Hiraizumi

Hiraizumi
Author: Mimi Hall Yiengpruksawan
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 293
Release: 2020-03-31
Genre: History
ISBN: 1684173132
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In the twelfth century, along the borders of the Japanese state in northern Honshu, three generations of local rulers built a capital city at Hiraizumi that became a major military and commercial center. Known as the Hiraizumi Fujiwara, these rulers created a city filled with art, in an attempt to use the power of art and architecture to claim a religious and political mandate. In the first book-length study of Hiraizumi in English, the author studies the rise of the Hiraizumi Fujiwara and analyzes their remarkable construction program. She traces the strategies by which the Hiraizumi Fujiwara attempted to legitimate their rule and grounds the splendor of Hiraizumi in the desires, political and personal, of the men and women who sponsored and displayed that art.

Inventing the Way of the Samurai

Inventing the Way of the Samurai
Author: Oleg Benesch
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2014-09-12
Genre: History
ISBN: 019101673X
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Inventing the Way of the Samurai examines the development of the 'way of the samurai' - bushidō - which is popularly viewed as a defining element of the Japanese national character and even the 'soul of Japan'. Rather than a continuation of ancient traditions, however, bushidō developed from a search for identity during Japan's modernization in the late nineteenth century. The former samurai class were widely viewed as a relic of a bygone age in the 1880s, and the first significant discussions of bushidō at the end of the decade were strongly influenced by contemporary European ideals of gentlemen and chivalry. At the same time, Japanese thinkers increasingly looked to their own traditions in search of sources of national identity, and this process accelerated as national confidence grew with military victories over China and Russia. Inventing the Way of the Samurai considers the people, events, and writings that drove the rapid growth of bushidō, which came to emphasize martial virtues and absolute loyalty to the emperor. In the early twentieth century, bushidō became a core subject in civilian and military education, and was a key ideological pillar supporting the imperial state until its collapse in 1945. The close identification of bushidō with Japanese militarism meant that it was rejected immediately after the war, but different interpretations of bushidō were soon revived by both Japanese and foreign commentators seeking to explain Japan's past, present, and future. This volume further explores the factors behind the resurgence of bushidō, which has proven resilient through 130 years of dramatic social, political, and cultural change.

Japanese Historians and the National Myths, 1600-1945

Japanese Historians and the National Myths, 1600-1945
Author: John S. Brownlee
Publisher: UBC Press
Total Pages: 269
Release: 2011-11-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0774842547
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In Japanese Historians and the National Myths, John Brownlee examines how Japanese historians between 1600 and 1945 interpreted the ancient myths of their origins. Ancient tales tell of Japan's creation in the Age of the Gods, and of Jinmu, a direct descendant of the Sun Goddess and first emperor of the imperial line. These founding myths went unchallenged until Confucian scholars in the Tokugawa period initiated a reassessment of the ancient history of Japan. These myths lay at the core of Japanese identity and provided legitimacy for the imperial state. Focusing on the theme of conflict and accommodation between scholars on one side and government and society on the other, Brownlee follows the historians' reactions to pressure and trends and their eventual understanding of history as a science in the service of the Japanese nation.

Ennobling Japan's Savage Northeast

Ennobling Japan's Savage Northeast
Author: Nathan Hopson
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 383
Release: 2020-10-26
Genre: History
ISBN: 1684175828
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"Ennobling Japan’s Savage Northeast is the first comprehensive account in English of the discursive life of the Tōhoku region in postwar Japan from 1945 through 2011. The Northeast became the subject of world attention with the March 2011 triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown. But Tōhoku’s history and significance to emic understandings of Japanese self and nationhood remain poorly understood. When Japan embarked on its quest to modernize in the mid-nineteenth century, historical prejudice, contemporary politics, and economic calculation together led the state to marginalize Tōhoku, creating a “backward” region in both fact and image. After 1945, a group of mostly local intellectuals attempted to overcome this image and rehabilitate the Northeast as a source of new national values. This early postwar Tōhoku recuperation movement has proved to be a critical source for the new Kyoto school’s neoconservative valorization of native Japanese identity, fueling that group’s antimodern, anti-Western discourse since the 1980s.Nathan Hopson unravels the contested postwar meanings of Tōhoku to reveal the complex and contradictory ways in which that region has been incorporated into Japan’s shifting self-images since World War II."

