Nihonga is listed in dictionaries as “Japanese Style Painting”. In fact, contemporary Nihonga displays a kaleidoscopic range of styles, many influenced by international art and ideas, to the extent that it is sometimes difficult to see any Japanese stylistic traits. Nihonga is perhaps best defined in terms of heritage and methods of production. The term for Nihonga was first used to refer to works which were distinctly Japanese for the first time, having digested the art of older cultures - especially India, China and Korea. The materials and methods of production are still relatively unchanged after centuries. Sumi (an ink like medium), natural mineral pigments, gold and silver leaf are painted on Japanese hand made paper panels, folding and sliding screens and scrolls.