One aspect of Japanology I’ve neglected so far is the role of China. I’ve only touched on it here and there throughout JP’s articles. But if you are serious about studying Japanese culture, you must also study Chinese culture. China has influenced most of the nations and cultures surrounding it. You find elements of Chinese…
Category: History
Heian Period Sexual Politics, Marriage, and Sex
The Heian period (794 to 1185) imported many ideas and conventions from China. This marked the flowering of Japanese ideals of beauty, from Cherry Blossom Viewing Festivals to poetic conventions. It imported Confucian ideals, Chinese writing conventions, Chinese literature, and many other cultural imports that would take on a distinct Japanese flavor. Buddhism also spread…
Considering Hong Kong
China recently passed a new law concerning Hong Kong that erodes the freedoms and autonomy Hong Kong had enjoyed. As part of the agreement with the British, China was supposed to respect Hong Kong’s democratic process and relative autonomy. The arrangement was similar to the system the Native American tribes have with the United States….
Christianity’s Reaction to Edo Period Persecution
As persecution during the early Edo period increased, the Christian community turned away from venerating martyrdom. Instead, they went further underground, hiding behind Buddhist and Shinto practices to avoid complete extermination. Unlike persecutions during the Roman Empire, Japanese Christians had nowhere to go. They couldn’t escape the islands of Japan or the reach of the…
The Shogunate Crackdown on Christianity
Under Ieyasu’s early government–the start of the Edo period– the Christian population doubled from about 150,000 to 300,000. It was also the only period (from about 1598-1614) when a Roman Catholic bishop was allowed to reside in Japan. But scandals and various events I covered in this article shifted policy toward deportation and eventually execution…
The Start of Christianity in Japan
The people whom we have met so far, are the best who have as yet been discovered, and it seems to me that we shall never find among heathens another race to equal the Japanese. They are a people of very good manners, good in general, and not malicious. –Francis Xavier c. 1551 Note: This…