Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan [Paperback]

William E. Deal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0195331265 | ISBN-13: 978-0195331264

andbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan spans the beginning of the Kamakura period in 1185 through the end of the Edo (Tokugawa) period in 1868. The medieval and early modern eras in Japan were largely shaped by the rise of the warrior class. After 1603, with the founding of the Tokugawa shogunate, Japanese culture changed dramatically, but as cities grew and merchants thrived, the warrior class became less dominant. By the end of the Edo period, Japan's insular feudal society and military government became irrelevant in an increasingly consumer-oriented economy and thriving urban culture.

The contribution of military rulers, celebrated warriors, and cultural innovators to medieval and early modern Japanese culture are well documented. However, life at the village level also had a strong impact on the culture. Covering both levels of society, this comprehensive guide provides insightful information on well-known people and peasants, artisans, shopkeepers, and others outside the periphery of power. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan introduces the reader to the significant people and events-cultural, social, political, and historical-and the everyday experiences and elements of material culture during this time.

Organized thematically, the text covers: History; Land, Environment, and Population; Government; Society and Economy; Warriors and Warfare; Religion; Philosophy, Education, and Science; Language and Literature; Performing Arts; Art and Architecture; Travel and Communication; Daily Life. Each chapter includes an extensive bibliography, and photographs and maps complement the text. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan provides all the essential information for anyone interested in Japanese history, society, or culture.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up–Covering Japanese history, culture, and society between 1185 and 1868 C.E., this resource highlights the complexity of this society by describing the social and economic hierarchies, the power struggles, the cultural innovations and the religious worldviews of that period. It consists of well-written narratives, thematically organized into 12 categories beginning with Historical Context. Warriors and Warfare, Everyday Life, Religion, Travel and Communication, and Performing Arts are some of the other topics covered. The book is most suitable for students with some knowledge of this nation's history and culture. Features include capsule biographies; black-and-white maps, charts, and photos; line drawings from the period; and a 19-page bibliography. Given the thematic organization of the book, students will need to use the extensive index to access specific information. This title will serve both reference and circulating collections.–Jack Forman, Mesa College Library, San Diego
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

This latest entry in the publisher's Handbook to Life series surveys Japanese life during the Kamakura (1185-1333), Muromachi (1333-1573), Azuchi-Momoyama (1573-1615), and Edo (1615-1868) periods. The Edo period, marked by some 250 years of both peace and nearly complete exclusion of foreign influences, constitutes early modern Japan. Arrangement is topical, with 12 chapters covering subjects such as "Land, Environment, and Population"; "Government"; "Warriors and Warfare"; and "Art and Architecture." Each of these is subdivided into from 3 to 12 subchapters, listed in the table of contents. Each subchapter is itself often extensively subdivided. "Religion," for example, is organized into an introduction and sections on Shinto traditions, Japanese Buddhist traditions, Christianity, the role of women, and suggestions for further reading. The section on Shinto is itself composed of 9 sections, for example, "Shinto Rituals and Festivals" and "Shinto Deities." The latter devotes a paragraph to each of 12 major deities.

Valuable supporting features include some 85 black-and-white photographs and illustrations, 5 maps, 17 tables and charts, and a thorough bibliography and index. The bibliography of some 600 English-language publications is a single alphabetical listing, most easily approached through the topically arranged reading suggestions at the end of each chapter. The index often pairs English terms with italicized romaji (English transliteration of Japanese) equivalents. This admirable practice is repeated throughout the clearly written text. An otherwise useful two-page chart of "Syllabic Sounds in the Japanese Language" (hiragana and katakana) suffers a common fate: the small lines and circles used to indicate voicing and palatalization are difficult to see without a magnifying glass.

This solid reference should find use not just among the anime and manga crowd but among all seeking reliable guidance to the basics of a country with an extraordinarily rich history and culture. Highly recommended for public and university libraries. Craig Bunch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195331265
• ISBN-13: 978-0195331264
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #452,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nicely organized by subject, a great reference, July 1, 2010

By 

Eric Griffith "hobbyist" (Olympia, Washington) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan (Paperback)

I got this book because I am working on writing a historical novel. Of course the story is fiction and I take an author's "artistic liberty" at times, but I want to paint as accurate a picture as I can of life in those times while entertaining readers. It would be very easy for a western writer to add many unrealistic details. Japanese culture and thinking are not easy matters to comprehend for us westerners. I am also well aware that my American heritage and upbringing significantly colors my storyline ideas, so I like to check myself often.

I like this book because it briefly covers a host of topics, including daily life, religion, society, government, philosophy, and of course warfare and history. The book is organized in such a way that I can pick a very specific subject and go right to it. It serves as a starting point. For example: if I want to learn about the role of women in Japanese society I can read the 2 or 3 pages in the book, which might generate more specific questions for me to research.

Which leads me to another cool thing about this book: at the end of each section is a list of further reading references on each topic. This is a good thing, because so many topics are covered, but somewhat briefly and in summary, so being pointed in the right direction for further study is a welcome feature.

For my purposes, this book is a very useful reference tool.