You updated your password.

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.

Sign In

Forgot Email or Password

Remember me

Reset Password

Enter the email address you used to create your account. We will email you instructions on how to reset your password.

Forgot Your Email Address? Contact Us

Reset Your Password

SHOW

Rated 5 out of 5 by Bocaswede from Amazing The presentation was excellent with a good mixture of photos and charts. I never thought I would learn so much in a video course. The professor was excellent.

Date published: 2023-03-18

Rated 5 out of 5 by ChristinaC68 from Top quality I have listened to over 50 Teaching Co lectures, and this has become one of my favorites. The presenter is great fun to listen to; he's charming and engaging. I have visited Japan and learned some Japanese, but this information is largely new to me. I'm reliving my visit to the beautiful country. I'm most interested in history so at first I was put off by the idea of a discussion of poetry and woodblock art. I was wrong!

Date published: 2023-03-17

Rated 5 out of 5 by ShikataGaNai from Excellent Introduction to Japan and the Japanese I have reviewed the course and completed the individual lectures. I have been studying Japan and East Asia many years now. I can honestly say that I would love to study at the Doctoral level with Professor Ravina at UT Austin.

Date published: 2023-02-23

Rated 5 out of 5 by Jlyon from Fantastic narration! I watched this entire series with intense fascination. The vivid history and examples gave a wonderful well-rounded cultural view of how Japan transformed to the present day and why their customs are the way they are. I lived in Japan for 3.5 years and couldn’t recommend it more!

Date published: 2023-01-16

Rated 4 out of 5 by California John from Wonderful background for visit to Japan, well told I bought this recently to prepare for a trip to Japan, and have watched all of the DVD's. The instructor has organized the material extremely well, and put it together with a wealth of knowledge, captured wonderfully in many stories and anecdotes. Once I started watching, I was riveted by the wonderful understanding unfolding in his amazing stories and examples. My only complaint is that he illustrated a number of his lectures with really great timelines, showing historical periods and events, but these timelines is not shown in the Course Guide. I would have REALLY liked to have the timelines as a ready reference for after the course. Admittedly, if my memory were better I might not miss this so much, but as an "aide memoire", I could really use it. The course material, nevertheless, is outstanding, valuable, insightful, fascinating, well-explained, and coherent.

Date published: 2023-01-14

Rated 5 out of 5 by mark from a superb course I just finished watching this wonderful course on Wondrium and it was a complete pleasure. I have been listening to or watching teaching company courses since 1992; I have listened to a great number of them; this one ranks with the very best in my opinion. The professor's erudition and mastery of his subject matter are impressive. His communication and teaching style makes the lectures riveting and pleasurable. I intend to listen to this course again, especially I have a planned trip to Japan in October for two weeks for the first time. I am grateful to the Great Courses for producing this great course; it does fully fulfill the promise of the Teaching Company.

Date published: 2022-08-28

Rated 5 out of 5 by Keita Nagano from Great teaching even for a Japanese national. I am a Japanese author, living in Nevada for the last 25 years, born and raised in Tokyo and Yokohama, writing novels in English and Japanese. I have just completed watching this course "Understanding Japan: A Cultural History" at the Great Course. This is wonderful even for a person who was born in Tokyo and spent 32 years living in Japan! I just wished to express my deep thanks to this teaching and I hope that a lot of American people would find it as impressive as I felt. I would refer this course to people who would believe in the value of the relationship between the two countries.

Date published: 2022-08-15

Rated 5 out of 5 by the box from Excellent series I just finished "Understanding Japan" and found this series excellent. Professor Ravina was outstanding, providing a thorough explanation of the history and culture of Japan. His delivery was both informative and easy to understand. His knowledge and passion for his subject matter was exemplary. I will be starting his next Wondrium series soon. Great job!

Date published: 2022-08-06

Overview

Japan's extraordinary 2,000-year-old civilization has grown through periods of engagement and isolation into a society responsible for immeasurable influences on the rest of the world. Discover what makes Japan so distinctive in Understanding Japan: A Cultural History . These 24 fascinating lectures, produced in partnership with the Smithsonian, offer an unforgettable tour of Japanese history, life, art, and culture.

About

Mark J. Ravina

When people ask what I love about Japan, my quick and simple answer is, Japan is the most foreign, the most exotic place you can go with first-world telecommunications, first-world health care, and first-world hygiene, and that’s as true today as it was when I first went to Japan 45 years ago.

