Editing Culture of Japan (section)

==Installation arts==
{{Main|Japanese architecture|Japanese garden|Japanese sculpture}}
[[Japanese architecture]] was originally heavily influenced by [[Chinese architecture]] and later developed many unique aspects indigenous to Japan. Examples of traditional architecture are seen at [[Buddhist temples in Japan|temples]], [[Shinto shrine]]s, and [[Japanese castle|castles]] in [[Kyoto]] and [[Nara, Nara|Nara]]. Some of these buildings are constructed with [[Japanese garden|traditional gardens]], which are influenced by [[Zen]] ideas. Some modern architects, such as [[Yoshio Taniguchi]] and [[Tadao Ando]] are known for their amalgamation of Japanese traditional and Western architectural influences.

Traditional Japanese garden architecture is considered to hold the same importance as traditional building architecture, and both are influenced by similar historical and religious backgrounds. A primary design principle of a traditional garden is the creation of the landscape based on, or at least greatly influenced by, the style of three-dimensional monochrome ink ({{transliteration|ja|[[Inkstick|sumi]]}}) landscape painting known as {{transliteration|ja|sumi-e}} or {{transliteration|ja|suibokuga}}; as such, garden landscaping is elevated to the status of an artform in Japan.<ref>{{Cite book| last = Kuitert | first = Wybe | title = Themes, Scenes, and Taste in the History of Japanese Garden Art. | publisher = J.C.Gieben, Publisher, Amsterdam | year = 1988 |isbn =978-90-5063-021-4}}</ref>

Traditional [[Japanese sculpture]]s mainly focused on Buddhist images, such as [[Tathāgata|Tathagata]], [[Bodhisattva]], and [[Myō-ō]]. The oldest sculpture in Japan is a wooden statue of [[Amitābha]] at the [[Zenkō-ji]] temple. In the Nara period, Buddhist statues were made by the national government to boost its prestige. These examples are seen in present-day Nara and Kyoto, most notably a colossal bronze statue of the Buddha [[Vairocana]] in the [[Tōdai-ji]] temple.

Wood has traditionally been used as the chief material in Japan, along with traditional Japanese architecture. Statues are often [[lacquered]], [[Gilding|gilded]], or brightly painted, although there are commonly few traces of this on the surface. Bronze and other metals are generally not used. Other materials, such as [[Rock (geology)|stone]] and [[pottery]], have had extremely important roles in traditional sculpture.

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Installation arts" heights="130px" per="" row="3">
File:Horyu-ji45s2s4500.jpg|[[Hōryū-ji]] is widely known to be the oldest wooden architecture existing in the world.
File:Ritsurin.JPG|[[Ritsurin Garden]]
File:NaraTodaijiStatue0214.jpg|Guardian in [[Tōdai-ji]], [[Nara, Nara|Nara]]
</gallery>