DOCSLIB.ORG

I DISPLAYING AUTHORITY: ASHIKAGA FORMAL DISPLAY in the MUROMACHI PERIOD

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
I DISPLAYING AUTHORITY: ASHIKAGA FORMAL DISPLAY in the MUROMACHI PERIOD DISPLAYING AUTHORITY: ASHIKAGA FORMAL DISPLAY IN THE MUROMACHI PERIOD by Jungeun Lee B.A. Ewha Womans University, 2005 M.A. Ewha Womans University, 2008 M.A. University of Pittsburgh, 2011 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Pittsburgh 2017 i UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH KENNETH P. DIETRICH SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES This dissertation was presented by Jungeun Lee It was defended on March 13, 2017 and approved by Katheryn M. Linduff, Professor Emerita, History of Art and Architecture Barbara McCloskey, Professor, History of Art and Architecture Evelyn Rawski, Professor Emerita, History Dissertation Advisor: Karen M. Gerhart, Professor, History of Art and Architecture ii Copyright © by Jungeun Lee 2017 iii DISPLAYING AUTHORITY: ASHIKAGA FORMAL DISPLAY IN THE MUROMACHI PERIOD Jungeun Lee, PhD University of Pittsburgh, 2017 This dissertation project investigates the socio-political and socio-economic contexts of the Ashikaga collection of Chinese paintings and objects and the associated development, function, and multifaceted meanings of formal decoration and display in medieval Japan. Scholars have been interested in the Ashikaga collection, kaisho reception halls, and shogunal art manuals (Kundaikan sōchōki) as either a way to understand the Japanese reception of Chinese paintings or to trace and reconstruct shoin-style architecture. However, formal display as an ensemble and a means of representing the patrons’ identities within the political and economic spheres of Kyoto have not been adequately addressed. My dissertation also investigates the relationship between the Ashikaga and their cultural advisors (dō bō shū ) who were in charge of the arrangement of the collection. I show that the Ashikaga skillfully combined Japanese court and Buddhist traditions with elements of continental culture as a means to consolidate their own political and cultural authority. Additionally, I explore the gradual change in the meaning of formal display from an expression of political authority to a commodity circulated among the elite following the Ō nin War (1467-1477). The architectural space where the objects were displayed will be examined through visual and textual evidence. To this end, this dissertation moves beyond a survey of shogunal palaces and examines the development of interior space in medieval Japan and the relationship between formal interior display and the identity of the patron or owner. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... XI 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................................................. 4 1.2 PRESENT SCHOLARSHIP ............................................................................... 5 1.2.1 Ashikaga Collection and Shogunal Art Manuals .......................................... 6 1.2.2 Ashikaga Palace Complex and Kaisho Reception Halls .............................. 14 1.2.3 Kaisho Display and Ashikaga Authority ...................................................... 17 1.3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK, ISSUES AND APPROACHES ............. 19 1.3.1 Material Culture and the Lives of Things .................................................... 19 1.3.2 The Economy of Things, Consumption of Objects, and Social Identities . 21 1.3.3 Collection, Practice of Collecting, Display, Power and Identity ................ 23 1.4 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................ 27 1.5 OUTLINE OF CHAPTERS .............................................................................. 34 2.0 DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL DISPLAY: TRACING THE DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYZING THE PRECEDENTS OF FORMAL DISPLAY THROUGH WRITTEN AND VISUAL SOURCES FROM THE THIRTEENTH TO FIFTEENTH CENTURIES ............................................................................................................................... 38 2.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 38 v 2.2 PRECEDENTS OF FORMAL DISPLAY ....................................................... 42 2.2.1 Significance of Karamono in Medieval Japan: Collecting Chinese ............ 42 2.2.2 Displaying Karamono in Elite Residences .................................................... 57 2.2.3 Kaisho and Formal Display ........................................................................... 59 2.3 ASHIKAGA KAISHO ....................................................................................... 63 2.4 POSSIBLE ROUTES OF DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL DISPLAY...... 65 2.4.1 From Abbot’s Quarters to Kaisho................................................................. 65 2.4.2 Social Gatherings and the Development of Formal Display at Kaisho ...... 72 2.5 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................. 82 3.0 POLITICS OF DISPLAY: SOCIO-POLITICAL MEANING OF FORMAL DISPLAY THROUGH IMPERIAL VISITS TO ASHIKAGA SHOGUNS ......................... 85 3.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 85 3.1.1 Present Scholarship on Imperial Visits ........................................................ 87 3.2 IMPERIAL VISITATIONS TO ASHIKAGA SHOGUNS............................ 