Edo period

It was founded in 660 B.C, but it was settled at least 100,000 years ago. During the Nara period (710-794), Japan really began developing their culture. They created a constitution and a centralized Imperial state system (a government where the emperor has complete power). This is also when the first historical records were written down. From…

traditional sense where not formed until the late-Heian period. High ranking women engaged in combat and took military command. Instances of onna-bugeisha date from before Japan’s first occurrences of written history all the way to the mid-nineteenth. The warrior women’s roles in war transformed several times throughout the expansive timeline in which they existed. Some of the first evidence of combative women dates from the mid Kofun Period (250-538 CE). Physical records of this time, if made,…

Caught up in between an industrialization and isolation period, Japan had to make choices promptly in order to hold a solid future. The Meiji Era 1868-1912, was the period in Japan's history where ports were opened to the outside industrializing world. However, this caused controversy considering whether or not this restoration was really the best alternative. Additionally, it is often debated, to what extent was the Meiji beneficial for Japan. Looking to the surrounding historical context of…

emoticons, and coded words. While polite and honorific language hasn’t changed that much as time passed, it has adapted to the point where a majority of people will only utilize this type of speech given certain social situations. During Japan’s feudal period (1185-1868), honorific language was used towards people of high rank,…

seasons and weather” (Hane 39). His most well known piece is “Mount Fuji Seen Below a Wave at Kanagawa” which is part of his series of woodblock prints known as the “Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji.” His pieces were astoundingly popular during the Edo period (after his death aswell), but what I personally found interesting is that his pieces are still popular now. How is it that artwork from 18th and 19th century…

but upon entering the gardens you see expounding Japanese influence. One can plainly see that the use of a single color in many shades and the lack of overt, or obvious, detail in some rooms was, in and of itself, a reference to the art of the Edo period and Ukiyo-e artists. While his gardens were their own floating worlds, the ponds and architecture suggests a way to move beyond our limited perspective and to be a place of quiet meditation. The bridge over the water garden quietly leads us to…

Contemporary Troupes Found in Onna-bugeisha Personalities Onna-bugeisha, especially in the earlier periods, possessed an unwavering spirit and the ability to thrive in leadership positions. To be managers and heads of household, they needed to be level headed when navigating socio-economic nuances of the time. Steadfast dedication to their lord and husband was demanded of samurai women. Conversely, contemporary archetypes and character troupes are littered through each anime looked at thus far…

People set forth on a new journey for exploring unknowns, and a journey could always help them in knowing what they want inwardly. François Villon and Matsuo Bashō have gained tremendous inspirations while travelling/exiling, and both of them hope to be free spiritually. However, they do have various different altitudes since they are from different cultures and have different religious beliefs. But to some extent, Villon and Bashō have the same value towards death. From François Villon’s poems,…

During World War II, Japan suffered an onslaught of air raids, fire bombs, and atomic bombs leaving the nation all but destroyed. Despite this widespread devastation, Japan was able to reconstruct itself in order to become one of today’s leading industrialized economic superpowers. In class, we briefly discussed the United States’ occupancy in Japan between the years 1945 and 1952 as well as the economic miracle that took place during and after the Korean War, which helped launch the country…

this, we were assigned four readings. The first one, “Japan: Japanese Food”, by Ayako Yoshimura explains the diffusion of Japanese foodways into America. She starts by describing how Japanese people entered the United States, which occurred when the Edo seclusion policy was nullified, allowing people to migrate in order to find work. A large percentage flocked to American soils where they were discriminated against. This continued through WWII, when the Japanese were herded into internment. It…