The Formation of the Concept of "Nihonga" and a Cultural Comparison of "Line": Its Relationship with Ukiyo-e and Connections to Contemporary Creative Practice

This paper examines the historical formation of the concept of “Nihonga” (Japanese-style painting) in modern Japan, its distinction from ukiyo-e, and a comparative analysis of “line” in Chinese and Japanese painting traditions. Tracing Nihonga’s emergence within Meiji-era institutional frameworks as a response to Western art, it contrasts Nihonga’s single-piece, artist-centered production with ukiyo-e’s mass-reproduced, collaborative nature. The central comparison focuses on “line” not as mere technique but as a carrier of differing aesthetic and perceptual values across East Asian traditions. Finally, these insights are linked to contemporary creative practices that treat Nihonga materials and processes as flexible methodological resources rather than fixed tradition. The study argues for understanding Nihonga as an evolving framework open to reinterpretation in response to present-day concerns.