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Field naturalists have searched across Clare Island for animal
groups ranging from the microscopic to birds and mammals. Many more
species have been found since the original survey a hundred years
ago, due to the availability of modern methods, which greatly add
to our knowledge of the biodiversity of Clare Island. The lists of
species featured here include some new to the island, some new to
Ireland and some new to science. This volume signals the need for
further field work and taxonomic research to track biodiversity
changes arising from human activity. Land and freshwater fauna is
the tenth volume in the New Survey of Clare Island series, which
seeks to build on the pioneering work of the first Clare Island
Survey (1909-11), the most ambitious natural history project ever
undertaken in Ireland and the first major biological survey of a
specific area carried out in the world.
Shinto - A Short History provides an introductory outline of the historical development of Shinto from the ancient period of Japanese history until the present day. Shinto does not offer a readily identifiable set of teachings, rituals or beliefs; individual shrines and kami deities have led their own lives, not within the confines of a narrowly defined Shinto, but rather as participants in a religious field that included Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian and folk elements. Thus, this book approaches Shinto as a series of historical 'religious systems' rather than attempting to identify a timeless 'Shinto essence'. This history focuses on three aspects of Shinto practice: the people involved in shrine worship, the institutional networks that ensured continuity, and teachings and rituals. By following the interplay between these aspects in different periods, a pattern of continuity and discontinuity is revealed that challenges received understandings of the history of Shinto. This book does not presuppose prior knowledge of Japanese religion, and is easily accessible for those new to the subject. eBook available with sample pages: 0203462882
"Shinto - A Short History "provides an introductory outline of the
historical development of Shinto from the ancient period of
Japanese history until the present day.
Shinto does not offer a readily identifiable set of teachings,
rituals or beliefs; individual shrines and kami deities have led
their own lives, not within the confines of a narrowly defined
Shinto, but rather as participants in a religious field that
included Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian and folk elements. Thus, this
book approaches Shinto as a series of historical 'religious
systems' rather than attempting to identify a timeless 'Shinto
essence'.
This history focuses on three aspects of Shinto practice: the
people involved in shrine worship, the institutional networks that
ensured continuity, and teachings and rituals. By following the
interplay between these aspects in different periods, a pattern of
continuity and discontinuity is revealed that challenges received
understandings of the history of Shinto.
This book does not presuppose prior knowledge of Japanese religion,
and is easily accessible for those new to the subject.
This is the only book to date offering a critical overview of
Shinto from early times to the modern era, and evaluating Shinto's
place in Japanese religious culture. In recent years, a few books
on medieval Shinto have appeared, but none has attempted to depict
the broader picture, to examine critically Shinto's origins and its
subsequent development through the medieval, pre-modern and modern
periods. The essays in this book address such key topics as Shinto
and Daoism in early Japan, Shinto and the natural environment,
Shinto and state ritual in early Japan, Shinto and Buddhism in
medieval Japan, and Shinto and the state in the modern period. All
of the essays highlight the dynamic nature of Shinto and shrine
history by focusing on the three-way relationship, often fraught,
between local shrine cults, Shinto agendas and Buddhism.
This critical overview of Shinto from early times to the modern era
evaluates Shinto's place in Japanese religious culture. In recent
years, a few books on mediaeval Shinto have appeared, but not has
attempted to depict the broader picture, to examine critically
Shinto's origins and its subsequent development through the
mediaeval, pre-modern and modern periods. The essays here address
such key topics as Shinto and Daoism in early Japan, Shinto and the
natural environment, Shinto and state ritual in early Japan, Shinto
and Buddhism in medieval Japan, and Shinto and the state in the
modern period. They highlight the dynamic nature of Shinto and
shrine history by focusing on the three-way relationship, often
fraught, between local shrine cults, Shinto agenda and Buddhism.
Much has been written of the 'success' of the early missions to
Japan during the decades immediately following the arrival of the
first Jesuits in 1549. The subsequent 'failure' of the faith to put
down roots strong enough to survive this initial wave of enthusiasm
is discussed with equal alacrity. The papers in this volume, born
of a Conference marking the centenary of the Japan Society of
London, represent an attempt to reassess the contact between
Christianity and Japan in terms of a symbiotic relationship, a
dialogue in which the impact of Japan on the imported religion is
viewed alongside the more frequently cited influence of
Christianity on Japanese society. Here is a dynamic cultural
encounter, examined by the papers in this volume from a series of
political, literary and historical perspectives.
