Transcript Literature of Ancient Japan

Literature of Ancient Japan
Historical Highlights (488-9)
Heian Period 794-1185
– High Point of imperial rule
– Highly cultured court develops. Those of the
court painted, wrote poetry, and participated in
elaborate ritual
• Feudal system
H.H. (cont.)
Kamakura Period
– Daimyo
• Military governors
– Oversaw the samurai
– Oversaw specific regions
H.H. (cont.)
Warring states period
– Civil war all over Japan
– Tremendous power struggle
– Pay offs – very political
H.H. (cont.)
Tokugawa Period
– Edo
• Japan’s capital
– Edo becomes Tokyo
– “closed country policy” established until 1854
» Reaction to rapid spread of Christianity
» Christians are persecuted
People and Society (490-91)
Rulers
– Emperor
• Highest position in Japanese society
– Never seen by common people
– Symbolic
– Held no political power
– Shogun
• Military dictators
– Real power
– Ruled in emperor’s name
– Daimyo
• Answered to the shogun
– Every other year in the capital
P and S (cont.)
Samurai
– Elite class of warriors loyal to daimyo
– Followed Bushido (way of the warrior) –
expected to show courage, reverence for gods
• Many also practiced Zen Buddhism (form of selfdiscipline and living in harmony w/ nature)
– Only group allowed to carry swords
– Strict code of honor
P and S (cont.)
Peasants
– Made up about 80% of population
– Not allowed to carry swords or use their family
names
– paid hefty taxes (half of harvest)
– Were told what to produce, when to work, what
to eat, etc.
– Some had to sell family members
• Eventually rebelled
P and S (cont.)
Artisans and merchants
- roofers, masons, carpenters, swordsmiths
Some swordsmiths became close with samurai
– Merchants not respected because they did not
produce anything. However, many lived in
prosperity.
– Became more well-respected over time
P and S (cont.)
Women in Early Japan
– If men died in warfare, some women went to
war themselves
– “The supreme duty of a woman was to honor
the men in her life”
– Typical Japanese women were peasants who
took care of the home.
Arts and Culture (492-93)
Theater
– Noh
• Oldest form
– Masks, formal language, mime, gestures
– Kabuki
• Colorful costumes
• History/contemporary urban life
– Bunraku
• Puppet theater
A and C (cont.)
Painting – usually representative of nature
– Beauty and tradition
– Black ink
– Woodblock prints
A and C (cont.)
Literature
– Excelled in poetry
• Tanka
– 31-syllable lyrical poems that deal with nature and love
• Haiku
– 17-syllable poem that presents images of nature
A and C (cont.)
Religion and Architecture
– Shinto
• “way of the gods”
• Reverence for nature
• No complex rituals
– Buddhism
• More complicated
• Eliminate attachment to material things to achieve peace
– Zen
• Spiritual enlightenment through both self-discipline and
meditation
A and C (Cont.)
Architecture
– Religious building
– Inspired modern buildings as well
• Japanese always try for harmony with nature
Connect to Today (496-97)
Food
Art
Zen
Fashion
Nature
Time honored tradition
Mt. Fuji – tallest mountain/volcano in Japan
Hiroshima – only structure left
standing after the bomb
Guns/Hunting illegal in Japan
Monkeys and deer are not afraid of human interaction
Golf in Japan
One cart per foursome. It stays on the path on
a type of track (like a train).
One member of the foursome has a button
remote that starts and stops the cart.
The locker rooms are like country club style
with an Onsen bathing pool.
Golf Continued
Cost for golf in Japan is a range roughly between
$100-$300
24 hour driving ranges are popular and more
practical for people who want to learn golf.
They have double and triple deck driving ranges in
the cities.
We would sometimes work until 11pm, grab a
sandwich at the 7-11 and head over to the driving
range. pretty cool.
Here endeth the lesson
Andrew C. Jackson, 2007
Patrick W. Danz 2014