91 3.2.1 Gyōkō in the Muromachi Period ................................................................... 91 3.2.2 Backgrounds of Three Imperial Visits ......................................................... 92 3.2.3 Ceremonies and Events of the Imperial Visits ............................................. 98 3.3 MUROMACHI DONO GYŌKŌ OKAZARIKI AND FORMAL DISPLAY AT ASHIKAGA YOSHINORI’S MUROMACHI PALACE ............................................. 104 3.3.1 Understanding the Handscroll Muromachi dono gyōkō okazariki ........... 105 3.3.2 Yoshinori’s Political Background and the Meaning of His Muromachi Palace ........................................................................................................................ 111 3.3.3 Yoshinori’s Muromachi Palace and Three Kaisho .................................... 114 vi 3.4 SOCIO-POLITICAL MEANING OF FORMAL DISPLAY IN THE EARLY FIFTEENTH-CENTURY KYOTO ................................................................. 126 3.5 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 131 4.0 FROM AUTHORITY TO COMMODITY: SOCIO-ECONOMIC MEANING OF FORMAL DISPLAY IN KUNDAIKAN SŌCHŌKI ............................................................... 133 4.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 133 4.1.1 Present Scholarship on Kundaikan sōchōki ................................................ 135 4.2 UNDERSTANDING KUNDAIKAN SŌCHŌKI .......................................... 137 4.2.1 Representative Works of Kundaikan sōchōki ............................................ 138 4.2.2 Meaning of Production of Shogunal Art Manuals .................................... 150 4.3 DŌBŌSHŪ AND THEIR ROLES IN THE MUROMACHI PERIOD ...... 152 4.3.1 Studies on Dōbōshū ...................................................................................... 152 4.3.2 Analyzing Various Roles of Dōbōshū .......................................................... 155 4.3.3 Changing Roles of Dōbōshū after the Ōnin War ....................................... 169 4.4 SOCIO-ECONOMIC MEANING OF KUNDAIKAN SŌCHŌKI ............... 173 4.4.1 Restrictive Access, Exclusivity, and Copies of Kundaikan sōchōki .......... 179 5.0 EPILOGUE: THE SPREAD OF FORMAL DISPLAY ....................................... 182 5.1 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 190 APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................ 197 APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................ 198 APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................................ 199 APPENDIX D ............................................................................................................................ 201 APPENDIX E ............................................................................................................................ 203 vii APPENDIX F ............................................................................................................................ 205 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 207 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Similarities of the Shapes of Metal and Ceramic wares from the Sinan Shipwreck ...... 49 Table 2. Summary of the Three Imprial Visits ........................................................................... 197 Table 3. Outline of the Events and Ceremonies during the 1381 and 1437 Imperial Visits ...... 198 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Hashidate no ma in Muromachi dono gyōkō okazariki ............................................... 109 Figure 2. Detail of Ogawa
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Japanese Immigration History
    CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE EARLY JAPANESE IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES DURING MEIJI TO TAISHO ERA (1868–1926) By HOSOK O Bachelor of Arts in History Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado 2000 Master of Arts in History University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, Oklahoma 2002 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December, 2010 © 2010, Hosok O ii CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE EARLY JAPANESE IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES DURING MEIJI TO TAISHO ERA (1868–1926) Dissertation Approved: Dr. Ronald A. Petrin Dissertation Adviser Dr. Michael F. Logan Dr. Yonglin Jiang Dr. R. Michael Bracy Dr. Jean Van Delinder Dr. Mark E. Payton Dean of the Graduate College iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS For the completion of my dissertation, I would like to express my earnest appreciation to my advisor and mentor, Dr. Ronald A. Petrin for his dedicated supervision, encouragement, and great friendship. I would have been next to impossible to write this dissertation without Dr. Petrin’s continuous support and intellectual guidance. My sincere appreciation extends to my other committee members Dr. Michael Bracy, Dr. Michael F. Logan, and Dr. Yonglin Jiang, whose intelligent guidance, wholehearted encouragement, and friendship are invaluable. I also would like to make a special reference to Dr. Jean Van Delinder from the Department of Sociology who gave me inspiration for the immigration study. Furthermore, I would like to give my sincere appreciation to Dr. Xiaobing Li for his thorough assistance, encouragement, and friendship since the day I started working on my MA degree to the completion of my doctoral dissertation.
