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Maciamo
Aug 22, 2004, 10:38
My favourite is Meiji, then Showa to nowi, then everything betwee Heian and Edo, especially Azuchi-Momoyama.

Apollo
Aug 22, 2004, 10:46
My favourite period of Japanese history is:
-The Occupation of Japan (1945-1952), and within this period it is (I have taught):
-Japan in the Cold War in general. (also economic and political history)

canadian_kor
Aug 22, 2004, 13:59
I picked Kofun and Asuka period because this period shows the relationship between the ancient Koreans and the Japanese.

Lina Inverse
Aug 23, 2004, 06:36
Late Showa, before they had no good anime & hentai! :D

Hiroshi66
Aug 24, 2004, 04:56
I know most about the Early Showa period, which covers World War II. The most fascinating, and shows how Japanese history just climaxes at this point.

TwistedMac
Aug 25, 2004, 10:49
late showa and heishei ^^

mad pierrot
Aug 25, 2004, 10:50
From feudalism to industry in 30 years. Just blows my mind.

blessed
Aug 25, 2004, 11:35
yeah, and you did it (from what i know) pretty hasle free, unlike hard-headed russians who wiped out a 10th of their population. :(

Hiroshi66
Aug 26, 2004, 00:03
yeah, and you did it (from what i know) pretty hasle free, unlike hard-headed russians who wiped out a 10th of their population. :(

True.

But the Meiji government certainly was authoritarian. Under a facade of constitutional and political rule - Meiji Japan was one of the most authoritarian nations in the world - similar to the likes of today's Iran. Why? Simple - it was a theocratic regime based on Shintoism, which had been in decline for centuries and which had, since the sixth century, played second fiddle to the more secterian Buddhist religion.

All political parties had to be registered with the government. Radicals and many liberals were persecuted by their right-wing and conservative/royalist counterparts. This is before the political arrests of the 1930s.

Indeed, the period of thirty years between 1868 and 1898 transformed a feudalistic, authoritarian and backward country into a modern, powerful, and yet authoritarian country.

EscaFlowne
Aug 26, 2004, 00:20
Kofun & asuka (early kingdoms : 300-710)
Nara & Heian (710-1185)
Kamakura (first, Minamoto-Hojo shogunate : 1185-1333)
Muromachi (Ashikaga shogunate 1333-1568)


:bluush:

Here, have a :balloon:

Hiroshi66
Aug 28, 2004, 00:11
Thanks Escaflowne. :)

I have never studied early Japanese history in depth - because it is until the end a matter of opinion? Do you believe that His Majesty the Emperor is a descendent of Amaterasu? Or was he a Korean who migrated from his homeland? Was he nothing but a tribal chief? Another Caesar or Hitler who had the dreams of empire?

puKKa
Aug 28, 2004, 02:02
edo to meiji is mine favorite.

does anyone know any good site with info about all the periods, I love history ^^

Hiroshi66
Aug 28, 2004, 02:04
Uh - Jref.com has great links, but wikipedia.org, an online encyclopedia, has a very detailed Japanese history section. I have submitted a few articles, mainly on politics.

Duo
Aug 28, 2004, 04:21
I like the Bakumatsu, ok i admit cuz of Ruruoni Kenshin, but c'mon, is a time of change and just over all interesting to see the change in mentality.

Apollo
Aug 28, 2004, 08:09
I can see there are many here who are interested in feudal Japan, and perhaps also samurai.
Here is a good link, I have spent some time on it to recap and there are good summaries and it is very user-friendly.
The only minus is: It seems to be still under construction, or, the creators of the site seem to have missed some topics, names etc...however, very good site if you want to pass the time and just get a summary on stuff.
http://www.samurai-archives.com/

Hiroshi66
Aug 29, 2004, 09:35
Kinda to dress it up again.. what period do you know least about in Japanese history? For me, it would probably have to be.. uh.. the Yayoi/Kofun periods, and also the Muromachi periods. The shogunal alliances changed so much during these years, I know more about Buddhism during these years rather than the actual politics involved.

Apollo
Aug 30, 2004, 23:54
Kinda to dress it up again.. what period do you know least about in Japanese history? For me, it would probably have to be.. uh.. the Yayoi/Kofun periods, and also the Muromachi periods. The shogunal alliances changed so much during these years, I know more about Buddhism during these years rather than the actual politics involved.

everything before 12th century Japan I am not soooo interested in I'm afraid...
In fact, my great interest concerning Japan is showa and especially occupation of Japan and Japan today, so everything before that is not my special area, although I feel I know the most important events and people....
:balloon:

Hiroshi66
Aug 31, 2004, 04:58
Yes. The Heian Period isn't a very political area.. just know that the courtiers mistreated the people and "they had their heads in the clouds". And taxes were high on peasants.

mejuami
Aug 31, 2004, 10:03
i guess i like the Heisei period b/c...

Hiroshi66
Aug 31, 2004, 13:54
I have a question - were there Korean troops who occupied Japan during the Japanese occupation?

Trista
Aug 31, 2004, 23:50
I voted for Kamakura because I've actually studied the artwork of that time period. Maybe I'm little uninformed of what else happened outside of beautiful architecture and sculptures.

Apollo
Sep 1, 2004, 00:52
I have a question - were there Korean troops who occupied Japan during the Japanese occupation?

No, Korea was not a military force in Japan, but I will answer in more detail later, when I will take the opportunity to make a thread about occupation....for the sake of clarity and order. :balloon:

Hiroshi66
Sep 1, 2004, 03:02
Thanks1 =) I just saw your post, and I am going there write now to check it out.

Mandylion
Nov 12, 2004, 10:46
Bakumatsu, by far, when taken with a dash of Meiji - watching a government rip itself appart and trying to find its feet again satisfies both historian and political scientist in me. Revolution, blood, sex, intrigue, international power politics - how can you not love it?!

senseiman
Nov 12, 2004, 15:21
I like the Kamakura period for a number of reasons. There was a lot of interesting infighting between the imperial court and the bakufu. In the religious world most of Japan's most important Buddhist sects were founded by various interesting characters in reaction to the natural disasters that were a constant during that time. Plus a lot of the best works of midieval literature were composed in that time, especially the military adventures like the Heike monogatari. Makes for interesting studying, though it must have been one of the worst eras in Japanese history to actually have lived through.

miyuki
Nov 12, 2004, 16:01
Jomon,Yayoi,Asuka,Kamakura,Bakumatsu
Interesting for me.

sadakoyamamura
Nov 12, 2004, 20:44
My first choice is Early Showa because its the time they occupied my country but for me past is past. :-)


Second choice is Edo to Meiji seeing how at first they were an 'island' to 'no man is an island' which is why they finally opened their doors.

Hiroshi66
Nov 14, 2004, 02:23
Hehe - Bakumatsu was indeed. Thogu wouldn't the Meiji period also be one of mystery and intrigue? ;0

Mandylion
Nov 14, 2004, 08:21
Hehe - Bakumatsu was indeed. Thogu wouldn't the Meiji period also be one of mystery and intrigue? ;0
Yes, it was, I just realy like the gumption of Tosa, Satsuma, and Choshu and all them types...

Hiroshi66
Nov 15, 2004, 01:36
Yeah. :)

Shinsengumi is a pretty good example of that..

smig
Nov 16, 2004, 20:31
It's fascinating how differently Japan and China coped in the late 19th century. Japan embraced change and preserved its sovereignty, culture and traditions. China was too arrogant to admit that the 'foreign devils' had surpassed them in technology... and wanted to preted they didn't exist. Mind you, the Opium Wars were hardly a good PR exercise for the British Empire: Buy our drugs, or we'll wipe you out!

