Getting Ready

NARA AND HEIAN PERIODS

Japan first emerged as a strong central state during the Nara period (710 - 794) - Japan's first written literature also dates from this time. The Heian period began in 794, when Kyoto was made the capital, and the imperial family rose to a position of supreme power. A distinct Japanese culture began to emerge during this time. The influence of Buddhism, with its emphasis on non-violence, continued to grow, and the nobility's disdain of war grew as well. In the 9th century, the emperor's court delegated the defense of outlying lands to farmer-warriors, who became the first samurai. Over time, the samurai formed their own clans and eventually became more powerful than the emperor.

SHOGUN ERA

In 1185, the samurai leader Minamoto no Yoritomo established the first shogunate, or military dictatorship. The center of power was moved to Kamakura, and 150 years of relative peace followed. Zen Buddhism was introduced to Japan and became popular with the samurai, helping to shape their strict their codes of stoicism, loyalty and honor. In 1333, the Ashikaga clan overthrew the Kamakura shogunate and moved the capital back to Kyoto. Arts such as Noh drama and the tea ceremony thrived, but in the court, tensions grew between northern and southern factions, culminating in the Onin civil war in 1467. The period that followed was one of opportunism and debilitating warfare. Traders and missionaries from Portugal also arrived around this time, causing further instability.

In 1568, provincial daimyo (feudal lord) Oda Mobunaga set out to unify Japan. He defeated several other daimyo using Western military technology, but was forced to commit suicide in 1582. His successor, Toyotimo Hideyoshi, unified the country in 1591, and established a system where peasants could farm their own plots and pay a tax directly to the government. In the power struggle following his death, Tokugawa Ieyasu emerged victorious. In 1603, Ieyasu moved the capital to Edo (modern Tokyo) and split the populace into strict hereditary classes: samurais, farmers, artisans and merchants. European governments made appeals to trade with Japan, but the xenophobic regime put severe limits on foreign trade, ushering in 200 years of isolation. During this time, known as the Edo period, the city of Edo grew to be larger than Kyoto, and by 1700 may have been the largest city in the world. Kabuki and Bunraku theater and Ukiyo-e woodblock-print art flourished.

In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Edo Bay with a fleet of US ships to challenge Japan's refusal of international trade. The shogunate was forced to comply, and their power began to dissolve.

MEIJI RESTORATION

In 1868, imperial rule was restored under Emperor Meiji, and a centralized state was established. To prepare Japan for competition with the West, the samurai class was eliminated and a modern army took its place. Japan made a series of military conquests, gaining control over Taiwan and Korea. By the turn of the 20th century, Japan had transformed into an industrialized nation. Victory in WWI on the side of the Allies allowed the country to continue its expansion. Japan occupied Manchuria in 1933, causing international condemnation. After resigning from the League of Nations, Japan signed a pact with Nazi Germany.

WWII and the POST-WAR PERIOD

Invasions of China in 1937 led to further estrangement. The United States placed an oil embargo on Japan. Japan retaliated with a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and declared war, drawing the US into WWII. In 1945, the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan, forcing Japan's surrender.

The post-war era was one of pacifism and liberal democracy. Since adopting its constitution in 1947, Japan has been a constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament. The war destroyed much of Japan's industry and infrastructure. However, when US occupation of Japan ended in 1952, the economy started booming, ushering in a period of spectacular growth. Leadership in exports like electronics and automobiles turned Japan into one of the wealthiest nations in the world. This prosperity ended with a major recession in the mid-1990s. Japan is now recovering economically, but the last decade has also seen significant changes in the traditional roles of society. Always complex and fascinating, Japan continues to evolve.

