Dr James Fox explores how the artistic life of three great Japanese cities shaped the country's attitudes to past and present, east and west, and helped forge the very idea of Japan itself. The first city he explores is Kyoto, the country's capital for almost a thousand years. We get to explore and understand how the flowering of classical culture produced many great treasures of Japanese art, including "The Tale of Genji", considered to be the first novel ever written. We also venture to the city of Edo, where Tokyo now stands. Dr James Fox continues by visiting Tokyo's more contemporary side and meets street photographer Daido Moriyama and one of the founders of the world famous Studio Ghibli, Isao Takahata, whose anime work in the form of films has helped establish anime as a powerful and serious art form.
In this landmark series, art historian Dr James Fox takes us on a captivating journey through the art and history of one of the world's most enigmatic cultures. Travelling the length of Japan, James explores every inch from the falling cherry blossoms to the dazzling modern cities. Along the way James will discover for himself the importance of art and aesthetics to the Japanese life and culture. He will learn the secrets behind brush-painting, block-printing, bonsai-trimming as well as the importance of Japanese cities and their impact on the country as a whole.