Mind you it is interesting to compare two different but similar countries: Germany and Japan. I am not really convinced that the Japanese (ie wider Japanese society) really confronted the reality of the atrocities that Japanese Forces committed in WWII. To their credit, US forced German townspeople to face up to what happened. People were made to see films. And if you lived near a camp, you had to help clean it up and bury the bodies, under armed supervision. Which meant that Germans couldn't deny what happened and couldn't NOT confront their action and inaction. German culture, identity were violently shaken and changed.
Japan, however, is different. I saw a documentary, in which Japanese veterans of the Chinese campaign admitted to the atrocities they had seen and committed. The men interviewed ranged from officers to privates. They were all in their eighties. Some of them were incacerated in Chinese prisons and released in the 50's. They said that people in Japan didn't believe them, and declared them to have been brain-washed by the Communist Chinese.
In addition to this I can speak from an australian perspective. My grandfather was a soldier in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Borneo. I talked to him and many other australian veterans of the Pacific war. One man I talked to had personally seen how native village children had been crippled by Japanese soldiers. Experiences like Changi POW Camp, the POW experiences of the Burma Railway, etc, scarred a generation of Australians. Young people are surprised at how the "Nips" or "Japs" are so detested by veterans, sometimes - but you need to understand this in context of the times. I saw an interview with an australian POW who was tortured, and part of the slave labour used in Burma. He said that he initially hated the Japanese, but after having 'worked' (=slave labour) in Japan, he saw that the other Japanese labourers were starving and suffering like him. He said that he realised, that in fact what he hated was militarism and fascism, and mindless, unconditional obedience to leaders.
My point in recounting this, is that I have never been convinced that Japan suffered the same shock that Germany did. Was their society shaken to the roots like German society? Do they remember these events now? Do they have a national musuem (like das Haus der Geschichte in Bonn) where you cannot enter without confronting the fascist past? I suspect that all these horrific events were not really comprehended and not really confronted. Is there a national memorial in Tokyo to the Chinese who were killed, enslaved, and raped? Are the Japanese paying money to survivors? They have certainly never compensated Australian victims, and to my knowledge won't even acknowledge that it happened. Germany is by no means perfect but it serves as a very interesting contrast.
One final point: are Japanese schoolchildren taught these things, or do we jump from Meiji to Manga without breaking a sweat?

PS There is a Holocaust memorial about the size of a football field in Berlin. Designed by Daniel Liebkind i believe. When I saw it in 2003 it wasn't yet built.

Hiroshi66
Nov 16, 2004, 23:26
I think it depends on the district and the school. There have been accusations against Japanese textbooks not supplying material about World War II. China and South Korea have complained about this. Its wrong, don't get me the wrong way.. but let's take a look at the two nations who have complained. Do China's textbooks say of its atrocities in Tibet and against right-wings or even moderates? Do South Korea's textbooks tell of the violence of the Rhee regime against remaining Japanese left in South Korea? I know Australia's tells of its violence against aboriginal tribes, just like those of the US and Canada. But Japan isn't the only textbook editing country in East Asia.

wintersweet
Nov 19, 2004, 07:52
Ah, I'm sad that the Heian period isn't so popular. The clothes alone are enough to make me fall in love with it. ;)

Hiroshi66
Nov 19, 2004, 11:05
Hehe. Heian is more of the literary student's favorite period.

Maciamo
Nov 19, 2004, 12:06
By the way, we have a new Japanese History section (http://www.wa-pedia.com/culture/japanese_history_timeline.shtml) on Japan Reference. It is divided in 20 periods from Jomon to Heisei.

acquiredtarget
Nov 19, 2004, 13:18
By the way, we have a new Japanese History section (http://www.wa-pedia.com/culture/japanese_history_timeline.shtml) on Japan Reference. It is divided in 20 periods from Jomon to Heisei.Nicely done. THanks for the link.

Hiroshi66
Nov 19, 2004, 23:45
Yes, indeed.

Have you noticed there are more college classes on Heian literature than on Heian history?>

Martialartsnovice
Nov 20, 2004, 03:21
I personally like the eras preceeding the WW era, especially preceeding the Genro, and their military agendas. The days of the Bakufu and their reign during the shogunate of the Tokugawa clan, I think were some of Japans greatest years. The Bakufu refined all of the Martial Arts of Japan, especially regarding the daimyo and their use of the samurai as a means of acquiring more land holdings. THe shogun was wise in consolidating the ninjas under his authority and placing them under his command.

Hiroshi66
Nov 21, 2004, 01:47
Guys is it true that some peopel regard the capital of Japan to still be at Kyotou? I heard that somewhere.

Apollo
Nov 21, 2004, 23:38
Guys is it true that some peopel regard the capital of Japan to still be at Kyotou? I heard that somewhere.
No, this I never heard.....maybe ages ago it was still considered the capital in the years 794-1869, when it was the capital and the city where the Emperor resided.

However, one could say that Kyoto is still the capital of Japanese culture...(with its university, porcelain manufactory etc..)

Hiroshi66
Nov 25, 2004, 06:00
Thanks for your help.

That's true - but it hasn't been the political capital since 1869 right?

lexico
Dec 24, 2004, 17:21
I haven't studied Japanese history, I feel a bit awkward about putting my vote in for statistics. However, I am interested in the way Japan handled itself in its encounters with the West and US, which I perceive is the main reason why Japan was able to preserve so much of its culture and history. By Weternizing of its own will, it was able to preserve its cultural identity in a unique way, even after losing a major war. This is why I voted for the Meiji Period, not because I knew the other periods so as to make a balanced judgement. There I agree with SMIG.


It's fascinating how differently Japan and China coped in the late 19th century. Japan embraced change and preserved its sovereignty, culture and traditions. China was too arrogant to admit that the 'foreign devils' had surpassed them in technology... and wanted to preted they didn't exist. Mind you, the Opium Wars were hardly a good PR exercise for the British Empire: Buy our drugs, or we'll wipe you out!

In the rest of my post, I'd like to ask your opinion on two small topics involving Japan's role in the invention of the RICKISHA and the RIAKA. I was originally interested in RIAKA in that it has been an essential transportation tool in everyday life for many people. I myself have used it for moving, and was intersted that a Japanese gentleman did likewise just recently. I have seen photos of the RIAKA being pulled in Mongolia.

But written historical data on the RIAKA is pretty sparse on the web. A Japanese auto parts manufacturer Bridgestone was the only place that mentioned anything, that it was "invented in the 1910's," and that the name RIA-CAR was an attractive name to the Kapanese then. After wasting some time on the web, I posted a thread under history section entitled "Who invented the RIAKA?" but no one seems to know. As for this subject, I am out of leads. Do you have any suggestions? :relief:

In the course of my digging, I've come across a good number of references to the RIKISHA, and began to wonder if the RICKSHAW could be an invention parallel to the RIAKA. However, I've found about 6 different versions of origin each claiming a different story. How do historians cope with conflicting information? Could you suggest how I might proceed from here? :relief:

Merry Christmans!

