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AnonymousThe first section dealing with ordinary and emergency principles are apparently included to establish an understanding necessary to the characters and plot of the remainder of the play. One can equate the first element, principles of knighthood to self-discipline and control. The second, those of weapons relate best to a concept of skill necessary to use the tools of one's trade. Emergency principles, those of Army and combat relate more to not the individual warrior, but to the military leader who must master them in order to effectively lead other samurai.
The play is quite intense, filled throughout with ritual even in the midst of battle. Victory or success would appear to be an important goal, but the form and manner in which this victory is achieved is of at least equal importance. Victory without honor is appears to be undesirable.
AnonymousLand and its effective use appears to be an important consideration in determining the amount of power each daimyo and their subservient hatamotos. This is reflected in the important place that cultivators were granted. This makes more than a little sense when one considers the limited amount of arable land that existed in Japan. Isolation of Japan seems to have been instituted in order to help maintain what was, at the beginning, a fragile peace.
The peace dividend provided by the Tokugawa rule helped to develop an agricultural revolution similar to that which took place in Europe in the mid to late 17th century. As a side note, it's interesting that the monetary value of "night soil" was often equated with social status. The Japanese seem to have a better understanding of the importance of nitrate in agriculture than their contemporaries in the west.
If I understand this portion of the reading correctly, urbanization in Japan is equated with the beginnings of a consumer society, a growth in the arts, and an expansion of literacy. Prostitution and theatre were marginally accepted, though kept isolated from the main concourse of the urban environment. (I wonder what the puritan movement that so greatly influenced American settlement culture would have made of this.)
An educational system for the merchant class seems to have borrowed some principles of self discipline from the samurai class. Not surprising since many since some samurai also engaged in merchant activities to increase their wealth. Interesting that the first commodities market was introduced in Japan, not the west, and that the most populous city was Edo, not London. Additionally, the literacy rate in Japan was higher than in Europe at the height of the Enlightenment.
It has become obvious through this article that the Tokugawa period was not one of stagnation as was often taught about 40 years ago. (I remember a class I took on Japanese history in college which emphasized this point) but one of growth and refinement of basic social elements that would prove useful during the Meiji Restoration.
AnonymousInteresting... I hadn't thought that samurai could go on strike, but I suppose it makes sense. They were servants of the daimyo, therefore their wealth and status relied more on the financial standing of their lords than other factors.
The perspective used in the text seems to indicate that blocking outside influences in the early 1800s, especially christian influences were a prime reason for the Tokugawa's intensifying of the rules against contact with the west. I had not known that Japan had been subject to coastal raiding by western powers at this time either. One could almost make an argument that Commodore Perry's arrival and the correspondingly unfair treaty can be compared to the action of the British during and subsequent to the Opium War in China... not perhaps in the level of violence, but in the establishment of unfair treaties based upon power and intimidation.
Now there's a divisive concept. Extra-territoriality. It was apparently being imposed upon the Japanese government much in the same way it had been imposed by the west on the Qing dynasty. No wonder there was disappointment with the Shogunate.
The Shogunate was facing both internal and external pressure when trying to deal with its own rebellious daimyo and western military power. Demands of the British sound quite familiar to events in China at this same time. The saving grace appears to be that eventually the Japanese government was able to function from a level of strength not reflected in China. The Meiji Revolution in a minor way reflects the internal struggle in China during the Taiping Rebellion. To a certain extent, both were driven by anger at foreign intervention and influence. The scope and consequence however differ greatly.
AnonymousI found it interesting that after Perry arrived in Japan many Western form of technology were adopted including steam power, the telegraph and railroads. Also, it was fascinating how they adopted the Japanese constitution was modeled after the Prussian government at the time. For a lesson, I think it would be interesting to have students read portions of both and compare and contrast. This could be done in a government, US History or World History class. Extensions can also be made by including the U.S. Constitution.
AnonymousProfessor Yamashita began to take us through the history of Japan starting in 1700. This is a huge task, but I love listening to his expertise and his real life stories. The thing that really stuck with me was the the incident of the Forty-Seven Ronin, The Ako incident. The men small in number, but committed to their stance to avenge their Lord, and overthrow of the Tokugawa government. They had to know they were not likely to succeed, but honor played such a huge roll in this conflict. Honor on both sides. The men were captured and split into 4 groups under 4 different Lords. Forty six of the men committed suicide as was custom and honorary in their society. You can still go see their graves in Japan. There has also been much written and a movie that captures the tale. I’m looking forward to watching the movie.
The vendetta registry is an interesting concept. I think you lose your element of surprise.
AnonymousI learned a lot from Professor Yamashita's lectures. He had a monumental task, which at first, with his PowerPoints, I thought was going to be dreadful (1, 1a, 1b, 1.2a, etc), but actually helped lay out the structures and developments quite nicely upon further reflection. Moreover, his discussion of the turn towards modernization in Japan fascinated me. I have read and taught this subject before, but the lectures he gave, really got me interested in the mechanisms which allowed for change. Unfortunately, I am still not fully convinced/sure on HOW the Japanese were able to modernize so quickly. They why was clearly laid out, but it is one thing to want to modernize, it is another to actually modernize. For that reason, I am curious about how policies laid out by the Tokugawa Order, may have laid out a foundation for modernization and the Meiji Revolution.
