Everyday Life in Traditional Japan

"Everyday Life in Traditional Japan" is basically a beginner's guide to the Edo period. It gives a short history of the era, of the isolationist policy that allowed traditional Japanese culture to flourish untouched, and the power shift between the Emperor and the Shogun. It then breaks down the four classes, the samurai, the farmers, the craftsmen and the merchants, and shows the daily life, traditions and laws that bound each class. Also included are the fringe element, the doctors, priests, courtiers, actors, artists and outcasts who lived outside the class system but were still ruled by it. Aside from being a nice little history lesson, I found this book to be the perfect primer to anyone interested in samurai flicks or historical anime. The easy-to-understand outline of the four classes, and what they were and were not allowed to do, own, eat, etc...gave me more than one "Ah-ha!" moment as something suddenly became clear to me in a movie that I had seen before. This is all the detail work, the background stuff going on, like why a big metal fish hangs over the stoves of peasant houses and why warriors wear those big basket helmets. A short book at only 171 pages, it is still packed with info and easy to read. A bit on the older side, some of the translations and wording is outdated, but that doesn't have any effect on the book on the whole. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in the period, be it in film, anime, books or even woodblock prints. I have read quite a few Japanese history books before, but not one that laid out the class system so clearly and easily.

This book covers the everyday life of the Edo period which is from the 1600's to the 1800's. During this period, Japan was shut off from the outside world and developed a unique culture. When people think of old Japan, this is usually the period they think of thanks to the great number of period dramas that depict this era.The book examines the social divisions of this period. The four main groups are the samurai, the farmers, the craftsmen, and the merchants. Each group has an entire section devoted to it which details the lifestyle of each group. After this, several outsider groups are considered. The book ends with a general overview of life in the old capital Edo which is now called Tokyo. For those who are looking for a resource for information on the world of the samurai, this book gives a good overview of their world.My only complaint about this book is that it was published in 1969, so the writing style feels a little dated and it seems it was written for a Western audience which was unfamiliar with Japanese culture. Basically, it's style is dated, but the information is accurate and useful. Anyone who is interested in Japan and doesn't know well about the history of Japan will find this to be a great introduction

I've just started to read this book for research of a novel in the planning, and it has been very useful, even within the first few pages! It goes thru all the classes from the samurai class to the outcasts. I would highly reccommend this book to anyone that needs to know how the Japanese lived during the reign of the Tokugawa shoguns!

Charles Dunn gives a very detailed book on the traditional way of life of Tokugawa Japan. From the lowly peasant to the nobles Mr. Dunn extensively explains what they did, why they did, & how they did everything. For the casual reader this book might be a little too detailed; but for the historical interested - it is a must. I have yet to find the kind of information that Charles Dunn presents in this book anywhere else.