    [Show full text]
  • Japan Between the Wars
    JAPAN BETWEEN THE WARS The Meiji era was not followed by as neat and logical a periodi- zation. The Emperor Meiji (his era name was conflated with his person posthumously) symbolized the changes of his period so perfectly that at his death in July 1912 there was a clear sense that an era had come to an end. His successor, who was assigned the era name Taisho¯ (Great Righteousness), was never well, and demonstrated such embarrassing indications of mental illness that his son Hirohito succeeded him as regent in 1922 and re- mained in that office until his father’s death in 1926, when the era name was changed to Sho¯wa. The 1920s are often referred to as the “Taisho¯ period,” but the Taisho¯ emperor was in nominal charge only until 1922; he was unimportant in life and his death was irrelevant. Far better, then, to consider the quarter century between the Russo-Japanese War and the outbreak of the Manchurian Incident of 1931 as the next era of modern Japanese history. There is overlap at both ends, with Meiji and with the resur- gence of the military, but the years in question mark important developments in every aspect of Japanese life. They are also years of irony and paradox. Japan achieved success in joining the Great Powers and reached imperial status just as the territo- rial grabs that distinguished nineteenth-century imperialism came to an end, and its image changed with dramatic swiftness from that of newly founded empire to stubborn advocate of imperial privilege. Its military and naval might approached world standards just as those standards were about to change, and not long before the disaster of World War I produced revul- sion from armament and substituted enthusiasm for arms limi- tations.
    [Show full text]
  • Mother of the Nation: Femininity, Modernity, and Class in the Image of Empress Teimei
    Mother of the Nation: Femininity, Modernity, and Class in the Image of Empress Teimei By ©2016 Alison Miller Submitted to the graduate degree program in the History of Art and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ________________________________ Chairperson Dr. Maki Kaneko ________________________________ Dr. Sherry Fowler ________________________________ Dr. David Cateforis ________________________________ Dr. John Pultz ________________________________ Dr. Akiko Takeyama Date Defended: April 15, 2016 The Dissertation Committee for Alison Miller certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Mother of the Nation: Femininity, Modernity, and Class in the Image of Empress Teimei ________________________________ Chairperson Dr. Maki Kaneko Date approved: April 15, 2016 ii Abstract This dissertation examines the political significance of the image of the Japanese Empress Teimei (1884-1951) with a focus on issues of gender and class. During the first three decades of the twentieth century, Japanese society underwent significant changes in a short amount of time. After the intense modernizations of the late nineteenth century, the start of the twentieth century witnessed an increase in overseas militarism, turbulent domestic politics, an evolving middle class, and the expansion of roles for women to play outside the home. As such, the early decades of the twentieth century in Japan were a crucial period for the formation of modern ideas about femininity and womanhood. Before, during, and after the rule of her husband Emperor Taishō (1879-1926; r. 1912-1926), Empress Teimei held a highly public role, and was frequently seen in a variety of visual media.
    [Show full text]
  • The International History Bee and Bowl Asian Division Study Guide!
    The International History Bee and Bowl Asian Division Study Guide Welcome to the International History Bee and Bowl Asian Division Study Guide! To make the Study Guide, we divided all of history into 5 chapters: Middle Eastern and South Asian History, East and Southeast Asian History, US American History, World History (everything but American and Asian) to 1789, and World History from 1789-present. There may also be specific questions about the history of each of the countries where we will hold tournaments. A list of terms to be familiar with for each country is included at the end of the guide, but in that section, just focus on the country where you will be competing at your regional tournament (at least until the Asian Championships). Terms that are in bold should be of particular focus for our middle school division, though high school competitors should be familiar with these too. This guide is not meant to be a complete compendium of what information may come up at a competition, but it should serve as a starting off point for your preparations. Certainly there are things that can be referenced at a tournament that are not in this guide, and not everything that is in this guide will come up. At the end of the content portion of the guide, some useful preparation tips are outlined as well. Finally, we may post additional study materials, sample questions, and guides to the website at www.ihbbasia.com over the course of the year. Should these become available, we will do our best to notify all interested schools.