Memoirs of a Geisha

Best-selling novel about a geisha in the celebrated Gion district of Kyoto. Rich in period detail and ceremony, it’s the story of Sayuri, a young girl sold into slavery and put into training at geisha house, where becomes accomplished in the art of entertaining men. Buy now

Shogun

Long but engrossing saga about a 17th century Englishman who becomes the right-hand man of a Japanese warlord. Clavell’s masterpiece recreates a vastly different world of honor codes and rituals, and the clash of cultures as East meets West. Buy now

Travelers' Tales Japan: True Stories

Gathered in this collection are pieces by several notable authors, each offering anecdotes that tell of encounters to be had or avoided, each with uncommon insight to enrich the traveler's experience. Buy now

Women of the Pleasure Quarters; The Secret History of the Geisha

Diligently researched, this book uncovers 400 years of the geisha’s history, rituals and subversive culture. Through patience and persistence, Downer gained access to places usually closed to outsiders, and she offers a wealth of previously unknown facts and rare insights. Buy now

The Gardens of Japan

This beautiful introduction to Japan's finest gardens captures their composition, design and influences through color photographs and insightful commentary. Buy now

36 Views of Mount Fuji: On Finding Myself in Japan

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
A professor at Duke who has visited Japan four times, Davidson writes perceptively, frankly, and personally about her struggles to understand Japanese ways. Buy now

Japanese Tales

This much-acclaimed translation of 220 Japanese folk tales, featuring Buddhists, dragons, emperors and peasants, is worth cherishing. Buy now

Japan: A True Book

With big color photographs, large-scale maps and accessible text, this book is an engaging introduction to Japanese people, geography and culture. Buy now

Erika-san

Caldecott Medalist Allen Say creates a beautiful story about an American girl who seeks adventure in Japan and discovers more than she could have imagined. Buy now

Life in Old Japan Coloring Book

Contains more than 40 handsome illustrations of Samurai warriors, the imperial villa at Kyoto, a Shinto shrine, a tea ceremony, a Noh play and more. The introduction and detailed captions provide fascinating facts about Japanese culture. Buy now

Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun

A culturally sensitive account of Commodore Matthew Perry's expedition to Edo-era Japan, illustrated with 19th-century Japanese prints. Perry opened Japan to the West after centuries of isolationism – now, Blumburg introduces Old Japan to a new generation of readers. A 1986 Newbery Honor Book. Buy now

The Big Wave

In this children’s classic, a Japanese boy escapes a tidal wave that destroys the rest of his village. As he struggles with his sorrow, he discovers his own bravery and the beauty of life. Buy now

The Master Puppeteer

Set in samurai-era Osaka, this National Book Award-winning novel is an engaging mystery about a young apprentice puppetmaker and his hero, a bandit who steals from the rich to feed the poor. The book is jammed with adventure, danger, and details about 18th century Japan and Japanese theater. Buy now

Tales of the Otori

An epic series of adventure novels set among the battles and warriors of feudal Japan. The books follow young warrior Takeo on his quest to avenge his adoptive father and pursue his true love in the midst of a vast power struggle. Titles include Across the Nightingale Floor, Grass for His Pillow, Brilliance of the Moon, Harsh Cry of the Heron, and Heaven’s Net is Wide. Buy now

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

A Cinderella story set in a mysterious and exotic world, this stunning romantic epic shows how a house servant blossoms, against all odds, to become the most captivating geisha of her day.
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The Last Samurai (2003)

Nathan Algren, an American mercenary, is hired by the Japanese Emperor to help put down a samurai rebellion. After being captured by a great samurai warrior, Algren begins to embrace samurai traditions and codes of honor, and chooses to fight beside them. Buy now

Lost in Translation (2003)

Lost in Translation envelops you with an aura of fantastic light, moody sound, head-turning love, and a feeling of déjà vu, even though you've probably never been to this neon-fused version of Tokyo. Winner of best original screenplay. Buy now

Spirited Away (2001)

In the middle of their move to the suburbs, sullen 10-year-old Chihiro and her parents wander into a magical realm. When her mom and dad are changed into pigs, she takes a job in a bathhouse for spirits, hoping to free her parents from the powerful witch who owns the resort. Buy now

Empire of the Sun (1987)

Based on an autobiographical novel by J.G. Ballard, it’s a coming-of-age tale about an upper-class British boy separated from his colonial parents by the 1941 Japanese invasion. Interned in a POW camp, he learns survival skills from an American soldier and comes to idolize his Japanese captors.
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Shogun (1980)

A 10-hour, award-winning miniseries about John Blackthorne, a 17th century English navigator who is thrown in the midst of a power struggle between a Shogun and the Emperor in feudal Japan. Buy now

Visit Kyoto

Although we traveled over spring vacation, we needed warm clothes, boots and weather gear for our trip to Nikko. You will encounter cooler weather in mountains and cooler winds off the lakes and ocean.