Thoughts about session 5 (Japan w/Prof. Sam)

[Anonymous]

Tonight's seminar focused on the Tokugawa order, where we learned about the significance of hierarchy, fixity and propriety within this time period. I found it interesting to learn that at this time most aspects of life required regulation and order-- even in areas that you wouldn't traditionally expect them in. I specifically found the discussion on vendettas and the courtesan society fascinating. I didn't realize that they could actually apply to seek vengeance on an enemy and then must notify the same place when they have acted out their vendetta.

After learning about the courtesans, I now want to know more about the women and the culture. For example, did the courtesans ever marry? How did they end up on such a path? And how were they compensated?

I look forward to hearing more about this next week!

[Anonymous]

Last night's presentation by Professor Sam was helpful because he pulled in the previous political and economic conditions and the changes they underwent to get to the Tokugawa society we are more familiar with. His explanation of the governing principles of the time--hierarchy, fixity, propriety--and their origins in the battle of Sekigahara was clear, and how these principles played out in social avenues was interesting. The list of Chushingura stories of the century following the incident gave depth to the hierarchy, and the idea of revenge having a proper limit indicates a commitment to the continuity of the whole social order over individuals.

[Anonymous]

I found Professor Yamashita's lecture to be very interesting and thought provoking. I learned many new things about Japan's History inparticular how the Tokugawa order permeated all of Japan's past and recent official and cultural orders. I liked hearing the personal historys of Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu and I was impressed with the loyalty shown by the warriors that chopped off the head of the murderer of their beloved leader and how they washed the head in the stream and placed it at the foot of the grave of their leader. I liked learning about the organized system of Vendettas and found it unique! I also appreciated the recommendations Professor Yamashita gave us of books like THEY CAME TO JAPAN by Michael Cooper, Code of the Samurai by Thomas Cleary, Legends of the Samurai by H. Sato, and the Professor's own book, which he will, hopefully remember to bring to the next session. Also, I am anxious to view the film he recommended called 'TWILIGHT SAMURAI'. Learning about the Ainu was new to me and also viewing the photos of the castles and the moats and all the interesting places I did not know about. The hostage system and other rules for creating 'A GREAT PEACE' (1651-1651) were particularly intriguing.
edited by mfraser on 4/6/2011

[Anonymous]

I enjoyed the lecture and found Professor Yamashita very knowledgeable and interesting concerning the Japanese Castles and the history of Japanese power. It was interesting to hear the stories of the Tokugawa Order. Professor Yamashita is a great story teller. I would like to visit the castles and lean more about the Tokugawa government from the emperor to junior elders, to judicial council, to censors to magistrates.

[Anonymous]

I was very interested to learn about the organization and hierarchy put in place to govern not only the county, but people’s lives as well. This strict adherence to status and form may explain some of the cultural behavior in modern Japan. I would like to explore some ways in which modern Japan deals with this idea of hierarchy and see how the people cope as well as rebel against it.

[Anonymous]

Annet makes an interesting point in which I agree … the idea of applying for a vendetta. What an interesting way to handle differences between people. The idea of regulating that aspect of life (and emotion) seems quite foreign from a western point of view, fascinating, but different.

[Anonymous]

I, too, enjoyed hearing about the Battle of Sekigahara and the establishment of the Tokugawa Order. I appreciated the visuals of the mountain castles and flatland castles as well as the descriptions of their different features (i.e. the space between the top of the walls and windows into which hot rocks can be dropped, the secret floor in the Matsumoto castle, etc.). The architecture and engineering of these structures are certainly something to be marveled at.
The story of the battle itself and about Kobayakawa being a teen who gets back at a man who humiliated him was very engaging. I was actually surprised to hear that Ishida was captured and his remains were paraded around. The first thing that came to mind for me was how many enemies during the French Revolution were beheaded and their heads were paraded around on pikes. Some of my kids often inquire about the “losers” in battle and what happens to them afterwards. Many, myself included, would probably not be so quick to identify the Japanese as a people who would practice this type of “barbaric action”. As stereotypical as that may sound, most people have this image of an honorable Japanese warrior who may treat his enemies with respect. I would love to hear more about how this idea of the “honorable warrior” still continued into modern history (kamikazes in WWII).
In “Creating a Period of Great Peace”, it was interesting to learn about the hostage system and the different lords spending periods of time in Edo, even leaving their main wives and heirs there. It really made me wonder how this system was so effective as I’m sure there had to be a certain degree of resentment by the lords from the lack of trust Ieyasu had in them. One last thing I enjoyed hearing about was the Japanese relations (or lack thereof) with the foreigners. The “Stamping on the Picture” or “fumi-ie” test was interesting, as was the story about the Dutch having their own trading base-island, Deshima Island, and their opportunities (gained from being Protestants helping to stamp out Christianity) to share European discoveries and novelties through missionaries. I would like to know if this period left behind a strong Dutch presence in Japan, as we always have class discussions about what countries visited where throughout history and the lasting influences they left as a result of these visits.

