Why study the history of Japanese art?  Is the primary benefit of such a field the creation of an internal story of “art begetting art,” or are there other things one can learn from analysis of visual culture that textual history might overlook?  More broadly, what can a close examination of Japanese art teach us about other cultures, periods, or people?  Can you see connections between the skills and concepts you have learned in this class and questions you have encountered in other courses or in your life outside of school?