I knew that I wanted to study samurai, but it is way too broad
because of the long history of samurai so I have narrowed it down to the Edo
Period. Also known as the Tokugawa Period, this is when shoguns, who employed samurai,
ruled Japan. This time period is right before the Meiji Restoration; the Meiji
Restoration is the period where Westernization and industrialization occurs,
bringing forth immense change which leads to the fall of the samurai.
I want to focus on samurai because the Japanese are proud of
their rich history and culture which samurai are deeply enrooted in. By
studying this period, I will be able to focus on their latest armor and
weapons, their way of life, and their code of conduct bushidÅ
right before the Meiji Restoration.
Possible Sources:
http://www.lakelandschools.us/lh/modonnell/virtualjapan/edo.htm
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Course_Pages/legal_systems_very_different_12/final_papers_06/Tokugawa.html
http://artofmanliness.com/2008/09/14/the-bushido-code-the-eight-virtues-of-the-samurai/
http://jasonoleinik.hubpages.com/hub/SamuraiWarriors
http://samurai-warriors.org/japanese-samurai-armor/
Hey man, good choice on the topic. I mean, it's samurai, you can't go wrong with samurai. I'm not much of a history buff, but maybe you'd want to look at the relationship of the samurai/shogan to the daimyo during that period (I have a hunch that's when it was?) I might be foolish and wrong). Anyway, can't wait to see what you do with it, good luck.
ReplyDeleteEvan, the topic is great, needless to say, but your project has to be centered on visuality. There is, of course, an iconography of the samurai that has developed over time. On top of that, the visual representation of samurai in samurai movies has been pretty fascinating. The film known as "Harakiri" is one good example, and Kurosawa films such as "Kagemusha" present samurai in incredible colors (including with banners). The masks worn by samurai are particularly interesting. What was their purpose? To scare the enemy? To give a sense of invincibility to the samurai wearing them? What about the helmets, with the moons and horns and all that? I encourage you to be creative, and to consult with me if I can be of help. I think this can be an incredible project.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great project idea. You definitely have a lot to work with, and I think if you combined present and past visual imagery, you could really have a varied topic as well, since visual representations of samurai are everywhere, in many different forms. Good luck. :)
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