Hiroshi66
Dec 25, 2004, 00:31
Hello lexico, I would love to help...but could you please tell me what the Riaka is? I know what a rickshaw is of course - but I am not familiar with a Riaka..

lexico
Dec 25, 2004, 01:14
My point in recounting this, is that I have never been convinced that Japan suffered the same shock that Germany did. Was their society shaken to the roots like German society? Do they remember these events now? Do they have a national musuem (like das Haus der Geschichte in Bonn) where you cannot enter without confronting the fascist past? I suspect that all these horrific events were not really comprehended and not really confronted. Is there a national memorial in Tokyo to the Chinese who were killed, enslaved, and raped? Are the Japanese paying money to survivors? They have certainly never compensated Australian victims, and to my knowledge won't even acknowledge that it happened. Germany is by no means perfect but it serves as a very interesting contrast.
One final point: are Japanese schoolchildren taught these things, or do we jump from Meiji to Manga without breaking a sweat?

PS There is a Holocaust memorial about the size of a football field in Berlin. Designed by Daniel Liebkind i believe. When I saw it in 2003 it wasn't yet built.

Coming from a Korean's perspective:
(I've used double quotation marks whenever appropriate, meaning that although the "pejorative word" might be there, I do not necessarily subscribe to what it represents.)

As I recall, the historical Japanese, the "Wae" people, are depicted in Korean elementary schools as "uncivilized, cruel, and greedy pirates" who would raid Ancient Korea's coastal villages in search for food supplies when there was famine. We are taught of the atrocities of the Japanese invaders during the Choson-Japanese Wars during the 1600's, and how bravely Koreans fought off these "abnoxious war mongers." We are taught of the inhumanity of the Japanese rule of Korea from 1910, and how "deservedly" Japan was defeated by the US, "by the two Atomic Bombs that wiped out two rural cities."

In high school, these "subhuman" images of Japan and its people only get reinforced, while most students never have a chance to know Japan, its people, or its culture on a personal level. It is difficult to imagine for a pre-college school kid that what he/she is being fed in school may have been screened or manipulated to satisfy the needs of the older generations, because of the trust that exists between teacher and student.

My turning point from the systematically planned "anti-Japanese" values came when I started making Japanese friends. One Mr. Nada, a second generation Japanese American, told me that his father left Japan for good because his father could not agree with the government's "policy of agression." One Japanese-American classmate I've known for a year would consistently engage in historical research of Japan's "ignoble role" in Asia before, during, and after the 2nd WW which amazed me at first. I also learned of the many Japanese dissdents, some religious, some political, some consciencious, who perished in the jails for opposing to Japan's colonist and discriminatory policies during that period. This experience thaught me that wholesale Japan bashing is pure nonsense. Just like in any country, everybody is different, and so are the Japanese. Some good, some bad, and the majority that goes along. Not at all alike.

Now coming to the question that you raised, I am more hesitent to raise a positive voice in favor of Japan. In a mixed language class composed of Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, and European students, history often became the topic for free discussion. And you could probably guess what students from Korea and Taiwan would want to know; WWII and the role of Japan and Germany. The German students were both knowledgeable of and apologetic for their country's military agression and the damage it caused. I am quite sure that's not enough for a Jewish student, but for me, it did symbolic justice. It was a start for Germany, and there might be a strong chance that it (invasion, expulsion, Auschwitz) would never happen again. But one Japanese classmate's response was rather shocking. I can't remember the exact wording, but it went something like this;

"I don't know what you are talking about. I never heard Japan did anything bad. Now I want to talk about something else."

I could not believe my ears. I have never expected such "trash," or insincere language, to come out of a civilized person's mouth. The funny thing was nobody could get mad outright because this Japanese student had a clean slate of conscience. I don't know about the Taiwanese students, but we got mad after class. Still it was difficult to decide to whom the anger should be directed. We just kept repeating "oh, the Japanese!" It was one of those wierd experiences that stuck to my head. Obviously schools in Japan weren't teaching much about WWII.

The only possible reason I can think of is this: the magnitude of shock the two atomic bombs have left on Japanese' minds was so great and so painful that they decided to forget everything leading to the two explosions. (I found subtle traces of the A-bomb in films such as Akira or Gozira, but Barefoot Gen was more outspoken.) Wiping out all the messy details of the war and what lead to it, including the late 19th c. expansionist activities, human experiments at Guandong unit 731, and the Nanjing massacre were all coveniently covered up. Possibly the moral responsibility was too grave to bear, especially with Mr. Hirohito's active role during the most atrocious years.

One novelist known for his historical fiction "Maruta" interviewed several medical ex-empolyees of unit 731 in the course of his writing. He confessed in the forword: "I drew a rather dramatic picture of the Japanese at unit 731, tormented by the cruelty offered to the human subjects. The reasaon I did this is simple. I know of no way to create a piece of art that is indifferent to another human being's suffering. Therefore I humanized them; in reality no one that I interviewed had any sense of remorse about it. They were simply doing their jobs as professionals. I had to create a couple of conscience-torn figures to make the story work, and that was the most fictional part of my story."

I know that the medical experts from 731 were re-empolyed by the US occupation forces to convey their research results from human experiments to the US, and were given amnesty for their services. I learned in a college course that such information not only contributed to the advancement of US medicine but was also the source of the Hanta virus, supposedly dropped over lower Manchuria by the US just before/after(?) the Chinese invasion of Korea in 1953. I feel betrayed by the historical process that uses Chinese, Korean, and dissident Japanese civilians as guinea pigs to develop a biological weapon that ends up on their very heads in less than 10 years. The dead to not speak of course, but quite a few S.Koreans have suffered and died of this deadly virus; I do not know how many N.Koreans or Chinese died of it.

If what I've read is true, then the US, with its active interest in the NW Pacific costal Asia, had its fair share of responsibility by playing God, condemning (fat-man & little boy) or forgiving (doling out amnesty for Mr. Hirohito, medical experts, etc.) at whim. So I could say that the Japanese during the US occupation were reluctant to record the details of its recent past, and that this trend was reinforced by the US occupation sending a subtle message that "as long as you cooperate with us, we'll let you forget everything. We gave you the A-bombs, and we're not sorry about it. So why should you be sorry about what you did?" I don't know if this makes a lot of sense, but that's what I think. I do not think that consciencious individuals are nonexistent in Japan, however, it will take a quantum leap for their voices to become mainstream. Yes, I believe the Japanese did suffer tremendously, and they were the first to get hit with Einstein's monster. There was no precedent. It is difficult to judge them when I think about that.

(This is another topic, but the Russians have been testing nuclear bombs in NE Siberia which nearly wiped out the aboriginal Chukchis. This is disturbing, too. See http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/chukchis.shtml)

Merry Christmas, SMIG!

lexico
Dec 25, 2004, 02:33
Hello lexico, I would love to help...but could you please tell me what the Riaka is? I know what a rickshaw is of course - but I am not familiar with a Riaka..

(Somehow my post to yours disappeared, so I hope it works this time!)

I feel relieved already! :relief:

You can think of a RIAKA as a huge hand cart normally pulled or pushed by one person. It has a metal frame, two rubber tubed wheels, and a sturdy U shaped handle for easy maneuver. No springs, but tires and ball bearings ensure smooth driving.

The primary use of the RIAKA in Korea is moving all kinds of stuff: households, agricultural goods, gardening materials, construction materials, fire wood (in the olden times), recyclables, and anything you can imagine.

The second use would be commercial vending stalls; food stalls with cooking facility installed such as stove, casserol, grill, and hot plate; music stalls with tape or CD racks; clothing; candy; toys; fruit; caked coal; seafood; household goods; sundry; etc.

