Japan

I am completely fascinated with this country: its history, literature, nature, music, film, and art. It is almost inevitable that I should learn the language, just so that I can enjoy these things without the interpretation of translators. For now, this page will have reviews of translations, histories written by Westerners, and other miscellania. Maybe more will follow, who knows...

History

Japan has been quite unqiue in its history, which has been one of relative isolation. From the beginning of the Yamato dynasty to the arrival of Commodore Perry, there have been few foreign adventures (e.g. Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea) and few attempts of outsiders to gain a foothold in the country (e.g. the two unsuccessful Mongol invasions). Despite the enrmous influence of Chinese culture, the Japanese have adapted the mainland civilization to achieve something that is without parallel. The unique Japanese sensibility pervades their architecture, literature, and art. It is a thing of beauty.

Literature

Only the Chinese and the Koreans can rival the Japanese in the prestige historically assigned to literature by the aristocracy. None even comes close to the importance of poetry as it developed during the Heian period. How many countries can boast that most of their classical literature was written by women? (None, except Japan.) Fortunately, there are many excellent translations of Japanese literature that are available to Western readers, even if some of them have become somewhat expensive to obtain.

Film

Everybody knows Kurosawa Akira, and he is without doubt my favorite director. Still, he is by far not the only one that deserves close scrutiny. Japan, whose film output in its heyday matched Hollywood, has lots to offer, and much of it superior to the indignities we have to suffer here. The works of the masters, like Mizoguchi and Ozu, are relatively available, at least on VHS. For the others, one has to hunt in the seedy world of "non-traditional" distribution. If only the Japanese DVDs were not so expensive... or had English subtitles.

Music

This may take some time getting used to, but once you acquire the taste, there is nothing like it. The music is very theatrical, sparse, and expressive. Not many CDs though.

Theater

From Noh to Kabuki to puppet plays, the Japanese theater is another unique expression of this culture. It is essential to see Noh plays if one wants to understand much of the mature Kurosawa. There are several good studies in English and many translations of individual plays. The Japanese Literature section has a list of these.

Collection

I have a small, but growing, collection of Japanese books, film, and music. If you are curious, this is it.