rideforever Posted February 16, 2020 Japanese woodblock paintings that are very popular like the great wave, that genre is called Ukiyo-e meaning "pictures of the floating world". It's a very interested term. I saw a documentary on the Japanese Empire, it's rise and fall, at one point hundreds of years ago Japan sensing globalisation from the approach of foreign ships closed its doors and burnt any foreigners that came too close. But after some time walling itself off an American fleet arrived and demanded trade at the end of a gun, the American's arrived with warships ... and eventually the Japanese opened its doors. Trade surged and the Empire died. The streets were full of traders and their wares. At night coloured lanterns lined the streets, music and alcohol flowed, and large red light districts were constructed with all sorts of activities. A floating world of colour and noise that was captured by the woodblock artists. Anyway thinking of an analogy of the floating world it seems to me it is like setting fire to the top of an oil well. The flames surge upwards and outwards burning all that energy in a merry dance of fire. For human societies it is their own energy that is filling the night sky with fire. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
