Japanese literature: haiku
Haiku, which evolved out of earlier forms of poetry during the seventeenth century, is one of the best known of Japan's literary traditions in the West. The short poems aim…
Read article
Japanese literature: tanka and renga
Tanka ('short poem') are an older aristocratic form of poetry dating from the seventh century. Renga ('linked verse') is a form of poetry in which short poems are linked to…
Read article
Japanese literature: stories and folk tales
Short folk stories are a well-established tradition in Japan. Oral tales were written down during the sixth and seventh centuries and compiled in the early eighth century.
Read article
Zen calligraphy
Zen calligraphy springs from shonen sōzoku, a Buddhist term equivalent to ‘true thought’.
Read article
Forms of verse: Haiku
Haiku is a very short non-rhyming form in three lines. A strict haiku contains just 17 syllables, divided into lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables.
Read articleA gift in your will
You may not have thought of including a gift to a museum in your will, but the V&A is a charity and legacies form an important source of funding for our work. It is not just the great collectors and the wealthy who leave legacies to the V&A. Legacies of all sizes, large and small, make a real difference to what we can do and your support can help ensure that future generations enjoy the V&A as much as you have.
MoreShop online
Japanese Art and Design (New Edition)

The V&A's greatest treasures from the Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art shine in this newly updated overview of Japanese art from the last four cent…
Buy nowEvent - BSL Talks: Japanese Enamels
Fri 28 June 2013 18:30

BSL TOUR: Join Chisato Minamimuro as she talks about the diverse range of Japanese Enamels in the V&A collection.
Book online
















