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Episodes
- S1 E1 - Japan: A Globally Engaged Island NationJuly 23, 201534minHow has Japanese culture been shaped by powerful cycles of globalization and isolation? When was the earliest human habitation of Japan, and what are the origins of its rich culture? These and other probing questions are the perfect starting points for dispelling common Western misconceptions about this great island nation. #HistoryFree trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E2 - Understanding Japan through Ancient MythsJuly 23, 201530minGet an engaging introduction to ancient Japanese myths, collectively known as Shinto ("Way of the Gods"). Focusing on the oldest written compilation of Japanese oral tradition, the Kojiki, you'll examine fascinating stories about gods and heroes, the origins of the universe, the Rock Cave of Heaven, rival clans, and more.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E3 - The Emergence of the Ritsuryo StateJuly 23, 201530minIn the late 500s, Japan began an unprecedented project of state building that evolved into the highly centralized, emperor-led Ritsuryo state. As you examine the state's laws and accomplishments, you'll uncover how this political centralization was actually inspired by, and responded to, the emergence of powerful states in China and Korea.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E4 - Aspects of the Japanese LanguageJuly 23, 201533minMake sense of one of the world's most complex writing systems, and discover how spoken Japanese reflects a long-standing concern with order, hierarchy, and consensus. Why is social context so important when speaking Japanese? And what are the linguistic consequences of adopting Chinese characters in Japanese writing?Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E5 - Early Japanese BuddhismJuly 23, 201531minProfessor Ravina explains why Buddhism was so appealing in ancient Japan. He reveals three key observations about the religion's earliest form (including its spread with direct support from Japanese rulers) and discusses the two main strands of Japanese Buddhism: the more esoteric tradition of Shingon and the more accessible Pure Land.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E6 - Heian Court CultureJuly 23, 201528minJourney through Japan's first period of isolation (from the 800s to the 1300s) and the rise of the Heian court, ancient Japan's cultured and exclusive aristocracy. Along the way, you'll meet the powerful Fujiwara family and unpack how the novel The Tale of Genji reveals the court's penchant for scandal and intrigue.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E7 - The Rise of the SamuraiJuly 23, 201529minTurn away from the court in Kyoto to the countryside, where political infighting led to the rise of Japan's first shogunate ("warrior dynasty") and the emergence of the samurai. You'll also explore the rise of warrior culture through the lines of The Tale of the Heike, an epic ballad spread by wandering minstrels.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E8 - Pure Land Buddhism and Zen BuddhismJuly 23, 201530minHow did the decline of the court and the rise of the warrior class shape the evolution of Buddhist aesthetic, spiritual, and philosophical concepts? Find out in this illuminating episode, which covers the massive growth of Pure Land Buddhism (the dominant form in Japan today) and the two main schools of Zen Buddhism.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E9 - Samurai Culture in the Ashikaga PeriodJuly 23, 201529minSamurai culture was not fixed but constantly adapting to larger social and cultural changes. Central to these changes was the Ashikaga dynasty. As you'll learn, political turmoil under the Ashikaga led to the samurai defining themselves with a culture of extreme loyalty and a new sense of valor, independent of imperial court culture.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E10 - Japan at Home and Abroad, 1300 - 1600July 23, 201530minJapan's second great wave of globalization, the subject of this episode, stretched from the 1300s to the early 1600s. It's a fascinating period that includes competition with China's Ming dynasty; the new influence of the West (which brought with it guns and Christianity); and the rule of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Japan's most powerful warlord.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E11 - Japan’s Isolation in the Tokugawa PeriodJuly 23, 201531minLasting for over 250 years, the Tokugawa shogunate curtailed both globalization and Christianity. How did this feudal government come to power? How did its policies isolate Japan? Along the way, you'll get an insightful look at what we really mean by "isolation," and how Japan was shaped by foreign cultures even when most Japanese were banned from traveling overseas.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E12 - Japanese Theater: Noh and KabukiJuly 23, 201528minExplore two major forms of Japanese theater: Noh (the high classical form) and Kabuki (the more popular form). In looking at two important theatrical works (Atsumori, rich in lofty ideals and elegant aesthetics, and The Scarlet Princess of Edo, full of crude decadence and mayhem), you'll uncover what these traditions share, and what they make their own.