    [Show full text]
  • Treasures of Jodo Shinshu and the Hongwanji II —The Preservation of Beauty and Teachings—
    Special Exhibition Treasures of Jodo Shinshu and the Hongwanji II —The Preservation of Beauty and Teachings— March 4th to June 11th, 2017 at Ryukoku Museum List of Works Notes • The list numbers corespond to the exhibition labels. • Not all the works of this list will be exhibited at the same time because of the exhibition rotations. Chapter 1 Past Chief Priests of Hongwanji No. Title Artist or Author Materials Date Location and Owner [National Treasure] Inscription and Endorsed Muromachi period, 1 Colors on silk Hongwanji, Kyoto Portrait of Shinran (Anjō no Go'ei ) by Rennyo (1415-99) Bunmei 11 (1479) Momoyama period, 2 Portraits of Shinran (Hana no Go'ei ) Colors on silk Hongyō-ji, Shiga 16th-17th century Endorsed by Muromachi period, 3 Portraits of Shinran Colors on silk Konjōbō, Toyama Jitsunyo (1458-1525) Meiō 6 (1497) Endorsed by Muromachi period, 4 Portraits of Shinran Colors on silk Hōon-ji, Toyama Shōnyo (1516-54) 16th century Wood with Kamakura-Nambokuchō 5 Seated Image of Shinran pigments, Hongaku-ji, Fukui period, 14th century crystal Eyes Wood with toned Nambokuchō-Muromachi 6 Seated Image of Shinran repairs, Konkaikōmyō-ji, Kyoto period, 14th-15th century crystal Eyes Illustrated Biography of Shinran Nambokuchō period, 7 Colors on paper Kōraku-ji, Nagano (Hongwanji shōnin Shinran denne ) 14th century [Important Cultural Property] Inscription by Nambokuchō period, Jōsembō in Temma, 8 Illustrated Biography of Shinran Colors on paper Zonkaku (1290-1373) 14th century Osaka (Hongwanji shōnin Shinran denne ) by Tokuriki Zensetsu,
    [Show full text]
  • In Silent Homage to Amaterasu: Kagura Secret Songs at Ise Jingū and the Imperial Palace Shrine
    In Silent Homage to Amaterasu: Kagura Secret Songs at Ise Jingū and the Imperial Palace Shrine in Modern and Pre-modern Japan Michiko Urita A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2017 Reading Committee: Patricia Shehan Campbell, Chair Jeffrey M. Perl Christina Sunardi Paul S. Atkins Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Music ii ©Copyright 2017 Michiko Urita iii University of Washington Abstract In Silent Homage to Amaterasu: Kagura Secret Songs at Ise Jingū and the Imperial Palace Shrine in Modern and Pre-modern Japan Michiko Urita Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Patricia Shehan Campbell Music This dissertation explores the essence and resilience of the most sacred and secret ritual music of the Japanese imperial court—kagura taikyoku and kagura hikyoku—by examining ways in which these two songs have survived since their formation in the twelfth century. Kagura taikyoku and kagura hikyoku together are the jewel of Shinto ceremonial vocal music of gagaku, the imperial court music and dances. Kagura secret songs are the emperor’s foremost prayer offering to the imperial ancestral deity, Amaterasu, and other Shinto deities for the well-being of the people and Japan. I aim to provide an understanding of reasons for the continued and uninterrupted performance of kagura secret songs, despite two major crises within Japan’s history. While foreign origin style of gagaku was interrupted during the Warring States period (1467-1615), the performance and transmission of kagura secret songs were protected and sustained. In the face of the second crisis during the Meiji period (1868-1912), which was marked by a threat of foreign invasion and the re-organization of governance, most secret repertoire of gagaku lost their secrecy or were threatened by changes to their traditional system of transmissions, but kagura secret songs survived and were sustained without losing their iv secrecy, sacredness, and silent performance.
    [Show full text]
  • Representations of Pleasure and Worship in Sankei Mandara Talia J
    Mapping Sacred Spaces: Representations of Pleasure and Worship in Sankei mandara Talia J. Andrei Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Columbia University 2016 © 2016 Talia J.Andrei All rights reserved Abstract Mapping Sacred Spaces: Representations of Pleasure and Worship in Sankei Mandara Talia J. Andrei This dissertation examines the historical and artistic circumstances behind the emergence in late medieval Japan of a short-lived genre of painting referred to as sankei mandara (pilgrimage mandalas). The paintings are large-scale topographical depictions of sacred sites and served as promotional material for temples and shrines in need of financial support to encourage pilgrimage, offering travelers worldly and spiritual benefits while inspiring them to donate liberally. Itinerant monks and nuns used the mandara in recitation performances (etoki) to lead audiences on virtual pilgrimages, decoding the pictorial clues and touting the benefits of the site shown. Addressing themselves to the newly risen commoner class following the collapse of the aristocratic order, sankei mandara depict commoners in the role of patron and pilgrim, the first instance of them being portrayed this way, alongside warriors and aristocrats as they make their way to the sites, enjoying the local delights, and worship on the sacred grounds. Together with the novel subject material, a new artistic language was created— schematic, colorful and bold. We begin by locating sankei mandara’s artistic roots and influences and then proceed to investigate the individual mandara devoted to three sacred sites: Mt. Fuji, Kiyomizudera and Ise Shrine (a sacred mountain, temple and shrine, respectively).
