Week 13: Early Tokugawa and urban culture

April 19 and 21

Finally! The fighting is coming to an end and we cruise to through traditional Japan as we know it!

Table of Contents

Slides

Readings and class details

Wednesday

Ettinger 212, 11am

Textbook or alternative (one of the two options to bring you up to speed)

Primary Sources (do both)

  • “Control of Vassals.” In David John Lu. Japan: A Documentary History, 203-208. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1997. (PDF)
    • The Tokugawa shōguns succeeded in restoring law and order to Japan after centuries of faltering central control.
  • “Closing the Country.” In David John Lu. Japan: A Documentary History, 220-228. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1997. (PDF)
    • Why did the shōguns want to close the country from outside (mainly Western) influences? How did Europeans react? And was this policy overall a good one, or not?

Friday

Ettinger 212, 11am

For everybody: Textbook or alternative (one of the two options to bring you up to speed) + 1 short video

Primary Sources (pick one Exploration Pack)

A: Sen no Rikyu on Tea
  • Selection of Sen no Rikyu’s poetry on Cha no yu (From Sadler, A. L. Cha-No-Yu: The Japanese Tea Ceremony. Rutland, Vt.: C.E. Tuttle, 1977. First published 1933 by J.L Thompson & Co.) (PDF, pp. 1-6)
    • Sen no Rikyu (d. 1591) is the man behind cha no yu (“tea ceremony”) as we know it. How does his poetry align with the aesthetic of the tea ceremony as you observe it in the video? How do the poetry and ceremony align with what we learned earlier about Japanese aesthetics? Where does it differ?
  • Sen no Rikyu. “One Hundred Rules” (extract). (From Sadler, A. L. Cha-No-Yu: The Japanese Tea Ceremony. Rutland, Vt.: C.E. Tuttle, 1977. First published 1933 by J.L Thompson & Co.) (same PDF as above, pp. 7-10)
    • Do Sen no Rikyo’s rules make the tea ceremony enjoyable? Why (not)? What similarities and differences do you observe between this set of rules and the earlier descriptions of the tea parties we saw?
B: Kabuki (theatre)
  • Kabuki theatre (Youtube link): “Kabuki in Japan.” Japanology, NHK.
    • The sound is a bit uneven and disappears between 25′ and 26′, be aware of this if you listen with headphones.
  • Namiki Senryū. “Suma Bay.” In Traditional Japanese Theater: An Anthology of Plays, edited by Karen Brazell, and James T Araki, 442-455. Translations from the Asian Classics. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. (PDF)
    • The kabuki play on the death of Atsumori explores yet a different aspect of this timeless story. Compare with the versions from the Tale of Heike and the nō play: what are the most important aspects the writer Senryū highlights?
C: Bunraku (puppet theatre)
  • Bunraku (Youtube link): “Bunraku in Japan.” Japanology, NHK.
  • Chikamatsu Monzaemon. “The Battles of Coxinga”. In Traditional Japanese Theater: An Anthology of Plays, edited by Karen Brazell, and James T Araki, 314-332. Translations from the Asian Classics. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. (PDF)
    • This play is loosely based on historical events surrounding the conquest of Ming China by the Manchus. Coxinga was a historical figure from the second half of the seventeenth century, when the shōguns of Japan were trying to limit contacts with the outside world outside of their control. How does this Chinese story manage to appeal to a Japanese audience of the seventeenth century?

Assignments

1. Blog post (content week 12)

5 points, due Tue April 17, 11:59PM [adjusted to allow for Easter break]

Write a blog post exploring themes or ideas based on your reading. You do not need to have all the answers. In fact, learning to ask good analytical or research questions is a skill you can develop during the semester. Remember the description of the assignment from the syllabus.

  • Length: approx. 400 words. excl. list of materials consulted.
  • Add the list of materials consulted at the end of the post, in Chicago notes and bibliography style.
    • TOP TIP: Just copy the bibliography information from the Reading list on this webpage, do not add the descriptive notes I provide for your information.
  • Add the words “Week 12” in the title.
    • Please use this exact phrase, so your post will show up in the blog stream.
  • Include a relevant image, and add a caption with the source/credit, and an Alt text description
  • Post on your website, and add to the category hst267.

When you’re done, read this declaration carefully and then fill out the Canvas quiz to collect your points.

Declaration
– I wrote a post of approximately 400 words in response to the readings.
– I included the bibliographic references for the materials I used for my post.
– I indicated which Exploration Pack I chose [if applicable].
– I included an image, and I provided a caption and credit (source), and an Alt text description for the image.
– I use the words Week 12 in the title, and added the post to category hst267

2. Feedback with Hypothes.is

3 points, due April 18, 11:59pm

Below you find links to three blog posts from your fellow students. If one of the websites is your own, or it is twice the same person’s, refresh the page, and you should get new sites. Any of the posts that appear here are fair game for commenting, even if they are about earlier weeks: those posts came in after the first deadline.

  • Post 1:
  • Post 2:
  • Post 3:

Leave feedback, questions, thoughts, insights about the contents of the posts of your fellow students using Hypothes.is group HST267. You can ask for clarifications, point out similarities and differences with the material you covered, or with your interpretation. This should encourage you to dive a bit deeper in the materials, or visit those you did not read at first.

