Understanding Japan

A Cultural History

De: Mark J. Ravina, The Great Courses

Narrado por: Mark J. Ravina

Duración: 12 h

Resumen del Editor

Japan's extraordinary culture is like no other in the world, and it remains mysterious to many of us. And that's unfortunate, because to truly understand Japan's influence on the world stage, one needs to understand Japan's culture - on its own terms.

In an exciting partnership with the Smithsonian, The Great Courses presents these 24 lectures that offer an unforgettable tour of Japanese life and culture. Professor Ravina, with the expert collaboration of the Smithsonian's historians, brings you a grand portrait of Japan.

From the dawn of Confucianism and the Meiji Restoration to World War II and the economic miracle years of 1955 to 1975, you'll explore landmark periods of Japanese history and learn how broad events and movements introduced, innovated, and revised everything from spirituality to popular entertainment. Along the way you'll get revealing insights into Shinto (Japan's indigenous religion), the art of Katsushika Hokusai, literary works like The Tale of Genji and the haiku of Basho, the everyday lives of samurai, the universal appeal of filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa, foods like yakitori and tempura, and so much more.

You'll come away from Professor Ravina's final lecture with a stronger sense of the very soul of this one-of-a-kind nation.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2015 The Great Courses (P)2015 The Teaching Company, LLC

Excellent introductory course but...

Very informative as an intro course. The author’s passion for Japanese culture is evident. Not to be belligerent but as Chinese I find the lecture on WWII somewhat troublesome. I understand it is difficult to criticize a country you love but the author made Japan launching war sound like it was a ridiculous blunder- only a handful of military officials want war, nobody dared to say stop therefore the war went on... nobody felt responsible. The damage was greatly understated. More significantly, the invasion changed the course of China. The repercussions ripple through history even today. It would be more meaningful to investigate what went wrong as to cause the war and prompted ordinary men to commit atrocious war crimes.

One of the best

I liked everything. The professor was very passionate and taught the subject matter very well. I only wish there was a little more on the modern dynamics between Korean and Japanese relations.

Culture and history intertwined

Very interest provoking overview of Japan via the lenses of Japanese isolation vs international interaction over the country's long history. This from a lecturer who clearly knows his stuff- from the Japanese language to where to get a great cheap meal! This course is entertaining, informative, and highly recommended.

So much to learn about this fascinating country

I thought I knew much more about Japan. after listening to these 24 lectures, I realize that I didn't know much at all. The most amazing lessons for me were Japan's "new kid on the block" status in East Asia, and it's ill-advised, unplanned adventures in starting the Pacific war.

Great context for a visit

Gives a breadth of background across the long sweep of known history in Japan. Particularly helpful as preparation for visiting the major historical sites. Especially notable is an interesting coverage of the very different varieties of Buddhism practiced through Japanese history.

great listen!

i enjoyed the flow and the order of lectures. the profs tone amd rate was spot on.

Excellent

This book does a really good job conveying a variety of concepts from Japanese culture in an entertaining way. The narrator is enthusiastic and the writing isn’t at all dry. This really is a great course.

Good Topical Overview

Very well presented, but a familiarty with the chronological history would have helped. It was sometimes a bit hard to follow with the Japanese names and terms.

A passionate series of contemplative lectures

This is my first listen to the series and it was overwhelming in its depth and detail in various subjects surrounding Japan. There is so much information and it's presented in easy 30-minute lectures to digest slowly and reflect on the notes in the accompanying PDF.
The presentation was excellent and the narration was perfect. I enjoyed the pacing and found the content engaging throughout thanks to the lecturer's sincere interest in Japanese culture and the intonation was spot on with how I remember college lectures, which should be appropriately a no-brainer considering that's what this is.
I recommend this course for anyone with an interest in Japanese history. I learned so much and I'm definitely going to listen again to individual lectures.

Excellent job explaining a complex culture

I learned a lot, and I love Japan, so I already had a great understanding to start with. He clearly speaks from deep respect and knowledge of the culture, and tries to stay away from generalizations and popular stereotypes.