Early Modern Japan

Catalog description

Japanese history from 1580-1880. ASIA 474 ( HIST 474 , JAPNS 426 ) Early Modern Japan (3) Japan's Tokugawa period can be difficult to grasp. It resembles a modern society in many respects but operated according to a logic of social organization different from that of most modern states. There was a collective sense of national identity, but its characteristics differed significantly from modern forms of Japanese identity. Moreover, modern ideologies have contributed to the characterization of early modern Japan as a rigid society and of the country as a whole having been isolated from the rest of the world. The main purpose of this course is to afford students the opportunity to study early modern Japan in detail and, insofar as possible, on its own terms. Through readings in primary and secondary sources, and through the evaluation of visual images, this seminar-style course will deepen students' knowledge of Japan and serve as basis for comparative study of other early modern societies. Although the course investigates classic areas of historical study such as institutional development and foreign relations, the emphasis is on social and environmental history. The course encourages students to think about a range of approaches to the past and to think about the ways our contemporary biases influence the ways we understand the past.