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Throughout this class we have read and talked about both the Japanese people’s opinions on others, such as the dislike of China. We have also read accounts about other people’s opinions on the Japanese and their culture, one example of this was the source about Christian scholars’ opinions on Japan and its people. This week… Continue reading Week 14

The source I read for this week was about the tea ceremony. This version of the tea ceremony is a lot different than the ones we learned about in the past. In class we had learned about tea ceremonies as celebrations and basically parties. This tea ceremony is a lot more casual. People would invite… Continue reading Week 13

This wednesday in class we focused on Christian missionaries and how they view the Japanese people. The source that I found most intriguing was the accounts of different opinions on people in Japan. Each account was a bit different, but there were a few common themes represented throughout the source. One theme is that the… Continue reading week 12

Zen originated in China after Buddhism first came to China. Zen is a type of Buddhism that “combines the basic Buddhist emphasis on monastic discipline and enlightenment with Daoist naturalism.” (Ellwood, Robert, and Ellwood) The biggest historical figure in Zen Buddhism is Bodhidharma (ca. 470-532), who was the one to bring Zen Buddhism to China… Continue reading Week 11 blog post

This week in class we learned about the Mongols. The Mongols successfully invaded several counties. We started off class by briefly going over Genghis Khan’s family line and his succession. Genghis Khan’s first child was named Jochi and his second child’s name was Chaghadai. Both of them fought with each other for the succession of… Continue reading Week 9 content

This week in class we focused on Buddhism and its influence in Japan. One topic that I wanted to further reflect on is the idea of karma. Karma is an essential part of buddhism and social behavior in Japan. “If you do good things, good things will happen to you.” This is a direct quote… Continue reading Week 4 Blog Post

Last Wednesday in class, we spent a bit of time talking about the story of Izanagi and Izanami, and the dynamics in gender. This idea of women speaking out of turn and letting the man speak first is “justified” because of stories like this. People can use these stories to try to judge who is… Continue reading Week 3 Blog Post

This week in class was focussed on the origins of Japan, from both a historical perspective, and through different myths. One reading talked about the creation of the Earth. The aspects of Earth are described as different deities whose forms are not visible. In the beginning after heaven and earth were created, there became three… Continue reading Week 2 blog post