Learning From Shōgun: Japanese History and Western Fantasy

by Henry D. Smith II (Editor), David Plath (Contributor), Elgin Heinz (Contributor)

Learning from Japanese History and Western Fantasy. by Henry Smith.

Genres: History, Japan, Nonfiction, Literature

164 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Allen Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read to add to my enjoyment of Shogun and it definitely did, but this is a collection of essays, each addressing some aspect of Shogun and comparing it with actual history. The ones I was interested in were bangers but there were some topic I just didn't care about so ended.ip skimming those.

Still a great reference for anyone who wants to know more about the time and world of Shogun.

[R]

I read the first essay of this book about the British Samurai.
Really liked it.

But here's the thing, I understand why this book can be called a dry read. It is totally academic in nature and the target audience was supposed to be history/anthropology teachers and students. I'd say this is an interesting book regardless of whether you fit in the demograph or not.

Just an advice. Don't read it immediately after Shogun. Take a break before jumping in as the contrast in the language is too evident that way.

I'll return to complete this book at some later date and edit this review.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful and interesting collection of essays, but difficult to recommend, as it's based on an existing novel; so someone unfamiliar with James Clavell's Shogun is not likely to take much from it. Its aim is briefly to confirm, clarify or correct certain details of the novel. In those things, it succeeds, painting a slightly more detailed (and where necessary, more correct) picture of things like:
- Will Adams in history and legend
- death and karma for the samurai class
- women, courtly love and prostitution
- trade between Japan and other countries
- religion, diet and other details of daily life

It can only really be recommended to fans of Shogun, but they'll certainly find value in it.

[Marijan Šiško · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of articles which try to link various themes from Clavell's Shogun with historical Japan and England of the time. Interesting, although sometimes dry reading.

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edited by (at the time, not sure about today) a professor of Japanese history at UC-Santa Barbara, Learning from Shogun: Japanese History and Western Fantasy is an interesting collection of essays for fans of James Clavell's fantastic novel that wish to learn more about this era of feudal Japan. It includes the things he got right and the things that he got wrong, or simply changed for the format of his fictional novel. I enjoyed learning about the historical figures that were the influence for the characters in the novel (all names were changed in Clavell's book), as well as the historical events. Although several of the essays were very dry reads, I most enjoyed those that addressed the cross-cultural implications of the story, which for me was the topic I found most fascinating in the novel. 3.5/5

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of short history articles of Japan using James Clavell’s Shogun as a way of expounding upon different aspects of Japanese History and culture from the way it makes war to the way it treats sexuality. Actually not a bad way to learn a bit about the history of Japan with as little commitment as possible. It helps to have read Shogun but its not required by any means.

[Kamakana · Rating 4 out of 5]

120520: years (decades...) since read, this certainly makes me interested in reading it again- all 1 200 pages! rare that a litcrit book inspires that fascination...

[Borys · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Clavell published his groundbreaking novel "Shogun" in 1975. It became a bestseller, "sold" Japan and all things Japanese to the Western readers, and was adapted for television a few years later. Around the time of the miniseries premiere, a group of scholars published short essays exploring various facets of Japanese culture and history from around 1600, the year in which the novel is set. Their goal was to praise Clavell for his authentic descriptions; point out and correct his errors in a constructive manner; and explore any anachronisms.

The publication succeeds marvelously in its task. In fact, I wish now that every serious novel had a similar companion. The essays are informative yet brief and informal, making for a rewarding quick read packed with fascinating facts and trivia. For instance, we learn that John Blackthorne is modeled after a real English sailor, William Adams. Fair enough, but Clavell's "Shogun" is already the sixth attempt at novelizing Adams' voyage and adventures!

There are 12 chapters divided into three sections. The first is introductory, the second focuses on history (Blackthorne's England, trade and diplomacy in the era of "Shogun," Shogunate politics, and Hosokawa Gracia, who was Mariko's prototype), and the third covers culture (religion, language, samurai, women, everyday life). There are several treats at the end: Dramatis personae with their real counterparts (too bad Omi and Yabu had none), glossary (from A like abortion to Z like Zen), and extensive further reading recommendations.

This is essential reading for anyone familiar with "Shogun," whether you loved the novel or just liked it very much. But if you did not read Clavell, then you will be better off by grabbing "Samurai" from Very Short Introduction-series.

