and architecture, but also textiles, calligraphy, gardens, ceramics, prints, and more. We will situate these art objects within the historical contexts in which they were produced, circulated, and appreciated, focusing on how they were shaped by literature, commerce, and religions like Buddhism and Shintoism. In addition to developing students’ skills in visual-material analysis, we will center our discussion on topics such as the cultural and artistic exchanges between Japan and other regions of Asia and Europe, mapping the Buddhist cosmos, Zen Buddhism and ink paintings, and Buddhist architecture.