Art has been around for a long time and has influenced us in many ways. It helps us understand who we are, tells us stories from centuries and gives us the details of life in the past. In ancient times, art was used as a way to represent God, people, the difference between cultures, and economic importance. There are many great works of art found throughout history, however, in this essay I will talk about Japanese art before 1333 and why art from that time is still important and how it influenced Japanese culture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Many of the Japanese arts to this day are still considered important because they tell us about the different time period of the Japanese which corresponds to the social change. In the Heian period, art and architecture had a great influence on Japanese culture. This is the time when Buddhism and the new development of shrines begin. Buddhism originated in India in the late 6th century BC by Siddhartha Gautama. It is a religion practiced by most Asian countries today. Buddhism was first introduced to Japan from Korea during a visit to Japan. During one visit the Korean brought a Buddha image and a sutra scroll to present to Emperor Kimmei (531-571), according to Linden, a writer and teacher in Japan. Emperor Kimmei became interested in Buddhism. Buddhism was soon adopted in Japan by Shotoku Taishi, a prince who ruled Japan between 594 and 622. During the establishment of Buddhism in Japan, it played an important role in the development of Japanese art and architecture which it results in the creation of paintings, sculptures, new shrines and the discovery of many new things. Since the practice of Buddhism began in the early Heian period, many of the Heian artworks are still influenced by the Kamakura period. The Kamakura period began between 1192 and 1333. It was ruled by the shogun, meaning military commander, according to Szczepanski, a former writer and history teacher. During the Kamakura period, samurai took control of the Japanese empire. Many of the artworks of this period were reflected in Buddhism. The artworks were Buddha images painted on the walls of temples/shrines, paper and textiles. There are also paintings that show the characteristics of Japanese culture. These paintings come in many forms. One of them is the Yamato-e painting. The Yamato-e painting was inspired by the Tang Dynasty, originating from China. According to Yan, an assistant professor of art history at Manhattan Community College, says, "Yamato-e is defined by Heian period screens and image scrolls in a Japanese painting style." This painting often shows nature, such as plants and flowers, the palace, as well as illustrations of architecture and people. Yamato-e was one of the oldest paintings in Japan and is sometimes seen in art from the Kamakura period. Besides Yamato-e painting, another great form of painting is Emakimono. Emakimono or also called Emaki is a hand-painted scroll that can be made on paper or silk. This scroll shows battles, religion and folktales. In addition to painting there were also sculptures of statues, mostly Buddhas, made of wood. Sculptures during the Kamakura period were very important and because of this there was a school of sculpture called the Kai School. Some of the sculptures from this period were influenced by China. One of the most famous sculptors of this era is Unkei. According to the article "Tokyo National Museum to host largest exhibition to date of Unkei, genius of Buddhist sculpture" by Anne Wisman, Unkei was a Japanese sculpture at the.