Use tags in Hypothes.is: question: If you have a question; answered: if you gave an answer to a question; info: if you provide more information, looking up additional facts, drawing on knowledge from other classes; and other tags you can think of. This will help us to navigate more quickly to the questions that still need answering.

Use the “Architect’s Model” of giving feedback, and engage with concrete issues. Go beyond “Yeah, I agree,” “I like” or “I think the same”, and instead explain why you have that reaction, or if you disagree, you can try to persuade the original poster of your idea or interpretation.

Remember that Hypothes.is allows for hyperlinks, e.g. to materials that support your argument, or you can include pictures (memes! [yes, there she is again]), videos etc. that help the original poster to learn more.

When you’re done, read this declaration carefully, and then fill out the Canvas quiz to collect your points.

Declaration
– I commented on three fellow students’ weekly blog post on Week 12 materials, using the Hypothes.is group HST267.
– I made sure to leave substantial comments that help the writer to improve the post, or to identify their strengths.
– I left comments that I would like to receive myself: thoughtful, helpful, kind, but also pointing out errors so they can be fixed.

3. Show and tell Project 4

20 points, due Fri April 21, 11:59PM

Find all the details on the dedicated webpage! Content for your Show and Tell needs to connect to something we covered/timespan covered in weeks 10, 11, or 12, that is connecting it to the Muromachi (Ashikaga) era, after the Mongol invasions, and before Tokugawa Ieyasu wins the day.

If you used your Free Pass already this semester, you MUST complete the remaining Show and Tell projects!

4. Blog post (content week 13)

5 points, due Mon April 24, 11:59PM

Write a blog post exploring themes or ideas based on your reading. You do not need to have all the answers. In fact, learning to ask good analytical or research questions is a skill you can develop during the semester. Remember the description of the assignment from the syllabus.

  • Length: approx. 400 words. excl. list of materials consulted.
  • Add the list of materials consulted at the end of the post, in Chicago notes and bibliography style.
    • TOP TIP: Just copy the bibliography information from the Reading list on this webpage, do not add the descriptive notes I provide for your information.
  • Add the words “Week 13” in the title.
    • Please use this exact phrase, so your post will show up in the blog stream.
  • Include a relevant image, and add a caption with the source/credit, and an Alt text description
  • Post on your website, and add to the category hst267.

When you’re done, read this declaration carefully and then fill out the Canvas quiz to collect your points.

Declaration
– I wrote a post of approximately 400 words in response to the readings.
– I included the bibliographic references for the materials I used for my post.
– I indicated which Exploration Pack I chose [if applicable].
– I included an image, and I provided a caption and credit (source), and an Alt text description for the image.
– I use the words Week 13 in the title, and added the post to category hst267

Extra Credit tasks

EC13-1: Follow that footnote!

3 points, due Sunday April 23, 11.59pm

All the details on this webpage, incl. a link to declaration quiz.

EC13-2: Extra commenting

3 points, due by Sunday, April 23, 11.59pm.

Do you like reading your colleagues’ work? Do you like helping them out by identifying ways to make their posts better? Here’s some good news! You can earn extra credit by doing extra commenting! This assignment will be available regularly throughout the semester.

  • Go to the Blog Stream of the class under Participants’ Posts on the website
  • Pick a post that piques your curiosity and that you have not yet commented on
  • Use Hypothes.is group HST267, and leave feedback as we practiced with the Architects’s model
  • Pick 2 additional posts (a total of 3 for this task): they can come from other students in the blog stream, or if you like the writer, you can stay with them and comment more.
  • The only conditions are:
    • that you do not comment on blog posts you already commented on before, as part of your regular weekly “Exploration” tasks.
    • that the post is actually written for HST271, and not some other class. Check the category, and the content 🙃
  • Add the tag extra to the comment (this helps me to keep track of how many people use this option.)

When you’re done, please read this declaration carefully and collect your points with the Canvas Declaration Quiz.

Declaration
I selected three blogs I have not yet commented on before, from our class’ blog stream, and I used the Hypothes.is group HST267 to comment.
I made sure to leave substantial comments that help the writer to improve the post, or to identify their strengths.
I added the tag extra to my Hypothes.is comments.
I left comments that I would like to receive myself: thoughtful, helpful, kind, but also pointing out errors so they can be fixed.

Where to get assistance?

  • Tea Room on in person or on Discord:
    • open anytime for you
    • I will be hosting Tue 2PM-3PM; Wed. 1-2PM, or at other times by appointment via Google Calendar (usually a 15-20min appointment is enough). You can also find me in my office during Tea Room times.
    • Private room for confidential chat available on request.
  • Discord Text Channel #hst267
  • DLAs: Digital Learning Assistants: check the schedule!
  • Writing Center: Sunday-Wednesday: 3:30 – 5:30 pm and 7-11 pm; Thursday: 3:30 – 5:30 pm and 7-9 pm
  • Trexler Library Course Subject Guide: our own dedicated subject guide for the course 
  • Safety on/around campus: report an incident