Chonin culture, low culture that created by merchants and artisans who were the lowest social position and did business with samurai and peasants in Tokugawa period, acted as a key role of developing the Japanese culture. It included leisure activities such as linked verse, haikai composition and Puppet Theater to entertain leisured class which included daimyo, samurai and rich merchants (HUMA 1400 Course kit, 164). Despite the fact that Chonin culture during the Tokugawa period was characterized by indulgence in sensual pleasures of a leisured class, it contributed to developing Japanese literature and arts.
Some books showed that leisured class addicted to leisured activities and Chonin behaved inappropriate when they were doing business.
…show more content…
In Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Ueda Akinari, contained nine supernatural stories which based on the tale of China with Japanese culture and added some of his thought in the stories. Supernatural stories became one of the popular Chonin culture in Tokugawa period because readers could learn something from the stories and they were easy to understand. For example, through The Chrysanthemum Vow, Akinari tried to send messages to show samurai’s loyalty, love and revenge (Shirane 566). Akinari not only created a new type of literature in japan, the modern film director also borrowed his stories to create a film in 1953 (Shirane 567). Moreover, another Chonin culture Haikai also contributed to Japanese literature. A well-known female haikai poet Chiyo wrote a lot of haikai in different topics after she became a nun and shared her ideas with different people when she travelled around (HUMA 1400 Course kit, 184). Her poems still remain popular nowadays because her haikai touch the hearts of many readers and use her haikai to express their feeling (HUMA 1400 Course kit, 188). These two example showed that the impacts of Chonin culture were far-reaching and they helped to develop Japanese
-Nara’s Buddhist temples were another result of cultural diffusion, Buddhist began in India in 500s B.C.E. about 1,000 years later, it came to Japan from China by way of Korea.
Western influence played a significant role in the downfall of the Shogunate. The arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853 and the signing of the ‘unequal treaties’ lead to further discontent in Japan’s Feudal Structure and rebellions against the government. Although in the lead up to the arrival of Perry, there were already problems within the Feudal structure of Japan, it was the response of the Shogunate to Western influence that ultimately lead to an alliance, which sped up the downfall of the Shogunate.
My research paper will be covering the Edo period of Japan. I will start by explaining Japan’s society during this time period. Japan’s society during this time was ruled by strict customs which were intended to promote stability. The society was based of on Confucian ideas. Society was split into different social groups, at the top was the emperor, then came the count nobles, shogun, daimyo, samurai, peasants, craftsmen, and finally merchants. Peasants and craftsmen produced most goods in society. During this time social mobility was very limited leading to conflicts between classes which became a major challenge. Samurai were placed at the top of non-royal society because they set high moral values for others to follow. Peasants
Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today deriving directly and indirectly from the beliefs of the Samurai.
Western Influence on Japan Japan, as a nation, is a continually changing society. Ever since Western nations became involved with Japan, its changes over recent times. have increased at a substantial rate. Japan now faces cultural, economic and economic challenges. and social differences as a result of the western involvement.
The Heian period(794-1185), the so-called golden age of Japanese culture, produced some of the finest works of Japanese literature.1 The most well known work from this period, the Genji Monogatari, is considered to be the “oldest novel still recognized today as a major masterpiece.”2 It can also be said that the Genji Monogatari is proof of the ingenuity of the Japanese in assimilating Chinese culture and politics. As a monogatari, a style of narrative with poems interspersed within it, the characters and settings frequently allude to Chinese poems and stories. In addition to displaying the poetic prowess that the Japanese had attained by this time period, the Genji Monogatari also demonstrates how politics and gender ideals were adopted from the Chinese.
Preceded by the Nara Period, Heian Japan was the apogee of Japanese aristocratic culture. This period had a well-defined system of hierarchy and order that contributed a large deal of importance to society at that time. Works of poetry and fiction were valued in society. Despite the integration of Chinese influences into Japanese culture, distinct Japanese nativity still managed to bloom in some works of art. Dissecting the dualism of gender, it was widely accepted that women wrote in traditional Japanese style, termed kana, and men wrote in the “borrowed” Chinese language. What this means is that women were utilizing the “everyday” language of Japanese common people; whereas, men were exercising the more exclusive and “official” language of the Chinese. This is the largest and most comprehensible reason why literature written by women of the time has exceeded it’s lifetime for centuries and allows us the most preeminent portal into the Heian Period of Japanese culture, to view the roles of gender and status.
My own personal philosophy of leisure has been shaped by past and present activities I do for leisure and why I do them. To me, leisure is the sense of being free from external stressors that I face in my life such as school or work. The positive outcomes from partaking in leisure are generally overlooked and often underestimated. Leisure affects our emotions, our physical and mental health, and aids in the creation of relationships. In my own personal life, I have done and still participate in leisure as a way to sooth myself or unwind from the stress of school or work. The release of pent up emotions and energy for individuals helps their relationships with others and their overall health as well. When stress is released, an individual is
Japan is a small country, however most people know this country. One of the reason is that the manufacturing industry is world-famous. Especially, cars and appliances which are small, functional and also economical. And these products show exactly Japanese spirit which can say Japanese culture. When we discuss about Japan, we can't forget considering traditional Japanese culture. I will discus about the tea ceremony (cha-no-yu), which one of the most important Japanese culture.
Western Washington University (2011). US / Japan culture comparison. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from www.wwu.edu/auap/english/gettinginvolved/CultureComparison.shtml
Written in 1899, by Thorstein Veblen, “The Theory of the Leisure Class”, analyzes and critiques consumerism in the United States. Veblen explores the lifestyle and ways of thinking of the exploiter versus the exploited; in a point of view from those who are born into power and those who serve people in power. It is in this book where Veblen created the phrase “conspicuous consumption”, where it means buying goods in order to display a higher social class than others (Heath, 2001). He traces almost all practices and tastes of the leisure class directly to the pecuniary interest. I chose this book because I wanted to learn about how certain groups in society try to distinguish themselves from other groups and how it came to be for such differential.
Japanese culture has many distinctive characteristics, buried in a long and rich history. Japanese people are a very proud people, who believe in love and respect and living a peaceful life. There is a distinct social structure as with many other countries. The Japanese have a language that has been adapted from other languages and built into a unique language of their own. Japan has much pride in their food and cooking techniques and preparation of their food. The Japanese culture can deter international business people due to a lack of understanding the business etiquette in Japan.
Japan is a large island off to the east of China it is a great country that has a rich culture. The Japanese religion is based off of two main beliefs, the belief in Shinto and Buddhism many Japanese people believe consider themselves both. The Japanese people were known to be around as early as 4,500 B.C. They have constructed their government style to a constitutional monarchy where they do in fact have an emperor, but he has limited power within the country. The main power of the country is held by the Prime Minister of Japan. Japan is made up of many islands that extend along the Pacific coast of Asia. The land area is made up of a lot of forest and mountainous area that cannot be used for agricultural, industrial or residential use. Japan also has one of the largest and growing economies in the world. They are growing every day and it is all because the people of Japan work very hard in order for their economy to flourish as it has.
Veblen, T. (2005). The theory of the leisure class; an economic study of institutions. Aakar Books.
For many people who have never been to Japan, some of their customs and values may be difficult to understand. Their society as a whole, abides by certain social standards that may seem foreign to an outsider. Most of their