Medieval Kyoto - Medieval Japan

Catalog description

In the Western historical lexicon, the term “medieval” often conjures up images of backwardness and stagnation. Japan, however, pulsated with political, economic, and cultural creativity during its middle ages. This course explores topics central to Japan’s medieval revolution: -The emergence of a samurai-led shogunate and the creation of new warrior values ; -The appearance of Zen and popular religious sects ; -The creation of innovative “Zen arts” such as noh drama and the tea ceremony, and; -The destruction of Kyoto and its subsequent resurgence in the sixteenth century as a city shared by aristocrats, merchants, and artisans. P