[Anonymous]

Carla brings up an interesting point. I , too, wonder if there was resentment by the wives and/ or the lords in regards to the hostage system and what their lifestyle was like in Edo with the absence of their significant other.

[Anonymous]

I agree with Annet and Ron about intriguing ideas of courtesans and vendettas. I share the same questions with Annet about the courtesans and have a few more - Professor Yamashita told us they had fixed rates - how were they determined? Was there social mobility within this hierarchy? Does one choose to become a courtesan or is this just one of the limited opportunities presented to you based on family status? As for the idea of vendettas, even though I know that we are humans completely capable of vengeful emotions, I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that it was legal and so organized.
edited by cbacon on 4/11/2011

[Anonymous]

Based on what I have observed from our lectures and readings, there appears to be a double standard throughout this regions history. Men can have a concubine or regularly visit courtesans, however a woman must remain dedicated to her husband at times serve as collateral. Very interesting, I wonder what the family structure is like today and how gender roles have changed.

[Anonymous]

As a person who has very little background in Asian history, I found Dr. Yamashita's lecture to be very interesting. I did not realize just exactly how structured the Japanese culture was and i wonder how much that has changed over the years to today's society. Do the young embrace the order as much as the older generations?
Thank you to the professor for supplying us with graphics as he went along in his lecture. They helped me sort everything out. About the vendetta killings, are they still carried out in "spirit" today? It seems hard to imagine going to the local police office to tell them you are going to kill someone - it reminds me of that Tom Cruise movie that (I just blanked on the name) where they see you commit a crime before it happens.

[Anonymous]

Karla, Ron and Anet bring up some points I was wondering about ,too. What a double standard, but not really any different than was going on anywhere else in the world. How does one get chosen to be a concubine or a courtesan? Could you ever leave the "profession"? Was it looked on as an honor to the family to be chosen as a courtesan or would you be an outcast? Maybe we can discuss these and other questions on Tuesday.

[Anonymous]

Tokugawa Order of Edo Japan, with flourishing literature and intellectual life style, came to life in the lecture delivered by Professor Yamashita. It was very fascinating learning experience with all the details of the interesting stories about social orders, conflicts, and important castles. Now, I would like to know more about hinin (non-humans), kawata (polluted ones), and courtesan. When a Japanese mother brought the pictures of samurai and courtesans to decorate my classroom for the school-wide multicultural event, I thought those pictures were inappropriate. But, I couldn’t say anything because I didn’t want to be disrespectful.

[Anonymous]

I was intrigued by the regulated vendettas. This was something unexpected, something I had never heard about before in Japanese history. The regulation of society to such an extreme as to regulate human emotions is fascinating. I would love to read some personal journals of people who were the target of a vendetta or were the pursuer of the vendetta. Was there a stigma if you did not complete the vendetta? What was even more intriguing was the fact that once the vendetta is carried out, you were not allowed to retaliate. What would happen if you did?

The other interesting thing was the hostage system. This part wasn't new to me, but I find the similarities between the Tokugawa and the Aztec and Inca empires fascinating. All three existed at roughly the same time period and practiced similar systems to keep their aristocracy class in check.

[Anonymous]

The system of geisha is a long one. I read some research about geishas a few years ago. It seems that the first "geisha" was actually male court entertainers. There was also evidence that geishas are not necessarily prostitutes. There were differences in how geishas and prostitutes dressed. For example, a geisha has a few pieces of hair decorations while a prostitute has lots of hair decorations. A geisha's obi is tied in the back by an assistance while a prostitute would tie hers in the front. This is not to say that geishas did not have sex for money, but it was a more formal arrangement than a simple sex for money exchange. Geishas spend years in training to attain that title. The famous iconic image of a Japanese woman with her face painted white is not actually a geisha, but a maiko -- a geisha in training. She has not yet attained the title of geisha. In modern Japan, the profession is in decline. The geisha houses are receiving fewer and fewer calls for their services, and the number of young women choosing to enter the profession is also in decline.

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