Customer Reviews

Everyday Life in Traditional Japan (Tuttle Classics of Japanese Literature)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book covers the everyday life of the Edo period which is from the 1600's to the 1800's. During this period, Japan was shut off from the outside world and developed a unique culture. When people think of old Japan, this is usually the period they think of thanks to the great number of period dramas that depict this era.

The book examines the social divisions of this period. The four main groups are the samurai, the farmers, the craftsmen, and the merchants. Each group has an entire section devoted to it which details the lifestyle of each group. After this, several outsider groups are considered. The book ends with a general overview of life in the old capital Edo which is now called Tokyo. For those who are looking for a resource for information on the world of the samurai, this book gives a good overview of their world.

My only complaint about this book is that it was published in 1969, so the writing style feels a little dated and it seems it was written for a Western audience which was unfamiliar with Japanese culture. Basically, it's style is dated, but the information is accurate and useful. Anyone who is interested in Japan and doesn't know well about the history of Japan will find this to be a great introduction

Charles Dunn gives a very detailed book on the traditional way of life of Tokugawa Japan. From the lowly peasant to the nobles Mr. Dunn extensively explains what they did, why they did, & how they did everything. For the casual reader this book might be a little too detailed; but for the historical interested - it is a must. I have yet to find the kind of information that Charles Dunn presents in this book anywhere else.

I've just started to read this book for research of a novel in the planning, and it has been very useful, even within the first few pages! It goes thru all the classes from the samurai class to the outcasts. I would highly reccommend this book to anyone that needs to know how the Japanese lived during the reign of the Tokugawa shoguns!

"Everyday Life in Traditional Japan" is basically a beginner's guide to the Edo period. It gives a short history of the era, of the isolationist policy that allowed traditional Japanese culture to flourish untouched, and the power shift between the Emperor and the Shogun. It then breaks down the four classes, the samurai, the farmers, the craftsmen and the merchants, and shows the daily life, traditions and laws that bound each class. Also included are the fringe element, the doctors, priests, courtiers, actors, artists and outcasts who lived outside the class system but were still ruled by it.

Aside from being a nice little history lesson, I found this book to be the perfect primer to anyone interested in samurai flicks or historical anime. The easy-to-understand outline of the four classes, and what they were and were not allowed to do, own, eat, etc...gave me more than one "Ah-ha!" moment as something suddenly became clear to me in a movie that I had seen before. This is all the detail work, the background stuff going on, like why a big metal fish hangs over the stoves of peasant houses and why warriors wear those big basket helmets.

A short book at only 171 pages, it is still packed with info and easy to read. A bit on the older side, some of the translations and wording is outdated, but that doesn't have any effect on the book on the whole. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in the period, be it in film, anime, books or even woodblock prints. I have read quite a few Japanese history books before, but not one that laid out the class system so clearly and easily.

Many years back I lived in Japan on the Tokaido Road and knew that Japan had 'tradition'. Not until reading this book did I connect the term with the Tokugawa reign of 1600 to 1850. This book supplies the meaning behind the word tradition in connection with Japan.

This is a well planned book, reduced to its basic elements, almost as in a college course, Traditional Japan 101. All the classes are represented (samurai, farmer, craftsmen, merchants, priests, doctors, intellectuals, actors, and even the outcasts), all mentioned groups are adequately explained. How the Shoguns governed the country is also explained as well while at the same time woven into this class system. Uppermost, the Shogun had to not only control the masses while at the same time either control or eliminate his enemies.

Anyone who has read the book Shogun by James Clavell will immediately recognize a few familiar items. Especially why Christianity became 'illegal' and why the Japanese were forbidden to build sea going ships or even forbidden to leave Japan. This book is so much more than one about rice or its production. The subject of rice is germane, however, as that was not only the basis of feeding the land ruled by the Shoguns but it tied their vassals to them as income (koku) also the payment denoted the vassals level of importance. The more koku a vassal received the higher his status. With 1 koku equaling about 5 bushels of rice.

The first 13 pages of the book set the stage by offering practical information, explaining much of life in Japan, its environment, its festivals, and its religion, among other things. The latter pages do somewhat similar in offering a look at everyday life in Edo (Tokyo), the capital city of the Tokugawas.

Since I lived for 25 months between Yokohama and Tokyo I found all this very interesting. For anyone interested in the everyday feudal life of this country from the years 1600 to 1850 this book will afford interest too.

This had some decent information, but it was mostly about rice farming. And while that's neat, I didn't feel that my life was missing a book about rice farming. It would taunt you with the occasional bone of interesting info and then snatch it away cruelly and laugh in your face.
Seriously, this book has useful bits of information, but there are better books out there. Everyday Things in Premodern Japan: The Hidden Legacy of Material Culture
I don't think that I would recommend this book, but I don't feel that my time was wasted in reading it.