Primary Sources/Document Collections

Aoki, Michiko Y. and Margaret B. Dardess, eds. As the Japanese See It: Past and Present. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1981.

Keene, Donald, ed. Anthology of Japanese Literature. NY: Grove Press, Inc., 1955.

Lu, David J., comp. Sources of Japanese History. 2 vols. NY: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1974.

Tsunoda, Ryusaku, Wm. Theodore de Bary, and Donald Keene, comps. Sources ofJapanese Tradition. Vol. I. NY: Columbia University Press, 1958.

Standard Histories

Dower, John W. with Timothy S. George. Japanese History and Culture from Ancient to Modern Times: Seven Basic Bibliographies. Second Edition. NJ: Markus Wiener Publishers, 1995. Not a history, but rather a comprehensive listing of primary and secondary works on Japan.

Hane, Mikiso. Premodern Japan: A Historical Survey. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1991.

Reischauer, Edwin O. Japan: The Story of a Nation. Fourth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1990.

Schirokauer, Conrad. A Brief History of Japanese Civilization. Fort Worth, Texas: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers, 1993. This brief text is extremely well-written and illustrated.

Films

Illustrated Handscroll: The Tale of Genji       60
The world's first novel was written by a woman, Murasaki Shikibu, in the eleventh century. This video follows the story as it is depicted on a series of hand scroll panels. [FHS]

Japan: Past and Present
This five part series traces Japanese history from the seventh century centralization along the Chinese model to the modern society which maintains many traditions. The series is available for $749 and individual parts may be purchased for $159 or rented for $75.

Buddha in the Land of the Kami (7th-12th Centuries)     53 minutes Begins with Japanese creation myth and then addresses the adoption of Buddhism and the creation of Heian aristocratic culture.

Japan: The Living Tradition - Early Japan, Part 2   28 min. This program traces the developments of the Heian Period (A.D. 794 to 1184), focusing on the control of the Fujiwara family in the Imperial Court, the spread of Buddhism, and the beginnings of a system of writing. University of Mid-America. GPN. 1976.

Satori in the Right Cortex        29 minutes
"Satori" is a sudden flash of enlightenment. Examines Japanese philosophical traditions and their persistence in contemporary life. [CC]

Shodo: The Path of Writing    30 minutes
This film examines Japanese calligraphy, its history and role in the culture. (1980, $30) [CT]

Tale of Genji, The     110 minutes
This is an animated telling of the classic 11th century story. (1991, $15) [CT]