Bijin

This article is about Japanese term for a beautiful woman. For Chinese metro station, see Bijin Station.
A bijinga painting of a courtesan, by Kaigetsudō Ando, c. 1700 - 1720.

Bijin (美人) is a Japanese term which literally means "a beautiful person". In that it originally derives from Chinese word 美人, the word 美人 is used widely in several Asian countries concluding China, South Korea, North Korea, Vietnam.

Bijin woodblock print by Kikukawa Eizan, 19th century. Brooklyn Museum

Meaning

However, in practice this term means "beautiful woman" because of kanji character bi (美) which has a feminine connotation.[1]

Bijin can also simply mean "(a) beauty"; in a modern and informal context it means "a doll". Bijins are usually beautiful, charming and harmonious women, who wear pretty clothes.

In Mandarin Chinese, 美人 (Pinyin: měirén) also means "a beautiful woman".[2] Like Mandarin Chinese, in Korean language, 美人(Hangul: 미인; RR: Miin) means "a beautiful woman".

Bijin in Japanese art

Main article: Bijin-ga

Pictures of bijins in Japanese art are called bijinga. Bijinga is described as a genre of ukiyo-e paintings.

Some of the greatest bijinga artists are Utamaro, Suzuki Harunobu and Torii Kiyonaga.[3]

Until the beginning of the 20th century, bijinga was really popular.

Famous bijin women

Akita, located on Honshu, in northern Japan, is famous for its "bijins of Akita"[4] which are characterized by their round face, clear skin[5] and high-pitched voice.

Ono no Komachi, one of the Thirty-six Immortals of Poetry, was a beauty from Akita.[6]

Fukuoka, the largest city of Kyushu island in southern Japan, is also known for a large population of bijins.[7]

Some of Utamaro's favourite models have remained bijin famous; for example Naniwaya Okita (fr), a courtesan Hanaōgi (fr), Tomimoto Toyohina (fr) and Takashima Ohisa.[8]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Translation of kanji character 美
  2. ↑ Translation of 美人 in Mandarin Chinese
  3. ↑ Tadashi Kobayashi, Utamaro: Portraits from the Floating World, pages 89-92
  4. ↑ Le Petit Futé : Les bijin d'Akita, page 379 (in French)
  5. ↑ Chris Rowthorn, Ray Bartlett, Andrew Bender, Michael Clark, Matthew D. Firestone, Wendy Yanagihara, Lonely Planet, Japan, page 543
  6. ↑ The Woman Without a Hole - & Other Risky Themes from Old Japanese, page 173
  7. ↑ Chris Rowthorn, Ray Bartlett, Andrew Bender, Michael Clark, Matthew D. Firestone, Wendy Yanagihara, Lonely Planet, Japan, page 666
  8. ↑ Images du Monde Flottant - Peintures et estampes japonaises XVIIe - XVIIIe siècles, pages 300-305 (in French)

Bibliography

See also

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