One interesting commercial use would be the "Band-Wagon Bar" where you can get a quicky; a shot, or a bottle of distilled alcohol with a variety of chasers; very popular and very cheap! I hear Japan has these commercial varieties also.

Another interesting application would be its emergency use as an ambulance; for example in the 1961 April 19 Students Uprising in Korea, initial casualties were hand carted to the hospitals and morgues using the RIAKA. I've heard of a similar use during the 1989 Beijing Incident, but this could be the bicycle trailer, not sure. In Khazakhstan, the poor who cannot afford a funeral car use the RIAKA instead.

To see a picture of this very handy RIA-KA, please go to the thread here http://www.wa-pedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13742

A quick description of the three photos:

photo 1. this old fashioned, mostly wooden cart should be called KURUMA, I think. I'm glad it's still around.

photo 2. this is RIAKA proper, metal and rubber, modern and slick.

photo 3. this is a photo from 1935, of a certain YAMADA RIA-KA; you'll notice how the ROMAJI is stylzed with the abberant spelling YAMARTA REAR-CAR. I think this is a legacy of the European/American/Australian dabblings into the BICYCLE TRAILERS, FORE-CARS, REAR-CARS, & SIDECARS of 1895-1903. I do not believe this form of tricylce engine RIAKA falls into the category of RIAKA proper. But its was around back then. I do not know if such tricycles are still around, or whether they are still called REAR-CARS or RIAKA now.

I hope this helps, so you can help me. :blush: But any questions you have, I'm more than ready to post more texts and pics.

In the mean time, I wish you Merry Christmas, a white one if you're in the Northern Hemisphere! :wave:

Kamisama
Dec 25, 2004, 11:16
The part of history where ninjas and samurai were out in the open fighting each other in front of people. Yeah that part of history. Where stuff was intense and ninjas could jump buildings.

Hiroshi66
Dec 26, 2004, 13:31
Well - it seems that the Rickshaw is used to carry people while the Riaka is used in more rural societies to carry things.

lexico
Dec 26, 2004, 20:50
Well - it seems that the Rickshaw is used to carry people while the Riaka is used in more rural societies to carry things.

I believe that would be a correct distinction between the two. :cool: And as you may have noticed, they share basically the same mechanical structure and principle. Which is why I suspect the old-fashioned, wooden KURUMA became redisgned with Western materials and was restyled RIAKA.

Or reversely, maybe the two-wheeled Western trailer became adapted to Japan competing with the KURUMA, and won out over the KURUMA, or absorbed it.

The RIKISHA may have been a hybrid of the Western horse carriage and the Japanese KURUMA.

The isolated facts are there, but I still need concrete evidence to support any kind of thesis regarding the actual evolutionary stages. There should be someone in Japan who did a study on it. I might have to use translators and dig some more. I'll post new findings in the original thread.

Thanks, Hiroshi66 san, for keeping the discussion going. :wave:

Hiroshi66
Dec 27, 2004, 01:31
No problem!! I think that the Riaka may have come from Northern China through the Manchu invaders - and the Rickshaw was in the cities well before. ^^

lexico
Dec 30, 2004, 02:46
I got your message yesterday. Any new historical topics on your mind?

I am without a lead as to the origin of the Riaka. I can only :( :( :( .
Is it such a minor topic that nobody is interested in it,
or was the RIAKA not invented in Japan? Of course there's always the possibility that the information's out there somewhere, I just have to try harder. I sincerely hope so. :-) :-) :-)
I appreciate your effort; but I still need supporting evidence for that theory. I'm beginning to think this RIAKA thing is going to take some time to figure out.

Any clue to the inventor of the Rickshaw?
I have 6 different theories, you want to have a look?
I'd like your opinion on it, if you're not tied up.

1. Rev. Jonathan Goble, 1871 (or 1869); ex-US Marine & Baptist Missioanry
2. Shimooka Renjo, Japanese engineer, also the first Japanese photographer
3. Francis C. Pollay, US carpenter, ex-US Marine, NY
(Renjo and Pollay are Goble's acquaintances, friendly, that is.)

4. Yoosuke Izumi et al., 1869, Japanese businessmen
5. Rev. E. Jonathan Scobie, 1869; US Baptist Missionary in Yokohama
6. Albert Tolman, 1848, US blacksmith & carriage maker of Worchester MA

It appears theory 1. is the most popular in English written sources, and theory 4. in Japanese sources. There's also (although not an inventor)...

7. James H. Barch, New Jersy wagon manufactuer who exported rickshaws to Japan.

Can you check in your references (reliable ones) if you can confirm any of these possible inventors of the rickshaw?

Another question: I might want to make this into a poll asking "Rickshw inventor was......" This would be more like a study of mythologies, but it might be interesting to see how much people knew, and what is being fed to the public.

The poll might simply ask:
1. a Japanese
2. a Chinese
3. an American (US)
4. a European
5. other
6. don't know

Or it might ask:

1. Yosuke Izumi and two colleagues
2. Shimooka Renjo
3. Rev. Jonathan Goble
4. Francis Pollay
5. Rev. E. Jonathan Scobie
6. Albert Tolman
7. James H. Barch
8. none of the above
9. don't know

Or as a third possibility, a combination of plans 1 & 2. (Does the poll allow 2-slayered questionairs?)
If you have any thoughts about how best I could set up a poll, please let me know. Right now I have two purposes; to get as much information out of the poll as I can, and to make the poll attractive and interesting to get people's attention. Of course, I wouldn't want to make it too complicated.

Happy New Year, Hiroshi!

ps. I hate to ask you this; are you really 14? If so, you must be a genius!

Hiroshi66
Dec 30, 2004, 10:23
Hey ~ yeah, I am. ^^ I get that a lot.. I just spend my time on history rather than on video games and girls.. I suppose ^^

Anyways ~ I don't think that we can say the Riaka had an "inventor" like a car. Think of the horse and buggy - can we say that a certaiin person invented it? Both the Rickshaw and Riaka, were, based on their uses, probably created from the peasant in China.. or maybe Korea/Japan.. they might have been urbanized by a certain preson.. but I doubt that that person invented it.

lexico
Dec 31, 2004, 01:31
Hey ~ yeah, I am. ^^ I get that a lot.. I just spend my time on history rather than on video games and girls.. I suppose ^^.Sorry, didn't want to embarrass you. ^^ I'm surprised too, because I figured from you signature that you were some middle-aged college professor with a white moustach who loves to teach what he loves to study. But anyway, I think you should go out more and enjoy the outdoors, get some fresh air, meet some real people, not just on-line? Virtual friends can't help you out in real situations; the relationship is real, and even sincere, but isn't there something missing? I mean academics isn't everything in life? You've got to practice emotions with your peers, too. They need you, too. Just because they seem ignorant, and uninterested in reading, doesn't mean they're unworthy of your friendship? Don't you think?
Anyways ~ I don't think that we can say the Riaka had an "inventor" like a car. Think of the horse and buggy - can we say that a certaiin person invented it? Both the Rickshaw and Riaka, were, based on their uses, probably created from the peasant in China.. or maybe Korea/Japan.. they might have been urbanized by a certain preson.. but I doubt that that person invented it.Here I see some real insight into the true nature of invention; two gems of an historian's mind...
1. some inventions are based on evolutionary use; that is numerous people improving on a primitive idea in succession.
2. a local artifact can change its definition by moving its place such as into the city.

