Topic: Of Swords and Cherry Blossoms: Samurai Images Past and Present

Catalog description

The course explores the history of the samurai as warrior, noble, official, and most importantly, pivotal figure in the construction of a Japanese national "mythistory." The focus is on the study of medieval and early modern texts and images, as well as of nineteenth/twentieth century popular books and feature films dealing with samurai as people, concept, and ideal.