Nihonga Paintings Express World of Classical Text ‘Manyoshu'; New Book Shows How Artforms Connect

Yomiuri Shimbun

2 days ago

Japanese literature specialist Susumu Nakanishi has published a book introducing the appeal of manyo nihonga, paintings inspired by works in Manyoshu, a compilation of classic waka poems of the eighth century.
The 95-year-old author of 'Nakanishi Susumu to Manyoga o Tanoshimu' (Find enjoyment in manyo nihonga with Susumu Nakanishi), published by Tankosha Publishing, believes that poetry and painting are closely related. He talked about the pleasure of enjoying waka poetry together with paintings in an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun.
Manyo nihonga was created for the opening of the Nara Prefecture Complex of Man'yo Culture in Asuka, Nara Prefecture, in 2001. Nakanishi served as the complex's first director. The collection features work by 154 artists, including Matazo Kayama and Shoko Uemura. They depict landscapes and figures described in Japan's oldest anthology of poems. The ancient waka poetry and modern paintings meet and resonate with each other, creating vivid imagery.
Nakanishi said that adding pictures to poetry is something 'essential' for human beings. The leading scholar of Manyoshu was a member of a university art club when he was a student.
'What you hear becomes literature, and what you see becomes pictures. Poetry and pictures are two sides of the same coin in terms of sensitivity, and, depending on the way we perceive nature, it becomes a picture or a poem,' he said.
Manyoshu is a collection of poems by a wide range of people, from emperors to commoners. Various areas in Japan serve as settings, with many being composed by people while traveling for leisure or for work.For example, a poem by Yamabe no Akahito about snow-capped Mt. Fuji reads:
'Tagonoura yu / uchiidete mireba / mashiro niso / fuji no takane ni / yuki wa furikeru' (When going out along the shore of Tago and looking at the lofty peak of Mt. Fuji, I see white, glittering snow on top)
Inspired by this poem, Tamako Kataoka, in 'Mt. Fuji Seen from Tagonoura,' boldly depicted the mountain with a halo of light.
'The painting depicts well the deep shock the people of that period, who were accustomed to rounded mountains, must have had when they saw the sharp figure of Mt Fuji. It depicts the sacredness of the mountain, too,' Nakanishi said. He said Kataoka did not paint the mountain as it was, but instead 'broke down the concrete image of the mountain and reconstructed people's surprise.'Nakanishi also talked about colors. Shunei Nishida painted 'Losing My Way among Autumn Leaves,' inspired by a poem by Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, which reads:
'Akiyama no / momichi o shigemi / matoinuru / imo o motomen / yamaji shirazumo' (With the lush yellow leaves of autumn mountain, I wander the mountain path seeking my lost wife)
Nishida painted most of the canvas in red, depicting a landscape of autumn leaves.
'I was stunned by the bold blood-red color,' said Nakanishi. He also pointed to a small white waterfall painted in the background. Since ancient times, white has been considered a sacred color, and that is why he sees the waterfall as a symbol of an 'unobtainable, pure white soul' that Hitomaro was seeking.
'While you stare at paintings, you begin to feel as if they grow eyes and stare back at you,' Nakanishi said.
The new book carries about 30 paintings and text by Nakanishi containing knowledge and thoughts about Manyoshu and columns by Sayaka Inoue, the planning and research section chief at the cultural facility. Written in simple yet profound language, the book serves as an introduction to the world of Manyoshu.
Nakanishi believes that the world of poetry, which conveys something more than facts, is indispensable for modern people. He compared it to 'frills' on clothing. 'They may not serve any practical purpose but can comfort people and soothe their hearts. The role of poetry is essential to human beings,' he said.
Poems in Manyoshu still stir the imaginations of people and touch their hearts. Manyo nihonga, which bring together the sensibilities of ancient and modern times, remind us of poetry's universal power.