Understanding Japan: A Cultural History

Course Overview

Course No. 8332

Discover Japan’s unique cultural evolution through 24 visually rich lectures developed in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution.

This comprehensive course explores:

• Ancient myths and early state formation
• Samurai culture and feudal eras
• Artistic traditions from Noh theater to Hokusai prints
• Modernization and economic miracles
• Contemporary Japanese society

Video Lectures

01: Japan: A Globally Engaged Island Nation (34 min)

Examine Japan’s cycles of isolation and globalization that shaped its unique identity.

02: Understanding Japan through Ancient Myths (30 min)

Decode Shinto origins through the Kojiki’s tales of gods and heroes.

03: The Emergence of the Ritsuryo State (30 min)

Analyze Japan’s 7th-century centralized government modeled after China.

04: Aspects of the Japanese Language (33 min)

Unpack how kanji adoption and social hierarchy influence communication.

05: Early Japanese Buddhism (31 min)

Trace Shingon and Pure Land Buddhism’s establishment under imperial patronage.

06: Heian Court Culture (28 min)

Explore aristocratic life through The Tale of Genji’s scandals and intrigues.

07: The Rise of the Samurai (29 min)

Witness warrior class ascendancy in The Tale of the Heike’s epic ballads.

08: Pure Land and Zen Buddhism (30 min)

Compare accessible faiths that flourished during political instability.

09: Samurai Culture in Ashikaga Period (29 min)

Discover how loyalty codes evolved independently from court influence.

10: Japan at Home and Abroad (30 min)

Track 1300-1600 globalization including Christian missions and Hideyoshi’s rule.

11: Tokugawa Isolation (31 min)

Reassess 250 years of limited foreign contact under shogunate policies.

12: Japanese Theater: Noh and Kabuki (28 min)

Contrast classical Atsumori with Kabuki’s decadent Scarlet Princess.

13: The Importance of Japanese Gardens (30 min)

Understand tea gardens and rock landscapes as spiritual expressions.

14: Bushido in Peace Time (29 min)

Reveal the nostalgic warrior ethos behind samurai memoirs and 47 rōnin.

15: Japanese Poetry (32 min)

Follow poetic evolution from tanka to Bashō’s iconic haiku.

16: Hokusai and Wood-Block Prints (30 min)

Appreciate ukiyo-e’s floating world through The Great Wave artist’s legacy.

17: The Meiji Restoration (30 min)

Analyze rapid modernization that preserved traditions post-1868.

18: Three Visions of Prewar Japan (32 min)

Compare democratic internationalists vs. militarists shaping 1930s policies.

19: War Without Master Plan (29 min)

Examine chaotic imperialism from Manchuria to Pearl Harbor’s miscalculation.

20: Japanese Family Life (29 min)

Track domestic models from aristocratic uji to postwar nuclear families.

21: Japanese Foodways (28 min)

Explore soba, tempura and yakitori’s globalization roots.

22: Japan’s Economic Miracle (31 min)

Decode 1955-1975’s 435% growth fueled by US partnership and workforce.

23: Kurosawa and Ozu (29 min)

Contrast Tokyo Story’s family drama with Yojimbo’s samurai-Western fusion.

24: Making of Contemporary Japan (36 min)

Assess 1989’s pivotal events from bubble burst to Tiananmen repercussions.