Meiji Restoration

A Moderate Balance in Governing Nakae Chōmin first published A Discourse by Three Drunkards on Government in 1887, during the Meiji Restoration, a historical turning point in Japan’s political and economic development. This turning point was heavily induced by the introduction to the outside western civilization. This introduction pushed Japan to determine how to improve its current government to better compete with that of the West. In Nakae Chōmin’s, A Discourse by Three Drunkards on…

Introduction Commonly called, “The Heart of Japan” Kyoto was the center of Japan’s culture, literature, Japanese Imperial Court, and arts during it’s hayday. Looking at Japan’s long history, it was first introduced 1200 years ago as Japan’s capital during the Heian Period (794 to 1185 C.E.) as Heian-kyō meaning, "tranquility and peace capital.” The four centuries of the Heian Golden Age changed the course of Japan’s history because of the emergence of the intertwining elements such as…

In my exploration of the Japanese culture, I was intrigued by the shift in connotations or views of Japanese yokai from the ones depicted in traditional folklore to that of modern media. In this essay I will endeavor to convey how the media has transformed the yokai image to one of popularization in order to better relate to the masses. Yokai, are strange and supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore and is sometimes translated as monster, demon, spirit, or goblin, but it can encompass all…

Many of the world powers of the 20th century were searching for or ensuring their continued possession of power. For Japan, their power fluctuated, depending on whether they were in times of war or peace, prosperity or poverty, and their allegiances. After having fought alongside the Allies during World War I, Japan prospered, but was then discriminated against, leading Japan to switch sides and join the Axis powers in World War II. Japan entered into World War II seeking power by means of land,…

Revolution has been central to the creation of the modern world. For China, the twentieth century was a turbulent time of constant warfare and momentous political and social changes. There are two notable twentieth-century events that are widely considered to be the Chinese “Revolution” in encyclopedias, dictionaries, and history textbooks. The first one is the 1911 Revolution, also known as the “Xinhai Revolution,” which brought about the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, the end to over 2,000…

In today’s modern world societies know of the big religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, but the majority of the world could not tell you about the Shinto religion. The Shinto religion is a very rich religion that beliefs in spirits, nature, and purity. This plays a part of everyday life in Japan. Shinto does not meet all the stipulations of most modern religions and there is not missionaries whom spread the religion outside of Japan. The Shinto religion utilizes…

The topic of Week nine is the foodways of Japanese-Americans, and how they differ from Japanese traditions. To learn more about 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…

Korea has a long history that dates back thousands of years, much of it has been dominated by foreign powers. China and Japan had a huge role in shaping the current Korean history, which has been met with much controversy. The constant clash of historical narratives continue to cause conflict today. With all the different interpretations, it is hard to tell which history is correct. This paper will discuss the three different interpretations of Korean history from Japan, China, and South Korea.…

The Republic of South Korea 's evolution into the flourishing democracy it is today would have been very difficult without the security, economic and investment ties generated by America’s heavy military engagement in Korea from the beginning of the Cold War and the close economic ties with Western countries that resulted from this alliance with the United States. Thus, America’s efforts to balance against Soviet influence in the peninsula led to the growth and modernization of the South Korean…

Amity. It quickly grew and became the base of foreign trade in Japan, with foreigners initially occupying the lower district of Kannai, then expanding to the Yamate district, referred to by English speaking residents as The Bluff. After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the port was further developed for…