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E13 - The Importance of Japanese GardensJuly 23, 201530minJapanese gardens are popular tourist destinations, cultural treasures, and even UNESCO heritage sites. Here, consider the splendor and harmony of some of Japan's most important gardens (including tea gardens, rock gardens, and strolling gardens) as part of a history of aesthetics and also as expressions of religious and cultural ideals.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E14 - The Meaning of Bushido in a Time of PeaceJuly 23, 201529minProfessor Ravina adds more depth to your understanding of Japan's warrior ethos, bushido ("the way of the warrior"). As you look at historical snapshots, such as a samurai's petulant memoir and the vendetta of the 47 ronin, you'll discover the deep nostalgia that lies at the heart of this misunderstood aspect of Japanese culture. Bushido is full of a longing for a lost age.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E15 - Japanese Poetry: The Road to HaikuJuly 23, 201532minJourney through some of the best-known styles and voices of Japanese poetry. You'll start with the oldest surviving Japanese poems and follow the development of tanka, the classical five-line form, and renga, a single poem written by multiple poets. We conclude with the master poet Basho and the emergence of haiku, now Japan's most famous and popular form of poetry.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E16 - Hokusai and the Art of Wood-Block PrintsJuly 23, 201530minKatsushika Hokusai, the renowned Japanese artist, is the perfect entryway into the history of both Japanese wood-block prints and late Tokugawa society. Among the topics covered are ukiyo-e ("floating world") pictures; Hokusai's iconic masterpiece, The Great Wave off Kanagawa; his encyclopedic collection of manga ("sketches"); and more.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E17 - The Meiji RestorationJuly 23, 201530minInvestigate the Meiji Restoration: the start of the third major period of Japanese globalization, defined by a vibrant synthesis of tradition and modernity. From the abolition of the samurai class to the creation of a new educational system to the restructuring of land ownership, how did Japan achieve revolutionary change through a smooth political transition?Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E18 - Three Visions of Prewar JapanJuly 23, 201532minTake a fresh approach to the story of early 20th-century Japan. Rather than a review of major events, focus instead on the ideologies of three individuals whose competing views shaped Japan's actions on the eve of World War II: Nitobe Inazo and Shidehara Kijuro, both proponents of democracy and international cooperation; and Ishiwara Kanji, a die-hard militarist.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E19 - War without a Master Plan: Japan, 1931 - 1945July 23, 201529minA political culture dominated by fanatics. The quagmire of the Sino-Japanese War. The takeover of Manchuria and the puppet government of Manchukuo. Japan's surprising failure in attacking Pearl Harbor. Learn about all these and more in this episode on the disorganized chaos (and legacy) of World War II-era Japan.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E20 - Japanese Family LifeJuly 23, 201529minYou can't truly grasp a country's culture without understanding its ideas about the family. Explore the three main models of Japanese family life: the aristocratic model (uji), the samurai model (ie), and the postwar model. Along the way, learn about shifting attitudes toward domestic life, including women's rights and family planning.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E21 - Japanese FoodwaysJuly 23, 201528minThere's so much more to Japanese cuisine than just sushi. Move beyond the basics and plunge into the enormous diversity and complexity of Japan's culture of food. How do foods like soba noodles, tempura, and yakitori (and the rituals of eating them) reflect the waves of globalization and isolation you've explored in previous episodes?Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E22 - Japan’s Economic MiracleJuly 23, 201531minFrom 1955 to 1975, the Japanese economy grew more than 435%: an astonishing rate that economists refer to as "the Japanese Miracle." Take a closer look at the six factors that led to this unprecedented growth, including the country's cheap and motivated workforce, as well as the critical influence of the United States.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E23 - Kurosawa and Ozu: Two Giants of FilmJuly 23, 201529minMeet Japan's greatest filmmakers: Ozu Yasujiro and Kurosawa Akira. How do their best films reflect lasting connections to world cinema? Revisit Ozu's 1953 masterpiece Tokyo Story (inspired by an American domestic drama) and Kurosawa's rousing 1961 adventure Yojimbo (which fused samurai culture with the American Western).Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E24 - The Making of Contemporary JapanJuly 23, 201536minWhat makes 1989 the turning point for contemporary Japan? Explore four pivotal moments from that year whose repercussions are still being felt in the Japan of the 21st century: the death of Hirohito, China's Tiananmen Square Massacre, the bursting of the Japanese real estate bubble, and a dramatic stock market crash.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
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