Much has been written of the 'success' of the early missions to
Japan during the decades immediately following the arrival of the
first Jesuits in 1549. The subsequent 'failure' of the faith to put
down roots strong enough to survive this initial wave of enthusiasm
is discussed with equal alacrity. The papers in this volume, born
of a Conference marking the centenary of the Japan Society of
London, represent an attempt to reassess the contact between
Christianity and Japan in terms of a symbiotic relationship, a
dialogue in which the impact of Japan on the imported religion is
viewed alongside the more frequently cited influence of
Christianity on Japanese society. Here is a dynamic cultural
encounter, examined by the papers in this volume from a series of
political, literary and historical perspectives.
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Lust, Commerce, and Corruption - An Account of What I Have Seen and Heard, by an Edo Samurai, Abridged Edition (Abridged, Paperback, abridged edition)
Mark Teeuwen, Kate Wildman Nakai; As told to Fumiko Miyazaki, Anne Walthall, John Breen
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R1,195
Discovery Miles 11 950
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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By 1816, Japan had recovered from the famines of the 1780s and
moved beyond the political reforms of the 1790s. Despite persistent
economic and social stresses, the country seemed headed for a new
period of growth. The idea that the shogunate would not last
forever was far from anyone's mind. Yet, in that year, an anonymous
samurai produced a scathing critique of Edo society. Writing as
Buyo Inshi, "a retired gentleman of Edo," he expressed in An
Account of What I Have Seen and Heard a profound despair with the
state of the realm. Seeing decay wherever he turned, Buyo feared
the world would soon descend into war. In his anecdotes, Buyo shows
a sometimes surprising familiarity with the shadier aspects of Edo
life. He speaks of the corruption of samurai officials; the
suffering of the poor in villages and cities; the operation of
brothels; the dealings of blind moneylenders; the selling and
buying of temple abbotships; and the dubious strategies seen in law
courts. Perhaps it was the frankness of his account that made him
prefer to stay anonymous. A team of Edo specialists undertook the
original translation of Buyo's work. This abridged edition
streamlines this translation for classroom use, preserving the
scope and emphasis of Buyo's argument while eliminating repetitions
and diversions. It also retains the introductory essay that
situates the work within Edo society and history.
October 31st 1978. Thomond Park, Limerick. The mighty New Zealand
All Blacks, oin an Irish tour, take on the none-too-mighty Munster
team - and, to everyone's surprise, they lose 12-0. From this piece
of Irish sporting history John Breen has fashioned a funny, lively
play in which both teams, plus fans, children, relatives and even a
dog, are portrayed by a cast of six, with no props and only a
half-time change of shirt.
Draws on archive of material, a first in English to take an
in-depth look at Kyoto's modern transformation - its reinvention
after 'collapse' (Meiji Restoration) and relocation of the imperial
court to Tokyo. Includes: introduction, chapters on notable
historical elements that sustain Kyoto as a quintessentially modern
'ancient capital' today.
The Ise shrine complex is among Japan's most enduring national
symbols, and A Social History of the Ise Shrines: Divine Capital is
the first book to trace the history of the shrines from their
beginnings in the seventh century until the present day. Ise
enshrines the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, the imperial ancestress and
the most prominent among kami deities, and has played a vital role
in Japan's social, political and religious history. The most
popular pilgrims' attraction in the land from the sixteenth century
onwards, in 2013 the Ise complex once again captured the nation's
attention as it underwent its periodic rebuilding, performed once
every twenty years. Mark Teeuwen and John Breen demonstrate that
the Ise Shrines underwent drastic re-inventions as a result of
on-going contestation between different groups of people in
different historical periods. They focus on the agents responsible
for these re-inventions, the nature of the economic, political and
ideological measures they took, and the specific techniques they
deployed to ensure that Ise survived one crisis after another in
the course of its long history. This book questions major
assumptions about Ise, notably the idea that Ise has always been
defined by its imperial connections, and that it has always been a
site of Shinto. Written by leading authorities in the field of
Shinto studies, this is the essential history of Japan's most
significant sacred site.
Beyond Zen: D. T. Suzuki and the Modern Transformation of Buddhism
is an accessible collection of multidisciplinary essays, which
offer a genuinely new appraisal of the great Zen
scholar-practitioner, D. T. Suzuki (1870–1966). Suzuki’s
writings and lectures continue to exert a profound influence on how
Zen, Buddhism more broadly, and indeed Japanese culture as a whole,
are understood in the United States, Europe, and across the globe.
With the publication of Beyond Zen, we have at last in a single
volume a comprehensive assessment of Suzuki that locates him and
his legacy in the context of the turbulent age in which he lived.
