We know culture when we see it. But have you considered what culture really is? At the most basic, it is how people approach life. It includes language, approaches, ideas, and items. Most of the time, we consider the external factors like buildings, doodads, and language as culture. Language grants access to the culture your…
Category: Culture
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…
Researching and Writing about Japan Can be Hard!
Sometimes it’s difficult to find good research about Japanese culture. Oh, I can find information online easily, but the quality is often suspect. Wikipedia isn’t reliable, and I’ve seen chains of so-called references linking back to each other to form a loop of wikis, advertisement sites, and other questionable information. That isn’t to say you…
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…
5 Steps to Living an Iki Life
I attempted to define iki already. The shorthand definition of iki is “refined, sophisticated.” Of course, refinement today has different connotations than during the Edo Period. Living an iki life doesn’t mean you have to sip wine while watching opera. Unless that is your thing. But why would you want to live an iki life…
What is Iki?
Iki was an ideal that dated to the Edo period of Japan. It’s a bit hard to define with any precision. Generally, it was defined as refinement and sophistication. Although it could also be considered as urban and plucky stylishness (Graham, 2014). In this famous work, “‘Iki no Kozo,” Kuki Shuzo attempted to define iki…