The Study of Second Language Acquisition in the Asian Context

The Study of Second Language Acquisition in the Asian Context
Author:
Publisher: Lulu.com
Total Pages: 613
Release: 2007
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1430305916
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This book will be of special interest to English teachers and those in professional development in the region and/or who have classrooms with Asian learners. Paradigms appear to be shifting in Asian L2 learning in a region providing huge growth in English education. This will have an important bearing on the profession, including researchers, worldwide

National Geographic Traveler Japan 6th Edition

National Geographic Traveler Japan 6th Edition
Author: Perrin Lindelauf
Publisher: National Geographic Traveler
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2020-02-25
Genre: Japan
ISBN: 8854415863
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The National Geographic Traveler guidebooks are in tune with the growing trend toward experiential travel. Each book provides inspiring photography, insider tips, and expert advice for a more authentic, enriching experience of the destination. These books serve a readership of active, discerning travelers, and supply information, historical context, and cultural interpretation not available on the Internet. In Japan, spring bursts onto the scene with the splendor of blooming cherry trees (sakura), the symbol of life. This is the most popular season for visitors, who enjoy the tranquility of the Zen gardens, however, the narrow archipelago of Japan offers considerable cultural and geographical variety, with interesting attractions and places to visit throughout the seasons. Attractions range from the snowcapped volcano of Mount Fuji to tropical atolls and the frenzied metropoles of Tokyo and Kyoto--the imperative experiences of Japan could fill an entire lifetime. National Geographic brings all the aspects of the culture, history, and traditions of the places to visit. Walking itineraries, with maps, include Shibuya-ku, Ueno, Hakodate, Hagi and the route from Magome to Tsumago. Among the excursions, there are visits to the wonderful Japanese gardens, to the Peace Park in Hiroshima and to the national parks of Akan and Kushiro-Shitsugen. It is possible to follow the pilgrim paths of Kumano Kodo or take whale-watching trips along the coasts. The travel advice for the eight main islands and regions includes the most interesting cities, towns, and regions of Japan, helping visitors discover one of the most famous and complex tourist destinations of Asia.

National Geographic Traveler: Japan, 4th Edition

National Geographic Traveler: Japan, 4th Edition
Author: Nicholas Bornoff
Publisher: National Geographic Books
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2013
Genre: Japan
ISBN: 1426208626
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Highlights the history, culture, and contemporary life of the country while offering mapped walking and driving tours and complete visitor information.

Fodor's Essential Japan

Fodor's Essential Japan
Author: Fodor’s Travel Guides
Publisher: Fodor's Travel
Total Pages: 955
Release: 2022-11-22
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1640975446
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Whether you want to have sushi in a top Tokyo restaurant, visit the shrines of historic Kyoto, or head to the beaches of Okinawa, the local Fodor’s travel experts in Japan are here to help! Fodor’s Essential Japan guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos. Fodor’s “Essential” guides have been named by Booklist as the Best Travel Guide Series of 2020! Fodor’s Essential Japan travel guide includes: AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time MORE THAN 50 DETAILED MAPS to help you navigate confidently COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCALS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, activities, side-trips, and more PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Tokyo's Best Quirky Souvenir Stores,” “Best Temples and Shrines,” “Best Things to Buy,” “Best Things to Eat and Drink,” and more TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, politics, art, architecture, cuisine, music, geography and more SPECIAL FEATURES on “Japanese Culture Primer,” “Peerless Fuji,” and “Kyoto's Philosopher's Path” LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems Japanese LANGUAGE PRIMER with useful words and essential phrases UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Sapporo, Nikko, Hiroshima, Kobe, Okinawa, Mt. Fuji, Fukuoka, Hakone, Kamakura, Nagoya, and more. Planning on visiting other destinations in Asia? Check out Fodor’s Essential Vietnam, Fodor's Essential Thailand, and Fodor's Seoul. *Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition. ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

The People’s Emperor

The People’s Emperor
Author: Kenneth J. Ruoff
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 360
Release: 2020-03-23
Genre: History
ISBN: 1684173701
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Few institutions are as well suited as the monarchy to provide a window on postwar Japan. The monarchy, which is also a family, has been significant both as a political and as a cultural institution. This comprehensive study analyzes numerous issues, including the role of individual emperors in shaping the institution, the manner in which the emperor’s constitutional position as symbol has been interpreted, the emperor’s intersection with politics through ministerial briefings, memories of Hirohito’s wartime role, nationalistic movements in support of Foundation Day and the reign-name system, and the remaking of the once sacrosanct throne into a "monarchy of the masses" embedded in the postwar culture of democracy. The author stresses the monarchy’s "postwarness," rather than its traditionality.