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The Bunjin Style
The Japanese word bunjin means "literary person." It refers to people who work with literature, academic studies, or the fine arts. During Japan's Edo Period a group of such gentleman-scholars emerged as an influence in the worlds of Japanese art, bonsai, and Japanese gardens. They lived in graceful, but understated villas and were known for their reading of poetry and for their dabblings in painting and garden building. This article profiles a few of these gentlemen, their lovely homes, and the "literati" style of art that they developed.