The Cambridge History of Japan, v4 of 6: Early Modern Japan 1532-1841

Examining the turbulent period from 1532 to 1841.Volume 4 derives its special tone from the fact that it relies more heavily on contributions prepared by Japanese scholars than do most of the other books in the series. In order to handle the problem ofaccurate translation for this multicultural study, an effort has been made to select translators from among established American scholars who have a sensitivity toward the interests and intent of the Japanese author whose essay they were assigned to translate. This method has been tested previously in a number of bilingual seminars held on the Muromachi, Sengoku, and early Edo periods. The Introduction to this volume acknowledges the contributions made by the authors, but little is said about the translators. We have been fortunate in attracting a number of talented scholars as translators, and I feel the results have proven the soundness of our policy.

This is the fourth of six volumes designed to explore the history of Japan from prehistoric to modern times. Volume 4 roughly covers the years from 1550 to 1800, a short but surprisingly eventful period in Japanese history commonly referred to as Japan's Early Modern Age. At the start, much of the country was being pulled apart by local military lords engaged in a struggle for land and local hegemony. These daimyo succeeded in dividing Japan into nearly autonomous regional domains. Before the end of the seventeenth century, however, the daimyo in turn were subjected to a powerful unification movement led by three colorful figures, Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu. It was under Tokugawa Ieyasu, the last of the unifiers, that Japan was brought together under a single powerful command vested in the office of shogun. The Tokugawa hegemony lasted until 1868 when it was brought down by the Meiji Restoration. This volume attempts to flesh out the historical tale with insights into the way that people lived and worked. It examines the relationship between peasant and local lord, and between the lord, as a unit of local government, and the emerging shogunate. It offers new insights into the evolution of indigenous thought and religion and it also deals with Japan's foreign relations, particularly the impact of the Christian missionary movement. Each of these themes is examined by thirteen distinguished Japanese and American scholars.

This is the fourth of six volumes designed to explore the history of Japan from prehistoric to modern times. Volume 4 covers the years from 1550 to 1800, a short but surprisingly eventful period in Japanese history commonly referred to as Japan's Early Modern Age. At the start, in the sixteenth century, much of the country was being pulled apart by local military lords engaged in a struggle for land and local hegemony. These daimyo succeeded in dividing Japan into nearly autonomous regional domains. This volume attempts to flesh out the historical tale with insights into the way that people lived and worked. It examines the relationship between peasant and local lord, and between the lord, as a unit of local government, and the emerging shogunate. It offers insights into the evolution of indigenous thought and religion and it also deals with Japan's foreign relations, particularly the impact of the Christian missionary movement "The Cambridge History of Japan is the first major collaborative synthesis to present the current state of knowledge of Japanese history for the English-reading world. The series draws on the expertise and research of leading Japanese specialists as well as the foremost Western historians of Japan. From prehistory to the present day, the series encompasses the events and developments in Japanese polity, economy, culture, religion and foreign affairs. In the distinguished tradition of Cambridge histories, the completed series provides an indispensable reference tool for all students and scholars of Japan and the Far East."--Provided by publisher --V.3. Medieval Japan, edited by Kozo Yamamura. v.4. Early modern Japan, edited by John Whitney Hall. v.5. The nineteenth century, edited by Marius B. Jansen. v.6. The twentieth century, edited by Peter Duus In 1543 some Portuguese traders in a Chinese junk came ashore on the island of Tanegashima south of Kagoshima, the headquarters city of the stsuma domain of southenmost Kyushu. This comprehensive work surveys the historical events and developments in Japan's polity, economy, society and culture