Premodern Japan

The late Mikiso Hane was Szold Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History at Knox College.Louis G. Perez is Distinguished University Professor of History, and Women's and Gender Studies, at Illinois State University.

• Preface Introduction 1 The Early Years Geographic Setting The Mythological Origins of Japan Japanese Prehistory Japan's Neighbor: Korea Early Yamato Society: Fourth and Fifth Centuries The Indigenous Cults Social Practices and Conditions Architecture 2 The Advent and Assimilation of Chinese Civilization The Introduction of Chinese Civilization Buddhism Prince Shotoku The Taika Reforms Culture of the Seventh and Eighth Centuries Social and Economic Conditions Marriage and Gender Relations Internal and External Foes 3 The Heian Period The Age of Court Aristocracy The Central Government Culture Nara-Heian Buddhism Rise of Shoen The Emergence of the Warrior Class (Samurai) The Triumph of the Samurai The Rivalry of the Taira and Minamoto Clans 4 The Kamakura Period The Kamakura Shogunate (1185-1333) The Hojo Regency Foreign Relations: The Asian Continent The Mongol Invasions and the Decline of the Kamakura Bakufu The Ethos of the Samurai Women and Inheritance Kamakura Buddhism Culture 5 The Ashikaga Period and the Emergence of the Daimyo Political Developments Ashikaga Rule The Decline of the Shoen The Onset of the Time of Troubles The Rise of the Daimyo and the Warring States The Peasantry Economic Growth The Influence of Zen Buddhism Upon Culture Other Cultural Developments 6 The Restoration of Order Oda Nobunaga Toyotomi Hideyoshi Hideyoshi's Domestic Policies The Ninja Azuchi-Momoyama Culture Gender and Sexuality Contact with the West Christianity in Japan The Introduction of Western Things 7 The Early Tokugawa Period The Triumph of Tokugawa Ieyasu The Power Structure Administrative Structure The Administration of Justice Social Structure The Samurai The Peasants The Townspeople Other Classes Family Hierarchy and Women 8 Intellectual and Cultural Developments in Tokugawa Japan Neo-Confucianism The Zhu Xi School in Japan The Wang Yang-Ming School Ancient Learning National Learning Agrarian Egalitarianism The Culture of the Townspeople Prose Fiction Theater Woodblock Printing and Painting Haiku Education The State of Buddhism 9 The Late Tokugawa Period Political Developments Economic Problems The Pleasure Quarters The Lot of the Peasants Population Control Peasant Uprisings Agricultural Improvements Forestry Intellectual Currents: Reformers and Critics 10 The Fall of the Tokugawa Bakufu Sakoku The Immediate Consequences The Mentality of Sonno Joi The Rise of the Anti-Bakufu Forces The Meji Restoration

"Perez has brought up to date what was already a standard textbook for premodern Japanese history, and in the process has not only done a great service to those of us who teach the subject, but has kept the legacy of Mikiso Hane's alive. Simply put, the book is short enough to keep introductory student's attention, yet detailed enough to be used as a text in advanced courses." --Michael Laver, Rochester Institute of Technology "Perez has provided a welcome update to a concise introduction to premodern Japanese history. Clearly written, the revised version better situates Japan in the context of East Asia and adds new information on women, gender, and relations between the sexes critical for developing a fuller picture of Japan before 1868." --Eric C. Rath, University of Kansas "The revised edition of Premodern Japan offers a detailed yet concise introduction to Japan's history from its mythical origins to the overthrow of feudal rule in the mid-19th century. In prose that is highly accessible to college students and non-Japan specialists, the authors not only tell the story of how Japan developed politically, economically, and socially, but also introduce readers to the cultural, religious, and intellectual traditions that continue to shape Japanese life today." --Elizabeth Dorn Lublin, Wayne State University