Taniguchi Buson, or Yosa Buson, was an influential painter and poet during the Edo period. Born in a suburb of Osaka, Japan, Buson was an orphan who eventually moved to Edo to study painting and haiku poetry in the tradition of Basho. He first gained notice for his visual art -- like much traditional

Elegant, Ethereal, Minimal, Sensual, Serene, Zen & haiku

Eiko and Koma are a Japanese husband-and-wife team that creates sometimes-serene, sometimes-intense dances. Though their background lies in Butoh, Eiko and Koma make laconic distinctions between themselves and post-war Japan's "dance of utter darkness." With names like "Grain," "Beam," and "Land, Win

Butoh, Contemplative, Dreamy, Epic, Minimal, Serene

Yohji Yamamoto's 1999 spring fashion show is said to have made hardened fashion editors cry. The so-called King of Japanese Deconstructivism takes a poetic stance with his angular and hard-edged designs, emphasizing simplicity of both line and function. His work is filled with dark, sharp, vivid line

Clean, Dark, Deconstructive, Minimal, Sexy

A decelerated and aware contemplation. A slow introspection that arises in response to a meticulously wrought aesthetic object. Walter Pater asked, "What is this song or picture, this engaging personality presented in life or in a book, to me?" To discover Hiroshi Sugimoto is to answer that question

Contemplative, Empty, Ethereal, Minimal, Serene, Silence