ALMA MATER

Stanford University

INSTITUTION

Emory University

Dr. Mark J. Ravina is Professor of History at Emory University, where he has taught since 1991. He received his A.B. from Columbia University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University. He has been a visiting professor at Kyoto University’s Institute for Research in Humanities and a research fellow at Keio University and the International Research Center for Japanese Studies. He has also received research grants from the Fulbright Program, the Japan Foundation, the Academy of Korean Studies, and the Association for Asian Studies. Professor Ravina has published extensively in early modern Japanese history, with a particular focus on the transnational and international aspects of political change. He has also published research on Japanese and Korean popular culture, Japanese economic thought, and the history of science. As a public intellectual, he has appeared on CNN, CNN International, NPR, and The History Channel. A former director of the East Asian Studies Program at Emory University, Professor Ravina has also served as president of the Southeast Conference of the Association for Asian Studies. In addition, he is on the editorial board of The Journal of Asian Studies. Professor Ravina’s books include The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori and Land and Lordship in Early Modern Japan.

By This Professor

Trailer

01: Japan: A Globally Engaged Island Nation

How has Japanese culture been shaped by powerful cycles of globalization and isolation? When was the earliest human habitation of Japan, and what are the origins of its rich culture? These and other probing questions are the perfect starting points for dispelling common Western misconceptions about this great island nation.

34 min

02: Understanding Japan through Ancient Myths

Get an engaging introduction to ancient Japanese myths, collectively known as Shintō ("Way of the Gods"). Focusing on the oldest written compilation of Japanese oral tradition, the Kojiki, you'll examine fascinating stories about gods and heroes, the origins of the universe, the Rock Cave of Heaven, rival clans, and more.

30 min

03: The Emergence of the Ritsuryo State

In the late 500s, Japan began an unprecedented project of state building that evolved into the highly centralized, emperor-led Ritsuryō state. As you examine the state's laws and accomplishments, you'll uncover how this political centralization was actually inspired by-and responded to-the emergence of powerful states in China and Korea.

30 min

04: Aspects of the Japanese Language

Make sense of one of the world's most complex writing systems, and discover how spoken Japanese reflects a long-standing concern with order, hierarchy, and consensus. Why is social context so important when speaking Japanese? And what are the linguistic consequences of adopting Chinese characters in Japanese writing?

33 min

05: Early Japanese Buddhism

Professor Ravina explains why Buddhism was so appealing in ancient Japan. He reveals three key observations about the religion's earliest form (including its spread with direct support from Japanese rulers) and discusses the two main strands of Japanese Buddhism: the more esoteric tradition of Shingon and the more accessible Pure Land.

31 min

06: Heian Court Culture

Journey through Japan's first period of isolation (from the 800s to the 1300s) and the rise of the Heian court, ancient Japan's cultured and exclusive aristocracy. Along the way, you'll meet the powerful Fujiwara family and unpack how the novel The Tale of Genji reveals the court's penchant for scandal and intrigue.

28 min

07: The Rise of the Samurai

Turn away from the court in Kyoto to the countryside, where political infighting led to the rise of Japan's first shogunate ("warrior dynasty") and the emergence of the samurai. You'll also explore the rise of warrior culture through the lines of The Tale of the Heike, an epic ballad spread by wandering minstrels.

29 min

08: Pure Land Buddhism and Zen Buddhism

How did the decline of the court and the rise of the warrior class shape the evolution of Buddhist aesthetic, spiritual, and philosophical concepts? Find out in this illuminating lecture, which covers the massive growth of Pure Land Buddhism (the dominant form in Japan today) and the two main schools of Zen Buddhism.

30 min

09: Samurai Culture in the Ashikaga Period

Samurai culture was not fixed but constantly adapting to larger social and cultural changes. Central to these changes was the Ashikaga dynasty. As you'll learn, political turmoil under the Ashikaga led to the samurai defining themselves with a culture of extreme loyalty and a new sense of valor, independent of imperial court culture.

29 min

10: Japan at Home and Abroad, 1300 - 1600

Japan's second great wave of globalization, the subject of this lecture, stretched from the 1300s to the early 1600s. It's a fascinating period that includes competition with China's Ming dynasty; the new influence of the West (which brought with it guns and Christianity); and the rule of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Japan's most powerful warlord.

30 min

11: Japan’s Isolation in the Tokugawa Period

Lasting for over 250 years, the Tokugawa shogunate curtailed both globalization and Christianity. How did this feudal government come to power? How did its policies isolate Japan? Along the way, you'll get an insightful look at what we really mean by "isolation" and how Japan was shaped by foreign cultures even when most Japanese were banned from traveling overseas.

