Japanese artists, musicians, actors, and authors have written much over the centuries about the creation, meaning, and appreciation of various arts. Most of these works, however, are scattered among countless hard-to-find sources or make only a fleeting appearance in books devoted to other subjects. Compiled in this volume is a wealth of original material on Japanese arts and culture from the prehistoric era to the Meiji Restoration (1867). These carefully selected sources, including many translated here for the first time, are placed in their historical context and outfitted with brief commentaries, allowing the reader to make connections to larger concepts and values found in Japanese culture. The book is a treasure trove of material on the visual and literary arts, but it contains as well primary texts on topics not easily classified in Western categories, such as the martial and culinary arts, the art of tea, and flower arranging.

Le artistes, musiciens, comédiens et auteurs japonais ont laissé de nombreux écrits sur le processus de la création, sur l'appréciation et sur le sens des arts. Cependant, la plupart de leurs écrits sont rares et difficiles à trouver, ou éparpillés au compte-goutte dans des ouvrages plus généraux. Ce volume propose une compilation de ces écrits originaux sur l'art et la culture japonais depuis la préhistoire jusqu'à la Restauration Meiji (1867).