I appreciate your contribution to my historical reasoning. I might want to investigate the two historical processes that you just mentioned. In the meantime, I decided to go ahead with the RICKSHAW POLL. Please drop by if you're interested, and leave three ticks, or your thoughts!

Hiroshi66
Jan 1, 2005, 06:52
Lexico-san ~ Ah! I didn't want to give anyone the impression that I thought I was superior to them.. not at all.. its just that when I am with them.. they get a little bit.. well, not only rude.. but also.. a bit.. perverted.. (?) It makes me feel uncomfortable. And no, I'm not only online. I love to read, go outside and walk in my yard, go to the bookstore, and hang out iwth a few of my true friends.

I shall go to your topic.

Apollo
Jan 2, 2005, 23:27
(...)
I know that the medical experts from 731 were re-empolyed by the US occupation forces to convey their research results from human experiments to the US, and were given amnesty for their services. I learned in a college course that such information not only contributed to the advancement of US medicine but was also the source of the Hanta virus, supposedly dropped over lower Manchuria by the US just before/after(?) the Chinese invasion of Korea in 1953. I feel betrayed by the historical process that uses Chinese, Korean, and dissident Japanese civilians as guinea pigs to develop a biological weapon that ends up on their very heads in less than 10 years. The dead to not speak of course, but quite a few S.Koreans have suffered and died of this deadly virus; I do not know how many N.Koreans or Chinese died of it.

If what I've read is true, then the US, with its active interest in the NW Pacific costal Asia, had its fair share of responsibility by playing God, condemning (fat-man & little boy) or forgiving (doling out amnesty for Mr. Hirohito, medical experts, etc.) at whim. So I could say that the Japanese during the US occupation were reluctant to record the details of its recent past, and that this trend was reinforced by the US occupation sending a subtle message that "as long as you cooperate with us, we'll let you forget everything. We gave you the A-bombs, and we're not sorry about it. So why should you be sorry about what you did?" I don't know if this makes a lot of sense, but that's what I think. I do not think that consciencious individuals are nonexistent in Japan, however, it will take a quantum leap for their voices to become mainstream. Yes, I believe the Japanese did suffer tremendously, and they were the first to get hit with Einstein's monster. There was no precedent. It is difficult to judge them when I think about that.


The topic about Unit 731 is a very interesting topic lexico! I agree with you that most Japanese students are "ignorant" of some basic facts during WW2 compared to what German students know about their own past during the same period.

I myself have taught history to Japanese students where I took up this topic of Unit 731. -Yes, I am brave! :-)
You are right that people behind Unit 731 were headhunted to the U.S. and they were never prosecuted in the Tokyo trials (although the Soviet Union and China did try to bring them to the same trial as Tojo and the lot). However, recently some of them (remainders) were brought to trial by the Tokyo district Court four years ago - many years after the terrible killings. (I will scan some notes/pictures and display them if I can find them).

http://www.myonlineimages.com/Members/karina/Images/artikel_unit731_times.jpg
http://www.myonlineimages.com/Members/karina/Images/unit731_1.jpg

Hiroshi66
Jan 3, 2005, 03:13
While we're talking about the subject - I read that the Unit 731 headquarters were near Harbin. What was the capital of Manchukuo? Harbin? Mukden?

Apollo
Jan 3, 2005, 04:57
While we're talking about the subject - I read that the Unit 731 headquarters were near Harbin. What was the capital of Manchukuo? Harbin? Mukden?

The capital of Manchukuo 1932-45 was Changchun, near Harbin.
:wave:

lexico
Jan 3, 2005, 08:15
While we're talking about the subject - I read that the Unit 731 headquarters were near Harbin. What was the capital of Manchukuo? Harbin? Mukden?The place names in Manchuria can be quite confusing because many nationalities and political bodies have interacted actively in the past. In additon to the Chinese, the Molgols, the Manchus, the Russians, and the Japanese have struggled for dominance over this region. Knowing the kanji and non-Chinese etymology may help you memorize the place names. Let me give a quick summary of the place names roughly along the Manchurian Railway starting from Port Arthur and ending at Qiqiha'er.

current place names
Chinese--------Russian---Japanese--Manchu
—·‡ Lushun -----Port Arthur-Ryojun ----- ?
‘å˜@ Dalian ------Dalnyi ?----Dairen ------ ?
āc—z Shenyang --Mukden ------?--------Mukden n./adj. "rising"
’·t Changchun ---?--------Shinkyo------ ?
‹g—Ņ Jilin ----------?-----------?--------Kirin Ula "riverside city"
™ûŽĒā_ Ha'erbin---Kharbin-------?--------Alejin (Jurchen) "honor, fame"
---------------------------------------Harbin (Ma.) "drying fish nets"
ęŽęŽ‡ŽĒ Qiqiha'er--?-----------?--------Qiqihar (Dagur) "border"

alternate names
·‹ž~•ō“V Chengjing~Fengtian=āc—z in Qing dynasty
V‹ž Xinjing, Hsinking= Manchukuo's Capital, ’·t Changchun

note: Jurchen: Language ancestral to Manchu-Tungusic
Dagur: An isolated language within the Mongol language family
Qiqiha'er in fact lies about 50km from the Sino-Mongol border.
Harbin would lie roughly halfway between Jinlin & Qiqihar.
The blanks only mean that I do not know the forms in those particular languages, not that they do not exist.


The topic about Unit 731 is a very interesting topic lexico! I agree with you that most Japanese students are "ignorant" of some basic facts during WW2 compared to what German students know about their own past during the same period.

I myself have taught history to Japanese students where I took up this topic of Unit 731. -Yes, I am brave! :-)
You are right that people behind Unit 731 were headhunted to the U.S. and they were never prosecuted in the Tokyo trials (although the Soviet Union and China did try to bring them to the same trial as Tojo and the lot). However, recently some of them (remainders) were brought to trial by the Tokyo district Court four years ago - many years after the terrible killings. (I will scan some notes/pictures and display them if I can find them).

http://www.myonlineimages.com/Members/karina/Images/artikel_unit731_times.jpg
http://www.myonlineimages.com/Members/karina/Images/unit731_1.jpgI have to admit, after posting that, I read other posts saying that people above their 30's are quite knowledgeable in modern Asian history. In addition one post said that history classes in highschools DO deal with Japan's recent history; quite a different description from what many people outside Japan tend to believe. I can only imagine that much would depend on the individual school and instructor. (You were one of those brave instructors? Quite a heavy subject for high school students; I wonder how they responded. I wonder if you didn't get negative feedback from the community, such as from students' parents, for being an "unloyal" Japanese? You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable. :sorry: ) And if that is true, I too made the error of hasty generalization. I think I have to apologize for that. I am very sorry. :sorry:
Unit 731 is a scary subject that not too many people are thrilled to talk about; it's only natural, I think. But as much as the Holocaust is important to Europe, I believe that the human experiments at Unit 731 must be studied so that we learn from our past mistakes; we as in the sense of humanity. I appreciate your not taking the subject as a Japan bashing thing. It's actually something that is beyond me, to tell the truth. But I am not sure how other members who see the material will respond. Although I talked about it, I am a little concerned. :okashii: :-)
I read somewhere that there were not only Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese civilian dissidents, but also Russian and British POWs and unlucky civilians who became test subjects at 731. I wonder how historians in the UK and the (former) USSR describe the incident. And since there were German captives held in Japan, could there have been any German victims?

miles7tp
Jan 3, 2005, 22:01
I like Ukiyoe more than 731.
So my favourite period in Japanese history is Edo era.

http://t6488uhfev.hp.infoseek.co.jp/cat01.jpg

:-)

Hiroshi66
Jan 4, 2005, 02:38
Thanks for the info!

