Japanese Art Show Concludes Tomorrow

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Jan, 2019 ) :The travelling exhibition of Japanese Martial Arts will conclude here on January 21 at the National Art Gallery of Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) featuring "The Spirit of Budo � The History of Japan's Martial Arts." The event was jointly organized by PNCA and the Japan Foundation for residents of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to witness the evolution over more than one thousand years of Japanese martial arts from battlefield combat techniques called "Bujutsu" to popular sports or physical exercise to train the body and cultivate the spirit, called "Budo".

The show is a travelling exhibition and has been to many countries before coming to Pakistan for the second time. The exhibit features reproductions of bows and arrows, elaborate helmets, armory and swords traditionally used in Budo which is literally translated to martial arts but attaches more importance to spiritual aspect of cultivation of oneself through developing both body and soul.

The special feature of this exhibition is that it shows the historical developments of Japanese martial arts from the 8th century to the 19th century through which visitors can see how the spirit of martial arts is still inherent in the daily lives of the Japanese people today.

The exhibition consists of two parts: in the first part, reproductions/originals of historical weapons such as bows and arrows, suits of armor, helmets and so on are shown and the development and changes of Japanese martial arts from 8th century to 19th century are explained.

Many of ancient type of armor and weapons have not survived to the present or, are too fragile for international transport, that is why the reproductions are included to give appearance of suits of armor and helmets at the time of original production even more vividly.

The second part deals with the reorganization of Bujustu to Budo in the 19th and 20th centuries, and how spirit of martial arts is still inherent in the daily life of Japanese people today. Nine Budo associations are also introduced and implements such as bamboo swords, protectors, bows and arrows and so on, which are used by players and students in the present day, are also to be seen.

Through this exhibition, the viewers will become aware of not only the history of Japanese martial arts, but also of people's aesthetic awareness and creativity, and Japan's social history and the Japanese way of thinking from a new angle, said the organizers.

Japanese Budo is one of the most important and inseparable aspects of Japanese culture and is becomingto be more and more appreciated in the world.