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VISUAL LITERACY EXERCISE:
FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS

Geographical features noted in the woodblock print series:

• mountains and rocky crags
• volcanoes
• hills and plains
• forests (deciduous and evergreen)
• rich vegetation
• oceans, rivers and streams
• marshes, swamps, and broad flood plains.

Evidence of human adaptation:

• boats: sail (wind powered), ocean-going fishing vessels, skiffs
• fishing and farming villages clustered against hillsides and along ocean coasts
• paddy fields
• narrow roads and mountain paths
• pedestrian traffic, horses (pack and passenger)
• porters, carrying poles, backpacks, walking sticks
• groves of planted trees
• natural building materials: straw thatch, wood, paper, stone.

Climate:

• a temperate, four season climate: rain, wind, snow, fog / mist
• heat and humidity.

Evidence of human adaptation:

• buildings open to outside air
• paper / wood walls
• loose clothing and loin cloths (summer)
• padded clothing (winter)
• straw hats (sun, rain, snow) and coats (rain, snow), umbrellas (oil, paper)
• warming fires
• rice (paddies), small scale and labor intensive agriculture
• steep-pitched roofs (to ward off winter snow and heavy rains)
• bridges over narrow streams / portage over flood-prone rivers
• flood control projects (stone stream edges, wooden swamp edges)

Questions to consider...

Why do the traditional Japanese homes, temples and other structures found in the prints appear to be built of wood, paper and thatch rather than of abundantly available natural stone?

Why do rural households appear to cluster together at the base of hill and mountain side rather than being scattered across the landscape in the midst of their fields? How does this observation tie into the obvious absence of wheeled vehicles on the Tokaido (despite the fact that the Japanese knew the use of the wheel from very early in their history)?

What does the absence of chimneys suggest about both climate and the utilization of central heating?

What evidence from the image set can you cite indicating ways in which the Japanese relate to the natural world surrounding them?

Some answers...

Structures built of wood and thatch are less vulnerable to the devastating and life-threatening effects of earthquake, typhoon and volcanic eruption (all common occurrences in Japan). Collapsing houses of wood, paper and thatch are less likely to kill their inhabitants than are stone structures. They can be more easily rebuilt as well, using readily-available local materials.

Clustered housing makes possible fuller use of scarce level agricultural land. Narrow pathways also allow more land to be devoted to agricultural use; wagons or carriages would represent a wasteful mode of transportation under such circumstances.

Summer heat and humidity seem to be more purposefully and functionally dealt with than is winter cold. Dealing with chill temperatures appears to involve warming the individual person rather than the entire structure.

The volatility (volcano, typhoon, earthquake) of Japan's physical setting might suggest an awareness both of human vulnerability and of humanity's interdependence with the natural world. It might suggest as well a very high level of ecological awareness, a willingness and ability to exploit and control these surroundings to the fullest extent possible without jeopardizing the survival of both humans and the setting on which they depend for survival.