I wonder why the Japanese didn't set up the capital at another major city like Mukden or Harbin?

lexico
Jan 4, 2005, 04:00
I like Ukiyoe more than 731.
So my favourite period in Japanese history is Edo era. :-)That's a very nice painting! Might you know what year or historical period it belongs to? May I have the reference if you have it? :genji:

miu
Jan 4, 2005, 04:29
I like the Edo period, too. It's one of those closed periods when Japan melts outer influences into something different and Japanese... And it's a period of popular culture :) I also like ukiyo-e, espescially if it has something to do with the supernatural, legends or ghosts.


Yoshitoshi Tsukioka: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (full series as thumbnails) (http://users.exis.net/~jnc/nontech/prints/100moon.html)

More of his work (http://www.sinister-designs.com/graphicarts/yoshitoshi.html)

Apollo
Jan 4, 2005, 04:47
I have to admit, after posting that, I read other posts saying that people above their 30's are quite knowledgeable in modern Asian history. In addition one post said that history classes in highschools DO deal with Japan's recent history; quite a different description from what many people outside Japan tend to believe. I can only imagine that much would depend on the individual school and instructor. (You were one of those brave instructors? Quite a heavy subject for high school students; I wonder how they responded. I wonder if you didn't get negative feedback from the community, such as from students' parents, for being an "unloyal" Japanese? You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable. :sorry: ) And if that is true, I too made the error of hasty generalization. I think I have to apologize for that. I am very sorry. :sorry:

Sorry, I should have been more clear...I have never taught Japanese high school students. What I have been teaching were JAPANESE undergraduates in university (mainly first-and second-year students) during my work with my thesis. Hence, I have never met negative response, as the students were only open to "new" schools of thought, however, they are always some few who like to challenge instructors by being negative....

Apollo
Jan 4, 2005, 04:57
The reason why Unit 731 is chosen as a part of the module because it lays the groundwork for a better understanding of e.g. the Cold War when looking solely on the guaranteeing of immunity to the people behind Unit 731, among them Dr. Shiro Ishii.
Again, good discussions arise when it is claimed that "justice" was, publicly, seen to be done at the Tokyo Trial....

Hiroshi66
Jan 4, 2005, 06:10
MissAppolo-san - do you happen to know exactly why the Japanese chose Changchun as the capital of Manchukuo instead of Harbin?

lexico
Jan 4, 2005, 06:56
The reason why Unit 731 is chosen as a part of the module because it lays the groundwork for a better understanding of e.g. the Cold War when looking solely on the guaranteeing of immunity to the people behind Unit 731, among them Dr. Shiro Ishii.
Again, good discussions arise when it is claimed that "justice" was, publicly, seen to be done at the Tokyo Trial....Sorry about the misunderstanding. I was a little worried this might happen, but brevity pushed me I guess. I'm getting sloppy these days. :banghead:

And thanks for telling the reason for chosing the subject. Now it makes very good sense to me; preparing for the Cold War and pedagogic expediency! :143: History is great! :cool:

Hiroshi66
Jan 4, 2005, 09:19
Miss Apollo and Lexico - please explain. I would like to know further on the guaranteeing of immunity in preparation of the Cold War.

lexico
Jan 4, 2005, 23:01
I wonder why the Japanese didn't set up the capital at another major city like Mukden or Harbin?about the "reason of Japan's chosing Changchun/Hsinking/Shinkyo as Manchukuo's capital."

It's just that I don't have an answer right now. I am trying to find some link on Google; but I'll have to dig more.

I think that's a very interesting and valid historical question; but it is no light subject.

I am not a historian, but a lot of times, knowing the "why's" can be the most important and interesting part of historical study.
At the same time, it seems to be THEE most difficult thing to figure out, unless there is a document explicitly saying so! :-)

So, please be patient & hang in there, Dr. Hiroshi, it's coming, sooner or later, hopefully sooner! :p :relief:

Apollo
Jan 5, 2005, 02:50
Miss Apollo and Lexico - please explain. I would like to know further on the guaranteeing of immunity in preparation of the Cold War.

It is slightly complicated to explain in short here, I could write a lot about it, but no time!
Basically, it is about Dr. Shiro Ishii and his colleagues from Unit 731 getting immunity instead of being put to trial like Tojo and other perpetrators conducting "crime against humanity" and were headhunted to Washington to further their research about bacteriological weapons, experiments and biological and germ weapons.
Unit 731's "experiments" during the war could benefit the U.S. in the Cold War, just in case, against the "Reds" - the Soviet Union - or - China.

I hope this enlightened you hiroshi! :wave:

NB:
I don't teach history at uni anymore, I did it only during my thesis...
Since summer 2004, I have being involved with defence communications/history and warfare for a cultural institution and Defence Ministry only to shift next month to a consulting firm....can't wait!

Hiroshi66
Jan 5, 2005, 11:51
Lexico ~ Thanks! I did some research though, and used deductive reasoning to figure out the answer. The Japanese expected a LOT of resistance in a major city like Harbin or Mukden. Therefore, they moved the capital to a smaller city - in this case Changchun. Chiang Kai Shek did the same thing in 1926 when he moved the capital of the Chinese Republic from Beijing (a major roaylist centre) to Nanjing.

I understand - MissApollo - arigatou!!!

Dekamaster
Feb 14, 2005, 11:30
I love the samurai era, with all their swords and codes of conduct.

Flowerbird
Feb 14, 2005, 15:09
It has to be the Meji period. I wish something similar happened in Mexico. :(

Hiroshi66
Feb 16, 2005, 11:35
Heh, Flowerbird. Happened or happen? :)

lexico
Feb 16, 2005, 20:55
Heh, Flowerbird. Happened or happen? :)Excuse me for butting in, but I think your creative question makes histocial studies so much more interesting.....learning from the past, unsing histocial knowledge to change the future...I guess these are the possibilities you are suggesting? :cool: :cool:

Hiroshi66
Feb 16, 2005, 23:59
:) Arigatou, lexico-san. ^^

Yup. I was wondering if she wanted something of a Meiji Revolution to occur in 1900s Mexico or if she wanted it to occur currently.

Shooter452
Feb 17, 2005, 02:30
It is the most familiar period to me--other than the Showa periods and the US Occupation--because this encompasses the great battle of Seikigahara and the rise of Tokugawa Ieyasu to Shogun.

I would have not known of this at all had I not taken a course in Asian history while attending Chapman College in Orange, CA. The professor was a Japanese history nut, so we studied Japan almost to exclusion of all the other nations of Asia (yeah, can you imagine discounting China? Well, we did!). I had a paper to do on the Battle of Seikigahara and in five double-spaced pages or less...well, it is possible, but you cannot dwell on details if you do. Brevity is the soul of wit, they tell me.

phelonious
Feb 17, 2005, 03:39
i dunno. they all have their respective charms. maybe the man'yo period, heian, tokugawa, or late meiji. by the way, i don't think anyone would want something like the meiji in their own country. it was a horrible time to live in, full of confusion and the uprooting and destruction of a way of life.

Hiroshi66
Feb 17, 2005, 10:11
It was, but on the other hand the Japanese felt substantially free from the militaristic Tokugawa period (even though the Meiji period became even more militaristic and authoritarian).

