As I was working through the content this week over Japan, I couldn’t help but notice some interesting comparisons. My students always struggle with non-western history for many reasons but making comparisons is something we use not only has a historical skill in AP World history but also to make big picture connections across time and space. I thought Ashikaga Yoshinori sounded a LOT like Richard II of England in the way they rule and how their vassals perceive them and eventually their sticky end. But it is also a common occurrence leading into a time of political instability. In Japan it will lead into the Onin war and in England the War of the Roses.   

Another interesting comparison I noticed was the shifting war of women was also very similar to the shift in Europe. In class we discuss the role of women during the High Middle Ages and how because men were frequently gone women shouldered a lot of the burden of business, farming, and in some cases governing but once that turbulent time ended the cultural shift that saw women delegated to more menial tasks in society. When I discuss Japan with my students I always emphasis the social classes and that the samurai are social class and there are women in that social class who are taught to fight and defend their home. That is a major difference with Europe, there weren’t any shield maidens in Europe….

One thing from Professors Pitelka’s presentation about the Tokugawa era, he noted Tokugawa Ieyasu’s rule as almost like an absolute monarch. When I teach this I usually include Tokugawa Ieyasu as an absolute monarch. We usually use Louis XIV as the standard of absolutism and compare other rulers against him.  

I had some questions following our discussion.

We discussed how the Buddhist sects would gain power. Professor Dube talked about how they gained prominence which seems like how the Catholic Church gained prominence and influence all over Europe. What are the differences with Japanese Buddhism that allows for warrior monks, when Buddhism is against violence?

How then are some of the rulers or power players able to obliterate some of the Buddhist temples like Oda Nobunaga? How prominent is religion in the commoner’s lives that this wouldn’t result in uprisings like we saw in Europe with Protestant reformation?

Also, curious to know what people think will happen to the Japanese royal family in the future. The laws surrounding the succession and the royal family are pretty tight and have led to some issues if there isn’t a male heir. We’ve seen two of the princesses give up their royal titles to marry commoners and right now there is only one male heir under the age of 50 and what if he doesn’t have any sons. You would think by now the idea of a female ruler wouldn’t be that big of an issue….

Most of the time when I’ve time when I’ve been in classes or lectures about early modern Japan the Sengoku era is discussed but only the overview of the 3 Great Unifiers, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. I’ve done tons of reading on Japan over the years, but this is only 2^nd formal class over East Asia. Once you get to the Tokugawa period it always seems like poof Europeans suddenly become this issue. Francis Xavier a Jesuit arrived in 1548 and when you put that into the context of the Sengoku period the Jesuits play multiple sides. One book I read just this last semester was called “African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan”. First off it is a great book and a super easy read. I’ve suggested it to some of my students this year and they have really enjoyed it. The perspective is from Yasuke is an enslaved African who arrives in Japan as the bodyguard of an important Jesuit named Valignano. Eventually he gets gifted to Oda Nobunaga who is amazed by his truly black skin. I use Yasuke’s story in my AP World class as a comparison of slavery before the Atlantic Slave trade. But in the book, they discuss the underbelly of slavery in the east with Jesuits exporting Japanese people as slaves to China and other forms of slavery going on as well. It was noted that the daimyo in Japan were not fond of the Jesuits exporting Japanese people as slaves so they kind of did it on the down low.

By the time Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes shogun the Portuguese missionaries had played different sides against each other and used daimyo however they wanted plus the threat that the beliefs of Christianity had in a Confucianist system. The structure of both Buddhism and Confucianism helps maintain the status quo because the hope is always for the next life but only if you do the task you’ve been given in this life really well. The Dutch don’t arrive until 1600 and imagine how they would have seemed to people who hadn’t see anyone but Portuguese and Jesuit missionaries? They are Protestant by that time so conversion wouldn’t really be their focus. And by the time the Tokugawa Shogun issues Sakoku Edict of 1635 where they close off they’ve had time to see that the Dutch don’t want to interfere with local politics like the Jesuits did during the Sengoku era.

Many students often ask me a question about the relationship between Japan and China. I think we can see some changes in this relationship by exploring Japanese life in these two different eras. 

Japan in 700 was called the Nara Period and early Heian Period. In Professor Pitelka’s video, Todaiji was highlighted as the great temple has been a landmark building in Nara, the capital of Japan at that time. The construction of Todaiji Temple shows that Buddhism was actively promoted in the Nara period, two centuries after Buddhism was introduced to Japan from China and Korea.  In a wellknown story, the great Chinese monk and master Ganjin (Jianzhen) made efforts and finally came to Nara for propagating Buddhism.  Meanwhile, scholars were sent to China (Tang Dynasty) to study, among them, Abe Nakamaro stayed there and eventually served in the government. 

Just like Professor Pitelka shared the plan of Heian-kyo, Japan in 700 was strongly influenced by China’s Tang Dynasty. But after a thousand year, it totally changed. In 1700, Japan was in Tokugawa Period, completely closed off. Most foreign-related business was restricted, including exchanges with China.

I'm reading a book this summer that digs into how ancient japanese cultural practices persist to today, and through the author we get to meet the people who are keeping these traditions, crafts, and cultural practices alive in a tiny mountain town called Yamanaka. It's a memoir/book of essays by an American writer/chef/artist named Hannah Kirshner called Water, Wood, & Wild Things. https://www.amazon.com/Water-Wood-Wild-Things-Cultivation-ebook/dp/B08FH9WRRR 

It's a beautiful book and I highly recommend it! 

Last year I also learned Japanese history from Professor Morgan Pitelka. Although China and Japan look close to each other, we have a lot parts of differences in culture. I feel so impressed by how Japanese people respect their history and culture. They protected their unique culture and related cultural items so well.

After I finished the Japanese history course last summer at USC, I searched many materials, and I also watched some Japanese films. I can feel that Japanese culture had a tone of sadness in their culture, based on their music, their movies, and some folk stories. In addition, in my eyes, the Bushido spirit plays a very important role in their culture, which is so different from Chinese culture. Maybe ancient Japanese people were faced with a harsh environment, so they had to fight a lot in the difficult environment.

Most Chinese people know Japanese history after the period Meiji Restoration. This is such a historical event that changed Japanese destiny. However, the second Sino-Japanese War harmed lots of countries in East Asian countries, which is an unforgettable memory for many generations in East Asia. Some of them are still worried about the repetition of history.

Thus, I would like to learn the history of Japan in WarII.

Thanks for sharing Historical Comparisons! The comparison of the history of Europe and Japan is so interesting. Different places have similar historical events; maybe it represents some human similarities worldwide. I also feel so impressed by Japanese history and culture. The Edo period is during the same period as Qing dynasty. Similarly, those two countries allow their people to go outside of the country and only small open parts to trade with western countries. But different countries have different historical results. After Meiji Restoration， the power of Japan became strong; however, China was still a miserable society, although they tried some revolusion. What factor infected those two countries in different ways? History comparisons between countries or continents are so interesting.