The second time this class is running!
The basis of this course was to use various historical chronicles, literature and visual material, to examine the creation of the samurai image, and the rise and fall of Japan's warrior class behind it. Through this exploration, we will find some juxtaposition of the historical reality with the construction of mythology - both positive and negative - of the warrior in Japanese popular culture. The goal of the course was to attempt to answer the following questions: How did the bushido ethos emerge? How and why did the samurai become the national hero of Japanese culture? What beliefs, values and cultures have been associated with the samurai? What place does the samurai image hold in today’s Japan?
The basis of this course was to use various historical chronicles, literature and visual material, to examine the creation of the samurai image, and the rise and fall of Japan's warrior class behind it. Through this exploration, we will find some juxtaposition of the historical reality with the construction of mythology - both positive and negative - of the warrior in Japanese popular culture. The goal of the course was to attempt to answer the following questions: How did the bushido ethos emerge? How and why did the samurai become the national hero of Japanese culture? What beliefs, values and cultures have been associated with the samurai? What place does the samurai image hold in today’s Japan?
The class presented some final projects that focused on specific topics about what they learned within the course. The ultimate goal of the project was to present the information learned from the course to the public using various methods of media, and presenting it in a way that would capture the interest of not only the academia, but of the general public as well.
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An educational video about the Japanese Warriors and Samurai. From the medieval period to the Tokugawa era.
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A short video designed to refute some of the more prominent beliefs surrounding the samurai of Japan, and separating them from the Japanese warriors of the past.
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