Yellow Emperor
Feb 17, 2005, 10:12
I must say I'm not fond with Meiji, Taisho and Showa

Hiroshi66
Feb 17, 2005, 11:05
Why are you not fond of them? Because of the rampant militarism of the day?

Yellow Emperor
Feb 17, 2005, 13:27
Why are you not fond of them? Because of the rampant militarism of the day?
Yes. I can understand why some of my Japanese like them. However, as a Chinese, Meiji, Taisho and Showa were the ages when Japan militarism brought suffering to China.

Hiroshi66
Feb 18, 2005, 00:00
True. I don't like the violence of the period, but rather the other social achievements.

CBC Guy
Nov 3, 2006, 01:30
I picked the Azuchi period because I like to read about the Sengoku Jidai and its exploits. (Didn't hurt to play Shogun: Total War)

I was going to put Heisei as well b/c I like to see how Japan is coping today, but forgot.

Meiji is facsinating to see how Japan tried to accept western influences.

Hate early Showa because of its militarism and aggression in China.

CrimsonNataku
Jan 1, 2007, 05:58
To be quite honest, I love all periods of Japanese history, but I would say that my all time favorites are Heian, Azuchi-Momoyama, and Edo.

MRC1
Jan 1, 2007, 09:38
I like the Edo period in Japan because of the visual art at the time was so colorful compared to earlier periods of time. However Japanese art in previous periods of time are very good too but many works of art do not use very many colors or they are monotone in nature.

•ï龙Ŋ
Feb 2, 2007, 23:05
Nara & Heian is good---there's a great reform at this period~~

Yoko_Kisaragi
Feb 2, 2007, 23:20
For me it's a tie between Jomon and Edo. :bluush:

Homerduff
Feb 20, 2007, 02:22
Meiji and late Showa periods.

The small amount Westernization was good for Japan in my oppinion. The gouvernment was more stable, and they won 2 wars (after abolishing any influence from abroad) against the Chinese and the Russians in the late 1890s-1900s.

As being an economics student, the Showa period is very interesting to me. Its impressive that a devastating country (which Japan was at the end of WW II) has been able to restore (more than restoring, having one of the top economies worldwide) its economy so fast. Maybe also thanks to the Americains who restored the gouvernment, but eventually it was thanks to the manufacturing ability of the Japanese.

Anohito
Mar 1, 2007, 03:42
I would not like to live in any of the pre-modern eras of human history in any country. The state of medical & dental knowledge was primitive and life expectancies were short.

To answer the thread question, my favorite periods would be Edo and Meiji. I am a big fan of kabuki, bunraku, and woodblock prints, and those periods were the golden age for those three art forms. Also, director Akira Kurosawa set some of his finest movies in the Edo period.

The Heian period is also interesting. I have read the Seidensticker translation of The Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari), and I think that reading the book helped me understand the Heian period better. I'm not sure many people here have read Genji Monogatari, though (unless it is required reading in school in Japan!).

http://www.amazon.com/Tale-Genji-Murasaki-Shikibu/dp/0394735307/sr=1-3/qid=1172689394/ref=pd_bbs_3/002-6953453-5900839?ie=UTF8&s=books

Saifullah Samurai
Mar 2, 2007, 23:48
Heian period since the arts flourished and as sumone already mentioned the Tale of Genji, said by many to be the first 'novel'

also Edo period, a lot of bloodshed and turmoil around this time, also near the end of this era saw the infamous 47 Ronin emerge.

Henna Gaijin
Mar 4, 2007, 07:04
Tokugawa/Edo, Bakumatsu and Meiji. Yes, mainly because of Rurouni Kenshin.

SephysManda
Mar 15, 2007, 00:48
I've also loved learning about the Bakumatsu period. I started learning about it after wathing the whole seris of Rurouni Kenshin and watching Samurai X back in 9th grade. Its interesting to think what would of happened if Japan stayed closed to the world. Anyway, I love that period in Japan.

Ghostless-Shell
Mar 15, 2007, 08:20
I voted for "Edo (the closed country & Tokugawa shogunate : 1600-1867)"
If anyone gets the chance get and read the book "The Tokaido Road"
Such a good book:
"
From Library Journal~
In 18th-century feudal Japan, 47 former retainers of Lord Asano avenged his forced suicide by killing Lord Kira. Robson embellishes this story, giving Asano a daughter by a second wife. When the novel begins, the daughter Kinume, known as Cat, has become a courtesan in the pleasure district of Edo--later Tokyo--to support herself rather than become a nun as had her mother. Trained in the samurai arts, Cat has vowed revenge on Kira. She sets out to find her father's chief councilor, which means a 300-mile trip to Kyoto. Pursued by Kira's hirelings, she is joined on the Tokaido road by a peasant girl, Kasane, and by Hanshiro, a lordless samurai who had been assigned to find Cat. Replete with hand-to-hand battles, rooftop chases, and perilous escapes, their adventures are also rich in details of customs, attire, ritual, and terrain, punctuated with poetry. Written by a former librarian, this depiction of an era commands interest. Recommended for historical fiction collections, especially those building a Far East segment. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/90.
- Ellen Kaye Stoppel, Drake Univ. Law Lib., Des Moines
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. "

reiyuki
Apr 9, 2007, 22:50
i only know about the edo period >.<
coz i did a research for that :P

kala16
Apr 23, 2007, 08:42
I think that all japanese history is exciting.:japanese:

Dogen Z
Apr 23, 2007, 21:31
My vote is for the Muromachi Period. This was when many of the now-traditional Japanese arts (tea ceremony, flower arranging, Noh, architecture, landscape gardening, etc.) developed and flourished. There was also a lot of contact and trade with the China under the Ming Dynasty (the Shogun even paid tribute to the Chinese Emperor) and Zen Buddhism took root and became widespread. On the other hand, the country was racked by wars between daimyos and the aristocracy had a very militaristic character. It was a very interesting time but I guess the peasants wished it wasn't so interesting.

suzuro
May 17, 2007, 19:16
I think Heian is the best. It is the most elegant period in Japan. I like "The Tale of Mr. Genji". Though I don't think Mr. Genji is a nice guy.
I think Lady Mursaki, the authur of this story, is famous.She lived in this period. I think Lady Murasaki in "Hannibal rising" is named after her. but Lady Murasaki in "Hannibal ..." is a little strange for Japanese. But she is cool.
Anyway, I like Heian era. Onmyoji (Japanese Magician? who was thought to manege supernaturals in this period) is cool.

yukio_michael
Jun 26, 2007, 12:48
This thread has a poll so it's already been bumped, but I think Late Showa to the Bubble period is too long of a time to consider as one coherant whole... If you study the dynamism of the bubble economy of Japan, and the following years post-bubble, which probably belong as part of the bubble econonomy period, the period of the bubble, and it's decline... were probably the hey-day of the modern-Japanese culture... I see them as a seperate entity, based on what people were spending their money on, versus the culture of keitai that exists now...

My personal favourite is probably the above, but more or less, the period of time of the ousting of the Tokugawa shogunate & the Meiji restoration era are complex and very fascinating.

senseiman
Jun 26, 2007, 13:50
This thread has a poll so it's already been bumped, but I think Late Showa to the Bubble period is too long of a time to consider as one coherant whole...