    [Show full text]
  • Kumazawa Agonistes: the Right of Conquest and the Rise of Democratic Ideology (Part One)
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE 【論文】 Kumazawa Agonistes: The Right of Conquest and the Rise of Democratic Ideology (Part One) Jason M. Morgan Introduction:TheKumazawaCase TO: General MacARTHUR. A very curious letter came across Douglas MacArthurʼs FROM: KUMAZAWA, Hiromichi (熊沢寛道) desk on August 11, 1947. It was hardly the only letter to arrive KYOTO To, SAKYO ku, TANAKA KITAHARUNA – 1. that day, to be sure. MacArthur was the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers—SCAP—and essentially the de facto DATE: (No date.) shogun of Japan. Since Japanʼs defeat in the Greater East Asia War, MacArthur had reigned as head of General Headquarters, The writer states that during the period when the Imperial GHQ, and, in effect, as the benevolent dictator of the entire throne was divided between the Northern and Southern archipelago. Dynasties, Emperor GOKOMATSU (後小松) of the The SCAP archives, housed in the National Diet Library Northern Dynasty killed Prince JITSUHITO (実仁), son in Nagatachō, contain boxes and boxes of microfiched letters and heir of Emperor GOKAMEYAMA (後亀山) of the to the power behind the Chrysanthemum Throne. Summarized Southern Dynasty, thus putting an end to the Southern and also mimeographed from the originals, the letters touch Dynasty. The Northern Dynasty then became sole on every conceivable subject, from complaints about the black claimant to the Imperial throne. market and concerns about building practices to denunciations of individuals and organizations for reasons both public- The writer has conducted extensive research throughout minded and personal, profound and petty. NARA, MIE, FUKUSHIMA, and AICHI prefectures But one letter stands out.
    [Show full text]
  • He Ideals of the Eas Ith Special Refereno O The
    HE I DEALS OF THE EAS I TH SPECI AL REFERENO O THE A R T O F J A PA N " 11 7 3 2. BY KAKUZO O KAKURA L O N D O N J O HN URRAY ALBE ARLE S TREET M , M 1905 PRE FATO RY NO TE wishes to point ou t tha t this book is wr i tten in by a na i a n t ve qf J ap . CO N TE N TS I NTRODUCTI O N THE RANGE O F I DEALS THE PRI MITI VE A RT O F J APAN CON FUCIANI S M NO RTHERN CH I NA LAO I S M AND TAO I S M — S O UTH ERN CH I NA BUDD H I S M AND INDIAN ART — THE AS UKA PERI OD ( 5 5 0 700 A .D .) — 1 08 THE NARA PE RI OD (700 8 00 A .O .) - 1 28 THE HEIAN PERIOD (8 00 900 AD .) W — THE FUJ I ARA PE RIOD (900 1200 A.D .) K K 1 2 - 40 A D THE AMA URA PERIOD ( 00 1 0 . .) 1 4 0- 1 w AS HI KAGA PERI OD ( 0 600 .) Vll C ONTENTS PAGE TOYOTO MI AN D EARLY TO KUGAWA — PERI OD ( 1 600 1 700 A n.) LATER TO KU GAWA PERIOD ( 1 700. 1 8 5 0 A .D .) THE M EIJI PERI OD ( 1 8 5 0 TO THE PRESE NT DAY ) THE V I STA I N T R O D U C T I O N K A KUZ O K A KURA t his O , the author of work on Japanese A r t Ideals— and the t future au hor, as we hope , of a longer and completely illustrated book on the same subject— has been long known to his own people and to others as the foremost living authority on Oriental Archaeology and Art .
