The Art of Japanese Life

Though made of wood, the carved cicada is in every other respect true to nature, with tiny compound eyes and a ribbed back perfect in every detail. The centuries-old carving is an exquisite emblem of The Art of Japanese Life (Monday, BBC4, 9pm) explored by Dr James Fox in his erudite new three-part series.

The art historian’s fascination with a country he describes as a ‘parallel universe, a society so similar and yet so different from our own’ is fired most of all by the way in which aesthetic values infuse every part of Japanese life. You see what he means from the nation’s ancient creation myth: this is, after all, ‘the land of the eight great islands’ that were formed from the drops of rain which fell from the tip of a God’s spear.

The first episode is devoted to the culture’s deeply ingrained connections to nature, a relationship that through Shintoism merges into something akin to worship: witness the offering of food and drink left by a priest as a gift to a waterfall that courses 500 feet down. Perhaps it is no surprise that amid so many active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes the natural kingdom should be granted such honour. But tradition is now under attack, as Fox discovers how the irresistible onward rush of modernity is threatening to topple the past. With his faultless tailoring, this englishman abroad fits right in as a respectful and ever-curious guest and is a redoubtable defender of all that should be preserved.

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BBC CARDIff SINGER Of THE WORLD 2017 (Saturday, BBC4, 7.30pm)
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HOSPITAL (Tuesday, BBC2, 9pm)
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