Some lesson plan ideas:
DBQ - How were the Japanese able to Westernize so quickly?
Compare and Contrast Modernization--comparison between the Prussian Reforms and the Meiji Revolution--allowing a comparison of Constitutions and military. You might also compare US and Japan, by comparing military build-up, imperial designs, and industrialization.
AnonymousProfesseur Yamashita was very in depth with discussing the medieval Japanese culture. I used to teach the middle ages to my students and I would pass along some of these documents to my colleagues as they go in depth on samurai and the samurai culture. That being said I would use an overview of these documents to enhance the understanding of WWII Japan. Students do not always understand the culture the produces kamikaze pilots and this may help them understand.
AnonymousI found the "Code of the Samurai" very interesting. The principles and etiquette were not what I imagined. They had specific rules for grooming and care including how often to bathe, how do dress, where to put their fan, short sword, and long sword. They also had to be well read and practice calligraphy. This is strikingly similar to the knights of England and their code of chivalry. It is interesting that in both societies the warriors were not just about protecting and killing; key points for success in their job included manners and education.
There are four levels to achieve for the samurai. The first two levels, the principles of knighthood and principles of weaponry just make them good warriors. The last two principles have to be mastered before someone can be considered for a leadership position. It would be interesting to have students learn about these and discuss their worth in today's society. Teens learning more about manners and honor would be a good thing--minus the swords!
AnonymousI have used the "Code of the Samurai" when I taught seventh grade history. I am teaching US History at the high school level and I feel that one could use this to explain the kamikaze pilots of WWII. Students have a very difficult time understanding things that are outside of their world view. I think by presenting some of these materials it explains a little more about honor and sacrifice in Japan. Sometimes, like I have said in other postings, it is very important to assist students in seeing the grey area. Students need to be able to understand the culture and society in other places, prior to judging them.
AnonymousIt is very interesting to find out that the Japanese warriors had principles, and more important they were considered imperative that had to be mastered in order to be considered a top class knight. Those who had mastered two levels can only be considered competent as a knight. However, it is important to know these principles before reading the play in order to better understand it. The play is a good example of loyalty. It shows warrior’s loyalty to their master and the strategies they utilized to carry out vendettas.
AnonymousYes, I agree with you, these codes/principles have to be shared with students in order to make it less complicated to understand the background of the Samurai. It is interesting to show them that becoming a Samurai first of all wasn’t easy. Second, there is honor, love and passion involved in their service to their master/nation.
Anonymous[font="Times New Roman", serif]Yes, just like you,I do understand that part of this reading is about the urbanization of the country and the birth of a consumerist society. In addition , I enjoyed reading about how The Takugawa order created the most complex and sophisticated governmental system to have a greater control over all its citizens and reduced power of many lords. What it caught my attention was the social hierarchy used to control people and their ability to transform power into authority. [/font]
AnonymousSession 4- Principles of Warriors
After reading this selection, I decided it would be a great lesson for my Work Skills class. All of the students who are in this class will go straight into the work force, working as skilled labor or in customer service. Because they will have no college education and opportunities for advancement from this accomplishment, they will need to have exemplary work and social skills to move up and advance in the workplace. Principles of the Warriors talks about the two types of principles; ordinary and emergency. Within these principles are personal hygiene- washing your body daily, shaving, and keeping your hair dressed. It also addresses appropriate work attire- keeping a fan in your belt and knowing which sword you will need for different seasons and situations. Customer service is addressed in the areas of how you treat your guests and what is appropriate to discuss, along with how to drink your tea and eat your rice. Principles of Warriors also looks at what warriors should be doing during their time off. They should not just be laying around and wasting time, but practicing calligraphy, and reading to increase their skills and knowledge. This short writing will be very useful in teaching work etiquette and how you can find success in your chosen occupation by following the same Principles as Japanese Warriors.
AnonymousI agree with using this information in US history. We discuss the rapid industrialization of the US and it would provide a good compare and contrast between countries. I also found the idea of Samurai going on strike another good way of comparing and contrasting the two countries. Let me know if you find any good documents to use in a DBQ.
AnonymousReading this brought to mind images of Akira Kurosawa films. The code and play describe the ritual and decorum meant to separate samurai from common people, the glorification of a good warrior’s death, and above all, an obsession with honor. Kurosawa popularized the samurai genre of film with movies like Rashomon, Seven Samurai, and Yojimbo beginning in the early 1950s. The first Kurosawa film I remember seeing was 1985s Ran (Chaos), a samurai adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear. What struck me most deeply was how visually stunning the movie was. Its epic battle scenes loomed larger than life and the colors of the medieval raiment seemed to radiate their own light. To achieve this Kurosawa emphasized the colors of the clothing, armor, and heraldry by setting them against drab backgrounds. I read somewhere that for the film 1,400 costumes were handmade in Kyoto, the traditional seat of Japanese tapestries.