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Japan in the Muromachi age
"A specialist in European history, wishing to deepen his knowledge of the Japanese background, should not fail to seek out this book, for it is a passport to an initial understanding of an age that is visibly linked to some extent with the modern civilization of Japan." —English Historical Review
"It is almost impossible to find ways to praise this work which its producers have not already thought of themselves, and they are telling the truth. . . . The genius of Professor Hall, an overpowering force in the construction of such studies on modern and Tokugawa Japan, is evident once more." —Pacific Affairs
The Muromachi age may well emerge in the eyes of historians as one of the most seminal periods in Japanese history. So concluded the participants in the 1973 Conference on Japan. The proceedings, as edited for this volume, reveal this new interpretation of the Muromachi age (1334-1573), which was among the most neglected and misunderstood chapters in Japanese history. Both Western and Japanese scholars looked upon the period chiefly as an interlude between a classical era (the Heian period) and an early modern age (the Tokugawa period), the interim being regarded as a time of social confusion and institutional decay. As they learned more, historians saw the Muromachi age giving rise to new patterns that became important elements in a distinctly Japanese tradition; e.g., the arts of noh drama, suiboku painting, landscape gardening and the tea ceremony were perfected during Muromachi times.
The volume brings together the work of Japanese and American specialists and shows that many features of Edo-period culture were anticipated by Muromachi developments. Although the volume was first published nearly three decades ago, it remains of great interest for anyone wanting to know more about Japan's historical development.
"It is almost impossible to find ways to praise this work which its producers have not already thought of themselves, and they are telling the truth. . . . The genius of Professor Hall, an overpowering force in the construction of such studies on modern and Tokugawa Japan, is evident once more." —Pacific Affairs
The Muromachi age may well emerge in the eyes of historians as one of the most seminal periods in Japanese history. So concluded the participants in the 1973 Conference on Japan. The proceedings, as edited for this volume, reveal this new interpretation of the Muromachi age (1334-1573), which was among the most neglected and misunderstood chapters in Japanese history. Both Western and Japanese scholars looked upon the period chiefly as an interlude between a classical era (the Heian period) and an early modern age (the Tokugawa period), the interim being regarded as a time of social confusion and institutional decay. As they learned more, historians saw the Muromachi age giving rise to new patterns that became important elements in a distinctly Japanese tradition; e.g., the arts of noh drama, suiboku painting, landscape gardening and the tea ceremony were perfected during Muromachi times.
The volume brings together the work of Japanese and American specialists and shows that many features of Edo-period culture were anticipated by Muromachi developments. Although the volume was first published nearly three decades ago, it remains of great interest for anyone wanting to know more about Japan's historical development.
- GenresHistoryJapanNonfiction
391 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 18, 2021
Portions of this are, admittedly, quite dry, but it's a great introduction to the Muromachi Era.
August 14, 2021
This collection by John Whitney Hall in 1977 is a collection of short essays by Japanologists on the Muromachi era. It is a fascinating era when the Shogun was based on Kyoto. The essays on medieval Kyoto and Sakai are very interesting.
The two eras of Kitayama and Higashiyama, although political dark, was full of important cultural achievements such as the tea ceremony and Japanese art.
Hall was the one of the first Americans to train a generation of Japanese historians.
The two eras of Kitayama and Higashiyama, although political dark, was full of important cultural achievements such as the tea ceremony and Japanese art.
Hall was the one of the first Americans to train a generation of Japanese historians.
May 26, 2015
This was a very nice find that covered a 'kind' of grey area in my education from the Kamakura era + Mongol invasion through to the Sengoku era. The material is scholarly and , this is odd I know, but kind of energetic. I guess it came out of one of the first conferences of it's kind between American and Japanese historians. And at this point, c.a. 1980 really isn't all that old in terms of the bulk of the information that was given.
I was pleased that it was essays gathered from a number of academics as it made for a much more interesting read and each essay was on a completely different but very specific facet of the era, so each one was super focused and well constructed.
Of course, you then get into the issue of some writers being far better then others and so then how do you judge a book like this overall. I'm ~20% through the other book on the time period I found, 'state of War' by Conlan and there just aren't that many readily available resources on the age unless you 1) can go sit in Midtown in the library for several days to read books the NYPL won't allow to be borrowed or 2) track down used copies online which are often ridiculously expensive.
Which is the long way of saying it was a good read and if you're not going to school has a historian in Medieval Japanese History, it should be easy enough to get your hands on this. As such, for the right person, I highly recommend it to help fill in information pertaining to the northern and southern courts, the rise of the Ashikaga, and of course, everything leading up to the Onin War.
I was pleased that it was essays gathered from a number of academics as it made for a much more interesting read and each essay was on a completely different but very specific facet of the era, so each one was super focused and well constructed.
Of course, you then get into the issue of some writers being far better then others and so then how do you judge a book like this overall. I'm ~20% through the other book on the time period I found, 'state of War' by Conlan and there just aren't that many readily available resources on the age unless you 1) can go sit in Midtown in the library for several days to read books the NYPL won't allow to be borrowed or 2) track down used copies online which are often ridiculously expensive.
Which is the long way of saying it was a good read and if you're not going to school has a historian in Medieval Japanese History, it should be easy enough to get your hands on this. As such, for the right person, I highly recommend it to help fill in information pertaining to the northern and southern courts, the rise of the Ashikaga, and of course, everything leading up to the Onin War.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews