Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that is influenced by the concepts of value and beauty as they connect to the arts. Philosophers throughout time, such as Plato, have presented solid ideas about what artists should create and what people should like. In the world of today people have become more liberal on the philosophy of art resulting in the vast array of modern artist and styles/methods. Aesthetics varies from culture to culture because of people's various apperception, uses, and beliefs about art and beauty. Depending on the critic's perspective, the work of art can be interpreted as having a different meaning than that of the artist's original intent.

The aesthetics of Japan matured on its own because of Japan's geographic location. The sea protected Japan from foreign invasion and enabled its rulers to control contact with other nations. Isolation allowed Japan's aesthetic art forms to develop on their own until inevitable contact with other cultures took place, such as the Chinese, Buddhist, and even the Western. The Japanese word katachi bears the closest meaning to "art." It means "form and design," implying that art means the something is living and

One of the greatest influences in Japanese aesthetics is a direct result of the introduction of Zen Buddhism. The donation of Zen to Japanese culture consists of architecture, poetry, ceramics, painting, calligraphy, gardening, the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and other crafts. Calligraphy is based on brush strokes that are sweeping and fluid in motion, emphasizing spontaneity rather than predictability, random rather than fixed. According to Zen philosophy, or religion, reality is each moment authentically lived. In landscape painting emptiness is a key element, because space itself is brought to life with a few strokes of the brush. This reflects the Zen idea of mushin, empty subject-object discrimination. Japanese poetry, or haiku, advocates serenity and simplicity to invoke mood and arousal. Flower arranging consists of natural appeal and charm. It is accomplished with a remote display of blossoms, and it is made sure that the arrangement is set up to look like it was still in or made by nature. In landscape gardening the gardener cultivates as if not cultivating (wu wei), as if the gardener were one with the garden. As a result, the garden appears helped rather than controlled. A

Some common words found in the essay are:
Vol II, According Zen, Religion Aesthetics, Western Japanese, Japan Isolated, Zen Japanese, Zen Buddhist, Despite Western, Zen Buddhism, japanese art, religion created, kami worship, japanese aesthetics, simplicity harmony, art means,
Approximate Word count = 807
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)