    [Show full text]
  • Powerful Warriors and Influential Clergy Interaction and Conflict Between the Kamakura Bakufu and Religious Institutions
    UNIVERSITY OF HAWAllllBRARI Powerful Warriors and Influential Clergy Interaction and Conflict between the Kamakura Bakufu and Religious Institutions A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN HISTORY MAY 2003 By Roy Ron Dissertation Committee: H. Paul Varley, Chairperson George J. Tanabe, Jr. Edward Davis Sharon A. Minichiello Robert Huey ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Writing a doctoral dissertation is quite an endeavor. What makes this endeavor possible is advice and support we get from teachers, friends, and family. The five members of my doctoral committee deserve many thanks for their patience and support. Special thanks go to Professor George Tanabe for stimulating discussions on Kamakura Buddhism, and at times, on human nature. But as every doctoral candidate knows, it is the doctoral advisor who is most influential. In that respect, I was truly fortunate to have Professor Paul Varley as my advisor. His sharp scholarly criticism was wonderfully balanced by his kindness and continuous support. I can only wish others have such an advisor. Professors Fred Notehelfer and Will Bodiford at UCLA, and Jeffrey Mass at Stanford, greatly influenced my development as a scholar. Professor Mass, who first introduced me to the complex world of medieval documents and Kamakura institutions, continued to encourage me until shortly before his untimely death. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to them. In Japan, I would like to extend my appreciation and gratitude to Professors Imai Masaharu and Hayashi Yuzuru for their time, patience, and most valuable guidance.
    [Show full text]
  • Salvation and Sovereignty Syllabus KCJS
    KCJS Salvation and Sovereignty Syllabus Salvation and Sovereignty: Buddhism and Shinto in Japanese History Seminar Spring 2019 Course Syllabus Instructor: Adam Lyons Email: [email protected] Course Time: Wed./Fri. 1:10-2:40 PM Location: KCJS Classroom Instructor Office Hour: Wed./Fri. aFter class and by appointment. Course Description and Goals This course draws on the rich resources of Kyoto to consider the place of Buddhism and Shinto in Japanese history. In addition to traditional reading assignments and classroom discussion, we will conduct multiple research expeditions to museums and signiFicant religious and cultural sites in and around Kyoto. Although there are common misconceptions that hold Buddhism to be a “world- renouncing” religion and Shinto to be a Form oF nature worship, this course places an emphasis on the political dimension oF these traditions to pursue a more nuanced understanding of Buddhism and Shinto. We will explore how Buddhism and Shinto have been driving forces in Japanese history—with many oF the most powerFul institutions based right here in Kyoto. By the end of the course, students should be able to articulate the political signiFicance oF Buddhist and Shinto institutions and ideas. Students should also reFine their grasp oF the relationship between the social and the ideological in light oF the course’s themes: kingship/cosmology, and voluntary political associations/salvation. They should ultimately gain the ability to deconstruct ahistorical representations of Buddhism and Shinto as static and monolithic, and they can also expect to cultivate a Familiarity with some oF the major figures, sects, and concepts of Japanese religious history.
    [Show full text]
  • Elsewhere, to Support His Contention That the Themes of Modern Erotic
    book reviews 267 Elsewhere, to support his contention that the themes of modern erotic poetry are not new to Tibetan literature, the author supplies copious examples from pre-modern writings. These range from the cryptic sensuality of some ka¯ vya-inspired lines, to the outright crudity and bawdiness of more popular literature. This is a revealing and entertaining journey through a regularly overlooked area of Tibetan writing. The relevance of some examples here, and even whether they all belong in a single category, seems more debat- able. The universality of the themes of sex and bodily functions makes it difficult to depict their reappear- ance as a literary continuity. Correspondences and recurrences, especially spread over so many centuries, do not necessarily represent continuation. Doubts about categories and continuity might also be raised in rela- tion to the author’s discussion on “the Tibetan Tradition of Social Criticism” (Chapter 3). I welcome the author’s decision to place politics centre-stage. Rather than a mere backdrop, the pol- itical situation is the crucible in which modern Tibetan literature has been forged. The battle between censorship and creativity continues to shape this most vibrant and dynamic form of Tibetan literature. However, in emphasizing the continuity of indigenous writing, the book underplays debts to foreign literature. In the essay and short-story genres (also innovations by the modern movement) these are especially obvious, but this volume hardly mentions them. A majority of the influential first-generation writers attended the same educational institutions. Their compositions reflect their exposure to an array of traditions: Chinese, Western, and Communist, as well as Tibetan.
    [Show full text]