Customer Reviews

Japanese Culture, 4th Edition (Updated and Expanded)

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

 

 

The tracings of Japanese culture go back some 10,000 years - speaking conservatively. Since then there has been a remarkable continuity of inhabitation on the Japanese islands, which has resulted in one of the richest and complex cultures in the world today. Originally heavily influenced by the neighboring Chinese culture in the period from 300 BC to 300 AD, the islands quickly found their own way and over the ensuing years have developed a breadth of integrated experience that is often baffling to the outsider or curious student.

Paul Varley's book, in it's fourth edition and showing no signs of losing its value, is an attempt to present the significant cultural and historical developments, covering the past two millennia. OF course, most of the focus is from the eighth century on as Japanese civilization shifted from day to day survival to a complex political framework with a great flourishing of substantive creative art.

Considering that my standard historical reference on Japan has some seven volumes and thousands of (often tedious) pages, Varley's task is considerable and his success worthy of note. In a mere three hundred pages of tiny print Varley manages to draw a picture of the Japanese people that, while far from complete, misses none of the key culture moments.

He does this in a plain, business-like writing style that pours out unending amounts of information with merciless patience. He is very readable, but not what I would call enjoyable, since the sheer quantity of information can be overwhelming. If simply read straight through, it is easy to lose track of the thread of ideas. But the book rewards repeated study and the reader will soon find that all this information contributes much towards an understanding of the Japanese experience.

By far the best overall coverage of Japanese cultural history-- cogent, intelligent, readable, for the rank novice thru the specialist's reference shelf-- that I have found in 30 years of studying & teaching the subject. On second thought, not only the best but in fact the Only. Lovely illustrations too.

The book surveys Japanese high culture, with a historical framework and enough historical detail to provide context. Emphasis is on art and literature. With such a broad range, the author can't be expected to be knowledgeable about everything. For example, his description of Zen is a mere caricature: "Zen .. in general urged individuals to renounce this world of suffering and perpetual flux and to seek entry into a transcendent realm of bliss .. through .. satori or enlightenment ..." p. 172 Overall, though, this is a rewarding book that delivers what its title promises.

I had to purchase this book for a class, but found myself pleasantly surprised by the content. It was an easy, informative read for me. If you're interested in Japanese history, this is a great place to start. There's not a whole lot on modern Japan, but there are tons of other books and TV shows you can find for that.

I have lived in Tokyo, Japan since I was born here. Though I can say about the case in Tokyo only, even I can not look at the Japanese historical things in my ordinaly Tokyo life. Tokyo is same as another big town over the world, developed town with high stores building, the imported fashion from mainly U.S.A etc. Certainly, the modern life in Tokyo may be comfortable, but I think that the life is not truth things, that is, that may be physical comfot, not mental.

If I say honestly, in fact, I am very tired in Tokyo life since my birth, especially mental part: the overpopulated city, dirt air from the rannning cars, people followed with benefit.

In such condition, I think that Japanese should get back the vanished Japanese history again. Japanese long history and cultures is not just culture, I think, they have been made on the reasonable means, for instance Japanese Buddhism would be born on the tender mind that take care of other person. But in modern Japanese city, there are little people that beleive in reliegions.

Thank you for reading poor writing.

This book is good. I'm not going to call it great, nor will I say that it isn't a worthwhile read; however, it gets wordy at points. It could be improved with an overview of each chapter and then have the in-depth information to follow. Regardless, there is a wealth of information within! I personally love the history parts because I fell asleep when I took east asian history, and this is a good way of refreshing my memory to prepare for my college major of East Asian Studies come 2005 ;).

This book came to me in a very good condition. Has a good quantity of images and it is a good introduction to Japan's history. But if you are studing it or if you are really interested on this subject, I would recomend to read others books too..