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"One of the least understood and often maligned aspects of the
Tokugawa Shogunate is the Ooku, or 'Great Interior, ' the
institution within the shogun's palace, administered by and for the
upper-class shogunal women and their attendants who resided there.
Long the object of titillation and a favorite subject for
off-the-wall fantasy in historical TV and film dramas, the actual
daily life, practices, cultural roles, and ultimate missions of
these women have remained largely in the dark, except for
occasional explosions of scandal. In crystal-clear prose that is a
pleasure to read, this new book, however, presents the Ooku in a
whole new down-to-earth, practical light. After many years of
perusing unexamined Ooku documents generated by these women and
their associates, the authors have provided not only an overview of
the fifteen generations of Shoguns whose lives were lived in
residence with this institution, but how shoguns interacted
differently with it. Much like recent research on imperial
convents, they find not a huddled herd of oppressed women, but on
the contrary, women highly motivated to the preservation of their
own particular cultural institution. Most important, they have been
able to identify "the culture of secrecy" within the Ooku itself to
be an important mechanism for preserving the highest value,
'loyalty, ' that essential value to their overall self-interested
mission dedicated to the survival of the Shogunate itself." -
Barbara Ruch, Columbia University "The aura of power and prestige
of the institution known as the ooku-the complex network of women
related to the shogun and their living quarters deep within Edo
castle-has been a popular subject of Japanese television dramas and
movies. Brushing aside myths and fallacies that have long obscured
our understanding, this thoroughly researched book provides an
intimate look at the lives of the elite female residents of the
shogun's elaborate compound. Drawing information from contemporary
diaries and other private memoirs, as well as official records, the
book gives detailed descriptions of the physical layout of their
living quarters, regulations, customs, and even clothing, enabling
us to actually visualize this walled-in world that was off limits
for most of Japanese society. It also outlines the complex
hierarchy of positions, and by shining a light on specific women,
gives readers insight into the various factions within the ooku and
the scandals that occasionally occurred. Both positive and negative
aspects of life in the "great interior" are represented, and one
learns how some of these high-ranking women wielded tremendous
social as well as political power, at times influencing the
decision-making of the ruling shoguns. In sum, this book is the
most accurate overview and characterization of the ooku to date,
revealing how it developed and changed during the two and a half
centuries of Tokugawa rule. A treasure trove of information, it
will be a vital source for scholars and students of Japan studies,
as well as women's studies, and for general readers who are
interested in learning more about this fascinating women's
institution and its significance in Japanese history and culture."
- Patricia Fister, International Research Center for Japanese
Studies, Kyoto
Yoshiwara is the first attempt in nearly a century to give a
comprehensive and detailed account of Edo-period Japan's legendary
pleasure quarter. The book begins with a brief history of
prostitution in Japan and follows with a survey of the Yoshiwara
from its origins in the early 1600s to shortly after the Meiji
Restoration in 1868. Yoshiwara society possessed for most of its
history considerable glamour and surface allure, yet, at the same
time, it accommodated attitudes and activities that today could
only be regarded as exploitative and inhumane. Cecilia Segawa
Seigle looks impartially at all aspects of Yoshiwara life, offering
much information - the result of painstaking research in primary
sources - that will be a revelation to readers in the West. While
discussing in depth the highly specialized and idiosyncratic world
of licensed prostitution, Seigle also makes the reader aware of the
broader impact of this insular entertainment quarter on the manners
and mores of other segments of Japanese society, both then and now.
Arranged chronologically, Yoshiwara is not so much a history as a
companion to studies of Edo-period literature, theatre, and the
visual arts. It provides an overview of the social, cultural, and
economic influences on and of this microcosm of early-modern urban
Japan. An especially engaging feature of this readable text is the
liberal use of anecdotes from contemporary sources. Specialists
will find particularly interesting the carefully researched and
clearly written exposition of the quarter's complex hierarchy and
elaborate code of behavior. While always maintaining the
distinction between fact and fabrication, this fascinating study
seeks to delineate thetruths that lie behind the legends.
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Into A Black Sun (Paperback)
Takeshi Kaiko; Translated by Cecilia Segawa Seigle; Contributions by Mike Dubisch
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R405
Discovery Miles 4 050
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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