31 min

12: Japanese Theater: Noh and Kabuki

Explore two major forms of Japanese theater: Noh (the high classical form) and Kabuki (the more popular form). In looking at two important theatrical works-Atsumori, rich in lofty ideals and elegant aesthetics, and The Scarlet Princess of Edo, full of crude decadence and mayhem-you'll uncover what these traditions share, and what they make their own.

28 min

13: The Importance of Japanese Gardens

Japanese gardens are popular tourist destinations, cultural treasures, and even UNESCO heritage sites. Here, consider the splendor and harmony of some of Japan's most important gardens (including tea gardens, rock gardens, and strolling gardens) as part of a history of aesthetics and also as expressions of religious and cultural ideals.

30 min

14: The Meaning of Bushido in a Time of Peace

Professor Ravina adds more depth to your understanding of Japan's warrior ethos, bushidō ("the way of the warrior"). As you look at historical snapshots, such as a samurai's petulant memoir and the vendetta of the 47 rōnin, you'll discover the deep nostalgia that lies at the heart of this misunderstood aspect of Japanese culture. Bushidō is full of a longing for a lost age.

29 min

15: Japanese Poetry: The Road to Haiku

Journey through some of the best-known styles and voices of Japanese poetry. You'll start with the oldest surviving Japanese poems and follow the development of tanka, the classical five-line form, and renga, a single poem written by multiple poets. We conclude with the master poet Bash? and the emergence of haiku, now Japan's most famous and popular form of poetry.CHECK THIS RECORD

32 min

16: Hokusai and the Art of Wood-Block Prints

Katsushika Hokusai, the renowned Japanese artist, is the perfect entryway into the history of both Japanese wood-block prints and late Tokugawa society. Among the topics covered are ukiyo-e ("floating world") pictures; Hokusai's iconic masterpiece, The Great Wave off Kanagawa; his encyclopedic collection of manga ("sketches"); and more.

30 min

17: The Meiji Restoration

Investigate the Meiji Restoration: the start of the third major period of Japanese globalization, defined by a vibrant synthesis of tradition and modernity. From the abolition of the samurai class to the creation of a new educational system to the restructuring of land ownership, how did Japan achieve revolutionary change through a smooth political transition?

30 min

18: Three Visions of Prewar Japan

Take a fresh approach to the story of early 20th-century Japan. Rather than a review of major events, focus instead on the ideologies of three individuals whose competing views shaped Japan's actions on the eve of World War II: Nitobe Inazō and Shidehara Kijūrō, both proponents of democracy and international cooperation; and Ishiwara Kanji, a die-hard militarist.

32 min

19: War without a Master Plan: Japan, 1931 - 1945

A political culture dominated by fanatics. The quagmire of the Sino-Japanese War. The takeover of Manchuria and the puppet government of Manchukuo. Japan's surprising failure in attacking Pearl Harbor. Learn about all these and more in this lecture on the disorganized chaos (and legacy) of World War II-era Japan.

29 min

20: Japanese Family Life

You can't truly grasp a country's culture without understanding its ideas about the family. Explore the three main models of Japanese family life: the aristocratic model (uji), the samurai model (ie), and the postwar model. Along the way, learn about shifting attitudes toward domestic life, including women's rights and family planning.

29 min

21: Japanese Foodways

There's so much more to Japanese cuisine than just sushi. Move beyond the basics and plunge into the enormous diversity and complexity of Japan's culture of food. How do foods like soba noodles, tempura, and yakitori (and the rituals of eating them) reflect the waves of globalization and isolation you've explored in previous lectures?

28 min

22: Japan’s Economic Miracle

From 1955 to 1975, the Japanese economy grew more than 435% - an astonishing rate that economists refer to as "the Japanese Miracle." Take a closer look at the six factors that led to this unprecedented growth, including the country's cheap and motivated workforce, as well as the critical influence of the United States.

31 min

23: Kurosawa and Ozu: Two Giants of Film

Meet Japan's greatest filmmakers: Ozu Yasujirō and Kurosawa Akira. How do their best films reflect lasting connections to world cinema? Revisit Ozu's 1953 masterpiece Tokyo Story (inspired by an American domestic drama) and Kurosawa's rousing 1961 adventure Yojimbo (which fused samurai culture with the American Western).

29 min

24: The Making of Contemporary Japan

What makes 1989 the turning point for contemporary Japan? Explore four pivotal moments from that year whose repercussions are still being felt in the Japan of the 21st century: the death of Hirohito, China's Tiananmen Square Massacre, the bursting of the Japanese real estate bubble, and a dramatic stock market crash.

36 min