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Cities

The Art of Japanese Life Series 1
Episode 2 of 3

James Fox explores how the artistic life of three Japanese cities shaped the country's attitudes to past and present, east and west, and helped forge the very idea of Japan itself.

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.

Beginning in Kyoto, the country's capital for almost a thousand years, James reveals 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. In the city of Edo, where Tokyo now stands, a very different art form emerged, in the wood block prints of artists such as Hokusai and Hiroshige. James meets the artisans still creating these prints today, and discovers original works by a great master, Utamaro, who documented the so-called 'floating world' - the pleasure district of Edo.

In contemporary Tokyo, James discovers the darker side of Japan's urbanisation, through the photographs of street photographer Daido Moriyama, and meets one of the founders of the world-famous Studio Ghibli, Isao Takahata, whose haunting anime film Grave of the Fireflies helped establish anime as a powerful and serious art form.

1 hour

On TV

Fri 11 Oct 2024 16:30
主播大秀 Persian TV

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Clips

See all clips from Cities (4)

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:01

    Cradle of Filth

    Death Magick For Adepts

  • 00:54

    Miwon

    Shinkansen

Credits

Presenter James Fox
Producer Matthew Springford
Executive Producer Richard Bright

Broadcasts

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