[Tony Borell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Shogun about once a year since I was a kid; it remains one of my favorite novels yet written. While I'm a classics guy by training and inclination, Japanese history remains personally fascinating to me. This text caught my eye and I'm glad it did. Other reviewers have called it 'dry' and somewhat disagree--while it's not exactly written in sweeping, compelling prose like the actual novel, and it's certainly academic in tone, it remains reasonably well-paced and engaging. I will admit my barometer for 'dry reading' may be oddly calibrated.

There's plenty of useful and interesting information and analysis within these essays. While specific subject matter is multifarious, obviously each essay is written in the context of examining the history behind Shogun, the novel. If one hasn't read that, this text will lost a lot of meaning. However, for those who HAVE read Shogun and are curious about how it holds up as a mirror of history, this text satisfies quite well. At less than 200 pages it is unlike it's progenitor a fairly quick read, as well.

My only complain is that some of the scholarship is out of date--the text was published over forty years ago and that fact is rather apparent. I'd love to see an updated version, though I assume that will never happen.

I will add that the text may be difficult to find, as there is sadly no official digital edition available. The only option is to pay Amazon's pound of flesh for a physical copy or find a digitized version of that online.

[Jim Grube · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good and educational read after finishing the new mini-series - holds up very well, even 40+ years after publication. Historians came together in 1980 to constructively and positively build upon the cultural phenomenon of the novel and take the opportunity to educate on 1600-era Japan to a more engaged college student population and general public. Especially enjoyed my uncle's chapter (five).

[Le Cuong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Academic writings to demystify Shogun by James Clavell. So much of facts and insights about Japan, England and the world in 1600s to make people understand more about the context around the novel. Quite dry reading as it is all academic though.

[Menthink · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great guide for understanding what is historically and culturally accurate, or not, in the book Shogun. The book was, in part, a product of a one off course at UCSB in the 1980, History 187A, Learning from Shogun. I enrolled but dropped this class as I hadn’t yet read Shogun.

[Mark Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good academic text on the parallels between the book Shogun and real Japanese history at that time (circa 1600)

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an interesting complement to Shogun - gave some perspective on what went into the story, a bit of commentary on state of media when the book was written, and the author.

[Alexi Siegel · Rating 4 out of 5]

As advertised this book is perfect for someone who just read shogun and wants to understand some of the historical ties and background that created/informed the novel.

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Learning from Shogun" is an academic text about what's accurate and what's not accurate in Clavell's "Shogun." I'd read Shogun a few months prior, giving it 3/5 stars and emerging with many questions about its historical accuracy, and while searching for answers, found this book. In general, despite being a pedagogical text in humanities, "Learning" is quite readable (not a given...) and it was packed with interesting information and answered many of my questions, hence 4/5 stars.

The impression I emerged with from "Learning" is that Clavell must have done an insane amount of research. For example, it is very impressive that "Learning" exposes parallels between not just one or two leading characters and historical figures, but dozens, sometimes picked from different timelines, which Clavell apparently amalgamated into one narrative. It's all the more of a shame that apparently his Japanese language is the weak point (I did notice at the time of reading that women's names ended in -ko, which seems a modern trend, whereas I know from another novel that as late as at the end of the Edo period women's names stared with O-, and the book confirms that this is indeed the case). Apparently even light editing by a native speaker would have caught a lot of issues.

"Learning" confirms that the narrative devices that struck me as dubious at the time of reading Clavell -- casual thoughtless violence, everybody rushing to commit seppuku, the sexual stuff -- are indeed of dubious historical accuracy. The saddest inaccuracy exposed by "Learning" was about the position of women in society and how noble women could be essentially confined to their houses for decades on end, in contrast to the "we are free women" tune sung by Mariko in Clavell's novel.

There is one issue that remains unexplored in "Learning" which was of great interest to me (hence 4 stars and not 5). "Learning" focuses on _women_ as the purveyors of sexual attitudes and fantasies ("Mariko would be unfamiliar with the sex toys", "Mariko would be expected to be chaste"), whereas what struck me in reading Clavell is that it sounded like a _man's_ sexual fantasy. For example, of far greater importance to me than sex toys and chastity would be the exploration of whether indeed, as Clavell implies, Mariko was encouraging and perfectly OK with Blackthorne sleeping with his consort and with the geisha, and what the historic and modern women in Japan thought about the practice of their men having multiple other partners. "Learning" is surprisingly silent on these cultural issues, which to me are much more interesting than the factual answer regarding whether or not there were sex toys in 17th century Japan.

[Karol Gaida · Rating 3 out of 5]

A number of interesting and quite wordy esseys describing the Shogun's similarity to reality. In some aspects, it's really a case. In other it's historical fiction.