Japan Railways Group

In Japan, Samurai were of the military elite during the medieval and early-modern period. In Japanese, they are known as bushi or buke. By the 12th century, the word samurai became synonymous with bushi. It was closely associated with the middle and upper ranks of the warrior class. Usually associated with a clan and their lord, the samurai also followed a set of rules that later came to be known as the bushidō. Although the samurai numbered less than 10% of Japan's former population, their…

traditional court music of Japan. The word gagaku originates from the literal Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters for the term “elegant music” (Britannica). The origins of gagaku trace back to mainland China where it was first developed as music for the imperial court of the Tang Dynasty. This music then spread east to Korea where it was adopted as the music of the imperial Korean court. During the 5th century, musicians from the the Korean imperial court travelled to Japan to…

Jeanne Houston is a Japanese American living during World War II and wrote about her experience when she was interned. This book is a peek into the life of Jeanne and how the war affected her. On December 8, 1941 the United States declared war on Japan, Japanese Americans were then treated differently and unfairly. The Japanese Americans were then sent to internment camps, Jeanne's family was sent to Manzanar. Through living in Manzanar Jeanne is trying to figure out who she is. The theme is…

various technological advancements. As seen in Japan’s first encounters with the west, Sakoku (鎖国, the national seclusion policy) was the direct result of distrust of the Christian missionaries, which led to limited trade of ideas. In the Edo (江戸) era, Japan made its first encounters with the west, which led to the arrival of Christian missionaries to spread the religion. As the missionaries were so successful in spreading the religion, Ieyasu grew skeptical of their ‘political intentions’…

could code the codes emperor systems”. Sakaguchi was against the acts of the chief and termed the acts of emperor marrying the virgins as moral decadence. He further emphasizes on the significance of starting from the bottom and raising a prosperous Japan that embraces proper cultural and moral values (Sakaguchi, p.4). The character confirms with at the thought of moral decadence because he is acting contrary to the cultural and societal moral principles. The emperor was working towards…

“Anime,” or japanese animation as it’s referred to, is a form of animation made in Japan that is broadcasted on television or streamed through dedicated streaming websites and services. Although highly popular throughout the world, it is gaining popularity throughout the U.S. While traditional American television is the staple among viewers in the U.S, it can be strongly argued that anime is better than traditional American TV. One particular reason why anime is better than traditional American…

kingdoms, or other geographical areas. However, there is much more relevance to global interactions than simply that. Global interactions are the prime source of cultural diffusion, or the spread of ideas, beliefs, and cultural activities from one group of people to another. This often leads to adaptations of new traditions, religions, languages and many other practices. Although very common in the 21st century, global interactions were very infrequent and uncommon in the past, either due to the…

have the same feudalism system. Feudalism is the promises of a lord and a vassel. Shoguns and knights are similar because they are the rulers and landowners. Knights and samurais are also very similar because both of them are warriors. Europe and Japan have very similar thing although they never met. Samurais are better than knights because they can move fast, have to swords, and they are worried all the time if they are going to die. Both samurais and knights are good mercenaries, but both…

During the book year of impossible goodbyes, Sookan changes in many ways. From being a young girl with her whole family with her to just herself and Inchun escaping to South Korea. The first topic that changes Sookan is when the Japanese come and take over North Korea. This changed Sookan and her family because they where used to being their own country being able to believe in their own religion. Then the Japanese came and they couldn't go to the Korean churches or temples, instead they had to…

In his novel titled Kokoro, Natsume Soseki explores the values of both the traditional society and the modern ideals brought about in the Meiji Era. The Meiji Era is a period of Japanese history (1868-1912) in which Emperor Meiji took the throne and enforced extreme social change. Prior to the Meiji Era, the Japanese culture withheld Confucian values that placed emphasis on a harmonious, collective society, education, extreme respect to authorities, and focus on human relationships rather than…