21H.522 | Fall 2006 | Undergraduate

Japan in the Age of the Samurai: History and Film

Course Description

This course covers medieval Japanese society and culture from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries, when political power rested largely in the hands of feudal warriors. Topics include religion (especially Zen Buddhism); changing concepts of "the way of the warrior;" women under feudalism; popular culture; and …
This course covers medieval Japanese society and culture from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries, when political power rested largely in the hands of feudal warriors. Topics include religion (especially Zen Buddhism); changing concepts of “the way of the warrior;” women under feudalism; popular culture; and protest and rebellion. Presentations include weekly feature films. Assigned readings include many literary writings in translation.
Learning Resource Types
Lecture Notes
Written Assignments
Japanese woodblock print of Mt. Fuji, circa 1850.
View of Mount Fuji from Numazu, part of a series by Hiroshige, published 1850; an example of ukiyo-e artwork, or “pictures of the floating world.” (Image courtesy of Wikipedia.)