The article examines the history of the distribution and wide spread of Japanese traditional arts to the West. The factors that allow these arts to maintain their popularity and attract new students as well as the features of the functioning of schools in modern conditions are considered. Traditional Japanese culture is not still in its development and is successfully evolving in the modern global world: masters of non-Japanese origin appear, the canons of schools change in accordance with modern requirements, and the traditional culture even has a certain infl uence on pop culture.