Today, Japanese anime is popular with people around the world.
Neo-Japonism.
It is a phenomenon resonating around the world with the aesthetic sense inherited by the Japanese from a unique and rich cultural imagination that began over 10,000 years ago.
Together, let's take a look back at the origins of this Japanese aesthetic sense.

In the Jomon period.
Creative expressions flourished in Japan long before Christ.

A distinct aestheticism was budding.

Around the 3rd century ancient tomb building began.
Haniwa, or clay figurines, were arranged around the tombs.
They looked like this when they were made.
The color red was used to keep evil spirits away.
White was the color of purification.

Later, a Buddhist culture unique to this country blossomed.
It is distinguished by delicateness and grace.

In the era of civil war.
Warlords donned divine armor.

They loved performing arts that depicted the ever-changing world.
They were acutely aware that nothing is constant.

The Edo Period began in the 17th century.
A scene from Kyoto City, painted with a hope for peace.
It is extremely realistic and lively.

Wind God and Thunder God.
Prayers to nature and harmony with nature.
The idea of animism underpinned everything.

Over its long history, Japan's unique aesthetic sense was expressed in diverse forms.
In the middle of the Edo Period,a culture for common people thrived.
A major influencer was Tsutaya Jūzaburō, who is the protagonist of NHK's historical drama "Berabou."
As a publishing producer, he built the foundations of Japanese pop culture.

Tsutaya Jūzaburō was also known as Tsutajū.
Tsutajū was very charismatic and attracted many talented people.
He then discovered brilliant artists such as Utamaro and Sharaku.

See the incredibly delicate details.

Powerful expression that captures a moment.
A distinct approach to realism.

And the unique attention to empty space.

Ordinary folks shaped the culture, enjoying their lives and entertaining themselves.
This culture pleased the people of the time,was widely spread, and became very popular.
Over 100 years later, in the 20th century,a new type of pop culture evolved.
Japanese anime.

In the Taisho Period, the first Japanese anime was created.
"The Dull Sword"
It's Japan's oldest surviving anime film.
In the Showa Period, many masterpieces were born.
"Future Boy Conan."
Hayao Miyazaki made his directorial debut with this anime series.
During the Heisei Period, Japanese anime enjoyed success overseas.
The "Pokémon: Indigo League" TV anime series.
It was broadcast globally in over 190 countries and regions.

Japanese anime is now very popular around the world.
It shares common qualities with Japan's traditional culture and aestheticism.
The last chapter of Immersive Theater explores the unique aesthetics underlying Japanese anime.

"Astro Boy."
The very first Japanese TV anime series, created by Osamu Tezuka.
He once remarked, "Animation is a kind of animism."
Anime arises from animism.
I mean, it's the art of breathing life into lifeless objects.
First, there's a non-living object,just a still sketch created using a brush.
But it begins moving as if alive, emitting sounds and colors.
It can move freely.
It can even be an impossible entity.

Animism reflects a distinct Japanese outlook on life.
Its symbolic representation is"Choju jinbutsu giga."
A rabbit splashes water.
Next to it, a rabbit holds her nose and dives backward.
This is clearly a human being.
Animals gradually turn into humans.
This is a true personifying caricature.

"The Tale of The Princess Kaguya" remains popular worldwide, over 10 years after its completion.
Director Isao Takahata once said, "Expressions similar to animation were already being used in the 12th century."
I think that manga and anime are rooted in works like the "Shigisan Engi Emaki,"which I think is the starting point, or the source.
"Shigisan Engi Emaki" is a pictorial scroll from the Heian Period.
It tells the tale of a monk who rebuilt a mountain temple in Nara.
Notable is its portrayal of time and movement, as shown in these flying rice sacks.

They most likely had fun looking at the scroll and being amazed at the changing scenes.
This is a unique characteristic of Japanese picture scrolls.
Artists had attempted this in the later half of the 12th century.
The viewer watches things progress over time, just like in a movie.
In that sense, it is truly cinematic.
And, because it consists of sketches,I believe that it is very anime-like.

Mamoru Hosoda directed "BELLE."
According to Hosoda, "The portrayal of characters in animation also has something in common with unique Japanese culture."
Characters' faces and figures are purposely portrayed in a simple fashion.
The artistic quality is achieved by avoiding drawing details.
The tradition of omitting is particularly prominent in Japanese art.
Hasegawa Tōhaku's "Pine Forest" is an example.

"Pine Forest," a Japanese national treasure,is a folding screen created in the 16th century.
It is one of the greatest masterpieces of ink painting.
It's a picture of a pine forest that emerges from the mist.
The picture, in essence, is mostly empty.
With this empty space, which is invisible due to the fog, the Japanese feel something deeper.
Perhaps it is something more than just a pine forest, or a profound emotion,or an existence that transcends humanity.
Japanese painting has a tradition of making use of omission and blank areas in its artistic expression.