Too long? Thats only about 60 years, about half the choices on the poll are over 200!:-)

Kumi-chanmi
Jun 30, 2007, 07:54
I like the Heian and Edo periods the most. ^^

Wantalk
Aug 16, 2007, 03:04
Azuchi-Momoyama time period, because that is the period that gave us the images that most people think of when they hear the word Samurai.

anindya
Aug 17, 2007, 21:59
I guess Late showa is the period of peace & proserity .

igormalusevic
Mar 11, 2008, 05:21
I like the Bakumatsu, ok i admit cuz of Ruruoni Kenshin, but c'mon, is a time of change and just over all interesting to see the change in mentality.

Hi! My name is Igor, i am from Grocka (place 18km south from Belgrade capital of Serbia)
I love everything about Japan and specialy i love Japanese HISTORY!!

Ruruoni Kenshin is great, that was my first Anima wich i see, untill i watch Samurai champloo.
Btw. my favorite period is EDO (Musahi was be in this period am i right?).

And historical figure is Myamotto Musahi.

DarkSharingan
Mar 17, 2008, 18:51
My least favorite would be the meiji, because of "westernization". No country should lose its traditions like that.

igormalusevic
Mar 19, 2008, 02:18
My least favorite would be the meiji, because of "westernization". No country should lose its traditions like that.
I am against this type of "westernization". In my country is this problem but nobody cares about that

GodEmperorLeto
Mar 19, 2008, 23:53
My least favorite would be the meiji, because of "westernization". No country should lose its traditions like that.
What traditions, precisely? The tradition of peasant oppression and serfdom beneath a warrior-caste? Medieval medicine, no sanitation, and the vast bulk of the population living in 10th century squalor while a small number of elites have luxury?

Yeah, it is a shame that a lot was lost during the Meiji. But a lot of improvements were made at the same time. It is a case of the baby going out with the bathwater.

igormalusevic
Apr 1, 2008, 05:26
I think on tradition like: Tea ceremony, than making katanas (also this is art 4 me).....

DateMasamune
Jun 8, 2008, 00:36
Really my favourite 'time-zone of Japanese' history is the late Muromachi to early Edo periods, so I chose Azuchi-Momoyama as that was basically the majority of what I consider to be the best part of Date Masamune's life. Minus the...death of his father...yeah

Dogen Z
Jun 15, 2008, 20:44
Unfortunately, I wan't around for most of the periods indicated. But writing from experience, I'd say the Baburu Jidai (Bubble Era), when the price of the the Imperial Palace alone was worth more than the all of California, USA was a terrific period. Bank clerks in Japan were making as much as CPAs in the U.S. And there was really cool club music like Prince, etc. You should check out his movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0906564/usercomments :cool:

priji
Jun 27, 2008, 20:21
the Heian Period in Japan because the structure of society was so rigid and fascinating,

Yan
Jun 29, 2008, 07:49
The Japan now.

I like the economic boom and the modern Japan. Sorry, I don't really want to say more about that because I'm a little bit tired (slept 5 hours last night and woke up at 6h00 AM, now it's 18h53 and I've done a lot of stuff today).

olosta
Aug 18, 2008, 05:52
I like Heian, because of the cultural revolution and the role of women in the politics and court life..and I like the poetry and literature of the period (though I stil didn&#180; t read the Genji monogatari, I can&#180;t get hold of it). Then the end of the shogunate and Meiji, because it was a critical point in Japan&#180;s history (I like as well the Great French revolution).

AJBryant
Aug 18, 2008, 16:04
I'm really gung-ho on the Heian period, and the paradigm shift to Kamakura (though for some reason everyone associates me with the sengoku). Fascinating stuff.

Tony

bluepilot
Aug 19, 2008, 06:52
Kamakura period all the way.

At University, when we first studied this period I had to learn about Buddhist history and the Politics of the court (memorising names and dates..) and so I was banging my head off a brick wall.

However, then I read Heike Monogatari and my persepctive totally changed.

It was an exciting time with lots of development of Budo and Bushido and the emergence of the samurai classes. And the Buddhists...they were an exiting rebellious lot.

Then the Kabuki plays that were based on this, tee hee hee

For the blood-crazed warrior romantic, someone who secretly wants to marry Goemon from Lupin (seriously, if you know anyone like him, introduce me) the Kamakura period is the one for me

SpikeDaCruz
Oct 1, 2008, 18:39
I cannot choose only one...:\

tzvete
Oct 9, 2008, 19:08
I choose Nara and Heian :-)It's because of the literature though.

Giostigma
Feb 24, 2009, 03:00
I don't know much about Japanese history but the Late Showa era appears like it was a good time to live in.

Dogen Z
Sep 16, 2009, 18:44
If you combine all the votes for the Showa era (why is it split up in the poll?), you'd count 34 votes, second only to the Edo era. Maybe it's because of its closeness (people tend to magify the importance of recent events) or maybe its my fondness for the Showa era bars under the tracks at Yurakucho, but I think the Showa era may be one of the most important periods in Japanese history.

And to provide a more personal take on this period, Kaoru Shoji (one of the very, very, few good writers for the Japan Times) has written an interesting aricle about this time.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ek20090909ks.html

During the many ups and downs of the Showa Era, the fifth decade (1975-1980) — or the '50s — was a relatively good time to grow up. In Tokyo, there were still such things as roji (路地, alleyways), where tiny houses crowded against each other, kids played marbles and adults grew flowers in small earthenware pots. No one bothered to lock their doors, and everyone looked out for each other. On the other hand, sanitary standards on the streets weren't always up to scratch — pipes overflowed after big rainstorms, huge splotches of vomit dotted pavements like avant-garde art installations, carcasses of dead rats and cats often greeted one on the walk to school, and stray dogs with skin disease lurked behind trash cans. Kimochiwarui, demo omoshiroi! (気持ち悪い、でもおもしろい, Yucky, but interesting!)

om3a
Sep 16, 2009, 19:07
i love the era from when the sword "katana" was made until they brought guns =.= lol

Elizabeth
Sep 17, 2009, 07:49
I chose the Bakumatsu age of Japanese history (1800-1867). Not as it has been romantized for the last samurai or the anarchy brought about by the introduction of western culture but mostly out of a personal fascination with the traditions of Shitamachi -- the low-cityTokyo pleasure quarters around the Sumida River, non-samurai commoners, land of the elite artisans and merchants. Particularly interesting to me by late Edo times was the popular urban publishing culture. Actually the flourishing social milieu of a publishing culture. Literacy rates were so high for a preindustrial societies that publishing houses in the major cities flooded the country with all manner of printed ephemera from encyclopedias, playbooks guidebooks and sophisticated picture books to commercial advertising. The beginnings of a knowledge society. It meant that educational participation, individual intellect and skills were at least as highly regarded as methods of war.

And with the exile of Tokogawa and the painting over of the old districts, the wealthy merchant class who were pushed out to the highlands (Yamanote) unfortunately took their lively, flowery culture of ukiyo-e wood cuts, the kabuki, the geisha, storytelling, chapbooks, etc. and dispersed. From around 1870-1940 the area became disinvested and basically left to squalor until it was killed altogether by war (until the late Showa Dogen Z was referring to....) :(

Tokugawa Ieyasu
Jan 11, 2010, 11:52
I chose the Edo period:Tokugawa Ieyasu is one bad *** consolidator, and the "floating world" art works are really cool.

Qube
Feb 5, 2010, 01:29
I think 'Sengoku' period is the greatest one
The era when the first daimyo who had united japan lived
Nobunaga Oda

Where can i get katana sword?
Can i order the original katana from japan?
Is there any sites who sell that kind of thing?