Connecting Through the Arts
image: National Treasure Viewing Maple Leaves (detail from 6-panel folding screen), by Kanō Hideyori, 16th c. Tokyo National Museum.
Inspired by the era that witnessed the blossoming of numerous Zen-inspired arts—including Ikebana, tea ceremony, incense ceremony, Noh theatre, renga poetry, sumi ink painting, architectural and garden design — under the patronage of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa in the late 15th century, Dōjin Arts aims to bring together experts in a wide range of different fields of Japanese arts to highlight the points of connection and commonality among the various traditional arts, offering our audience members and workshop participants a deeper understanding of the broader aesthetics, history, and cultural values that bring us together.
名前の由来
Origin of the Dōjin Name
Dōjin Arts is named after the Dōjinsai 同仁斎, a tea room constructed by the 8th Muromachi Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (r. 1449-73) at his retirement villa in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, which would later become Jishōji temple, better known as Ginkakuji, the “Silver Pavilion.”
The Dōjinsai is considered to be the first 4-½ mat tea room, signaling the emergence of a new aesthetic of humble austerity (wabi) that was heavily influenced by Zen philosophy.
Cultivating Connection through the Arts of Japan
芸術文化から日本の伝統を紐解く
At the core of our mission is the belief in building understanding and a strong sense of community through the appreciation of Japanese cultural arts and traditions, all rooted in a profound respect for one another and the natural world.
By offering interactive experiences, and educational programs, we aim to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Japanese cultural heritage.
The Dōjin Japanese Arts Society (Dōjin Arts) is grateful to operate on the unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tseil-Waututh) peoples in Vancouver, Canada.
We hope that our efforts to facilitate opportunities for the public to experience and learn about the traditional arts of Japan may also serve to forge cultural connections that deepen our understanding and appreciation for the indigenous peoples whose ancestral lands we occupy and for their stewardship of the natural world that we benefit from as settlers on their land.