This is the first part of a series on Chinese Cultural Relics that are now preserved in Japan, and in this episode the focus is on the ink arts, and especially calligraphy.
Most cultures have deveoped calligraphy, of course, but the Chinese have always placed a specially high value on the art, and examples are found everywhere adorning all aspects of Chinese culture, particularly in temples.
Many examples of Chinese calligraphy were taken from China to Japan for a variety of reasons, and, in some cases, are only found there, and no longer in their homeland.
Travelling all over both countries and talking to many experts this film looks not just at the way these works have found their way to Japan, but also at the influence they had on Japanese culture as well.
What emerges is an insightful look at Sino-Japanese relations over the millennia, and the interlocking development of their cultures.
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