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How did Korean artisans help introduce Buddhist art to Japan during the Asuka period?

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The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai shows a towering blue wave threatening boats, with Mount Fuji visible in the background. — Japanese art *The Breaking Wave off Kanagawa*, woodblock colour print by Hokusai, from the series *Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji*, 1826–33.

During the Asuka period, Korean artisans played a pivotal role in the introduction and development of Buddhist art in Japan through intensive cultural and political exchanges, particularly with the kingdom of Paekche.12

As Buddhism was established as a state religion, the Japanese court sought to assimilate the sophisticated religious and artistic traditions of the continent. To support this, large numbers of Korean artisans skilled in fields essential to Buddhist practice—including metalwork, sculpture, painting, and ceramics—immigrated to or were brought to Japan. These artisans were instrumental in:1

Temple Construction: They helped build temple complexes, such as the Asuka Temple and the original Hōryū Temple, which replicated architectural forms popular in Paekche and Koguryŏ.2
Iconography and Production: They provided the expertise necessary to create the sculptures, liturgical implements, and religious paintings required for worship within these new temple halls.12
Artistic Influence: Beyond technical skills, Korean influence shaped the aesthetic direction of Japanese visual arts. For example, the famed wall paintings at the Hōryū Temple have been attributed to the Koguryŏ painter Tamjing.3

This systematic assimilation of Korean-mediated continental culture provided the foundational skills that allowed Japanese society to develop its own public and private forms of Buddhist visual expression.13