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brief, basic information laid out in an easy-to-read format. May use informal language. (Includes most news articles)
provides additional background information and further reading. Introduces some subject-specific language.
lengthy, detailed information. Frequently uses technical/subject-specific language. (Includes most analytical articles)
Reference Shelf
Introduction to Noh and Kyogen - Japan Arts Council
Includes information on stage and performance, plays and characters, masks and costumes, influence and history
For nearly 700 years, Japan was ruled by a series of military leaders known as shoguns. The first half of this clip provides a chronological timeline of key events from the imperial Nara and Heian periods through to the three shogunates: Kamakura, Muromachi and Tokugawa. The second half looks at the way of life in shogunate Japan (social, cultural, political and economic). Social class hierarchy within this feudal system is explained, including the status and roles of Daimyos, Samurai and peasants.
Run Time : 18:59
This history tells the story of the people of Japan, from ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two centuries in self-imposed seclusion. Stretching for nearly 2000 miles and encompassing almost 7000 islands, Japan has the fourth largest GDP and the tenth largest population in the world. Japan is a country of paradoxes, a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes and an active earthquake zone. Despite a reputation for sprawling cities and cutting-edge technology, seventy-three percent of its land comprises uninhabited mountains and forests. First revealed to the West in the Travels of Marco Polo, Japan was the legendary faraway land defended by the fearsome Kamikaze storm, and ruled by a divine sovereign. It was the terminus of the Silk Road and the edge of the known world, a fictional construct for European arts and crafts, and an enduring symbol of the mysterious east. In recent times, it became the powerhouse of global industry, a nexus of pop culture and a harbinger of post-industrial decline.
Historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera traces the fascinating story of the rise and fall of Samurai warriors throughout Japanese history. He recounts the lives of the greatest Samurai in history - including Miyamoto Musahi, Japan's greatest swordsman; Tomoe Gozen, the first female Samurai; Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Shogun who unified Japan; and the tragic 47 Ronin, who were loyal to their lord until the end.
The history of the samurai is an integral part of the history of Japan. This book describes the development and decline of this great military tradition. It includes 300 drawings, photographs and maps.
References
Bethe, M. and Brazell, K. (n.d.). The Aesthetics of Noh Performance. Japanese Performing Arts Resource Center. http://www.glopad.org/jparc/?q=en/node/22767
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, March 5). Samurai. In Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/samurai
ClickView (Production Company). (2014). Japan Under the Shoguns [Video]. ClickView. https://clickv.ie/w/42Pn
History.com. (2018, August 21). Samurai and Bushido. https://www.history.com/topics/japan/samurai-and-bushido
Janisheski, J. (2014, June 19). Empire of stillness: the six essential aspects of Japanese Noh. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/empire-of-stillness-the-six-essential-aspects-of-japanese-noh-27517
Japan Arts Council. (2018). Invitation to Nohgaku. https://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/noh/en/
Japan-Guide. (2021, June 13). Noh Theater. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2091.html
Martin E. Segal Theatre Center. (Producer). (2017). An artist talk with Tadashi Suzuki [Video]. Howlround Theatre Commons. https://howlround.com/happenings/artist-talk-tadashi-suzuki
Suzuki Company of Toga. (n.d.). [English home page]. Retrieved July 27, 2021), from https://www.scot-suzukicompany.com/en/
Suzuki Company of Toga. (n.d.). Suzuki Tadashi. https://www.scot-suzukicompany.com/en/profile.php
Cover Image Credits
Image 1 - Ying, J.J (2017). [Mt Fuji in frame of cherry blossoms][Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/9Qwbfa_RM94
Image 2 - Amon, K. (2019). Samurai Woman [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/sjdZDI6BHu4