- Shogun and Samurai: The History of Medieval Japan

Catalog description

This course is an in-depth exploration of Japanese history in the “medieval” period (1150–1600) when national politics came to be dominated by warrior clans known as samurai or bushi. Powerful samurai coalitions known as shogunates or bakufu were able to impose order and peace for generations, but the collapse of each shogunate led to a long period of civil war. Already the heroes of many romanticized “war tales” in medieval times, the samurai and their culture have now become a subject of worldwide fascination due to the influence of modern Japanese cinema. But how do historians reconstruct the reality behind the myths and legends? Students in this course will read a range of historical sources and engage in a research project on the world of medieval Japan.