Now is the perfect moment for reflection and stocktaking. The
fiftieth anniversary of Suzuki’s death passed just a few years
ago, the copyright on his literary output has expired, and his
selected works have recently been published by a major American
university press. The work comprises twelve essays by some of the
best Zen scholars in the world, Anglophone and Japanese, seasoned
and young. They take a fresh look at Suzuki, his life and legacy,
and their themes range broadly. Readers will find here explorations
of Suzuki as he engaged with Zen and Mahāyāna Buddhism;
nationalism and international relations; war and peace; religion,
literature, and the media; the individual and society; and family,
friends, and animals. Beyond Zen is structured chronologically to
reveal the development in Suzuki’s thought during his long and
eventful life. All in all, this collection offers a compelling,
provocative, and multidimensional reappraisal of an extraordinary
man and his times.
Beyond Zen: D. T. Suzuki and the Modern Transformation of Buddhism
is an accessible collection of multidisciplinary essays, which
offer a genuinely new appraisal of the great Zen
scholar-practitioner, D. T. Suzuki (1870-1966). Suzuki's writings
and lectures continue to exert a profound influence on how Zen,
Buddhism more broadly, and indeed Japanese culture as a whole, are
understood in the U.S., Europe, and across the globe. With the
publication of Beyond Zen, we have at last in a single volume a
comprehensive assessment of Suzuki that locates him and his legacy
in the context of the turbulent age in which he lived. Now is the
perfect moment for reflection and stock-taking. The fiftieth
anniversary of Suzuki's death passed just a few years ago, the
copyright on his literary output has expired, and his selected
works have recently been published by a major American university
press. The work comprises twelve essays by some of the best Zen
scholars in the world, Anglophone and Japanese, seasoned and young.
They take a fresh look at Suzuki, his life and legacy, and their
themes range broadly. Readers will find here explorations of Suzuki
as he engaged with Zen and Mahayana Buddhism; nationalism and
international relations; war and peace; religion, literature, and
the media; the individual and society; and family, friends, and
animals. Beyond Zen is structured chronologically to reveal the
development in Suzuki's thought during his long and eventful life.
All in all, this collection offers a compelling, provocative, and
multidimensional reappraisal of an extraordinary man and his times.
The Ise shrine complex is among Japan's most enduring national
symbols, and A Social History of the Ise Shrines: Divine Capital is
the first book to trace the history of the shrines from their
beginnings in the seventh century until the present day. Ise
enshrines the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, the imperial ancestress and
the most prominent among kami deities, and has played a vital role
in Japan's social, political and religious history. The most
popular pilgrims' attraction in the land from the sixteenth century
onwards, in 2013 the Ise complex once again captured the nation's
attention as it underwent its periodic rebuilding, performed once
every twenty years. Mark Teeuwen and John Breen demonstrate that
the Ise Shrines underwent drastic re-inventions as a result of
on-going contestation between different groups of people in
different historical periods. They focus on the agents responsible
for these re-inventions, the nature of the economic, political and
ideological measures they took, and the specific techniques they
deployed to ensure that Ise survived one crisis after another in
the course of its long history. This book questions major
assumptions about Ise, notably the idea that Ise has always been
defined by its imperial connections, and that it has always been a
site of Shinto. Written by leading authorities in the field of
Shinto studies, this is the essential history of Japan's most
significant sacred site.
This book is the first authoritative volume in English on Yasukuni,
the controversial Shinto shrine in the heart of Tokyo, dedicated to
the Japanese war dead. Twelve convicted and two suspected Class A
war criminals are enshrined at Yasukuni, while the shrine's museum
narrates an account of Japan's actions in the Second World War that
is best described as revisionist. Visits to the shrine by cabinet
members often set off protests at home and abroad, especially in
China, Korea and Taiwan, and Yasukuni remains a source of
considerable mistrust between the Chinese and Japanese governments.
Despite the controversy, the former Prime Minister Junichiro
Koizumi made annual visits from 2001-6. The distinctive feature of
this volume is that it sets out neither to commend Yasukuni nor to
condemn it; it seeks, rather, to present authoritative yet
divergent views, thereby allowing the contributors to render more
complex an issue which, in the media at least, has long been
portrayed in starkly simplistic terms. It accommodates chapters by
leading pro-Yasukuni and anti-Yasukuni Japanese intellectuals; it
carries multiple Chinese perspectives; and there are also
contributions from Western commmentators who offer their own
insights on the shrine and its place in post war Japanese
diplomacy, ideology and history.
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Nadine Gordimer
Paperback
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R398
R330
Discovery Miles 3 300
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