chōkan zuhō 鳥瞰図法

A bird's-eye view. Also fukan zuhō 俯瞰図法 (view from above). One type of perspective popular in Japanese painting, especially on handscrolls and screens. This perspective was used for early illustrations of Buddhist tales *setsuwaga 説話画, as well as illustrated secular tales popularized during the Heian and Kamakura periods. The technique is particularly useful for depicting scenes covering large areas, including land formations, sections of cities, battlegrounds, or scenes of famous places. Large-area paintings are almost map-like. Numerous screens from the 16th- and 17th-century illustrating Scenes In and Around Kyoto *rakuchū rakugai zu 洛中洛外図 are good examples of the use of this perspective.