In the late twelfth century, Japanese people called the transitional period in which they were living the "age of warriors." Feudal clans fought civil wars, and warriors from the Kanto Plain rose up to restore the military regime of their shogun, Yoritomo. The whole of this intermediary period came to represent a gap between two stable societies: the ancient period, dominated by the imperial court in Heian (today's Kyoto), and the modern period, dominated by the Tokugawa "bakufu" based in Edo (today's Tokyo).

In this remarkable portrait of a complex period in the evolution of Japan, Pierre F. Souyri uses a wide variety of sources -- ranging from legal and historical texts to artistic and literary examples -- to form a magisterial overview of medieval Japanese society. As much at home discussing the implications of the morality and mentality of "The Tale of the Heike" as he is describing local disputes among minor vassals or the economic implications of the pirate trade, Souyri brilliantly illustrates the interconnected nature of medieval Japanese culture.

The Middle Ages was a decisive time in Japan's history because it confirmed the country's national identity. New forms of cultural expression, such as poetry, theater, garden design, the tea ceremony, flower arranging, and illustrated scrolls, conveyed a unique sensibility -- sometimes in opposition to the earlier Chinese models followed by the old nobility. "The World Turned Upside Down" provides an animated account of the religious, intellectual, and literary practices of medieval Japan in order to reveal the era's own notable cultural creativity and enormous economic potential.

In the late twelfth century, Japanese people called the transitional period in which they were living the "age of warriors." Feudal clans fought civil wars, and warriors from the Kanto Plain rose up to restore the military regime of their shogun, Yoritomo. The whole of this intermediary period came to represent a gap between two stable societies: the ancient period, dominated by the imperial court in Heian (today's Kyoto), and the modern period, dominated by the Tokugawa "bakufu" based in Edo (today's Tokyo).

In this remarkable portrait of a complex period in the evolution of Japan, Pierre F. Souyri uses a wide variety of sources -- ranging from legal and historical texts to artistic and literary examples -- to form a magisterial overview of medieval Japanese society. As much at home discussing the implications of the morality and mentality of "The Tale of the Heike" as he is describing local disputes among minor vassals or the economic implications of the pirate trade, Souyri brilliantly illustrates the interconnected nature of medieval Japanese culture.

The Middle Ages was a decisive time in Japan's history because it confirmed the country's national identity. New forms of cultural expression, such as poetry, theater, garden design, the tea ceremony, flower arranging, and illustrated scrolls, conveyed a unique sensibility -- sometimes in opposition to the earlier Chinese models followed by the old nobility. "The World Turned Upside Down" provides an animated account of the religious, intellectual, and literary practices of medieval Japan in order to reveal the era's own notable cultural creativity and enormous economic potential.

Des formes d'association nouvelles entre les individus modifient sans cesse la realite sociale chinoise. En depit de l'indetermination et de l'incertitude qui dominent, des actes volontaires de coordination sont accomplis chaque jour. D'une part, ils mettent a l'epreuve pactes et promesses; d'autre part, ils confirment ou invalident les obligations et les engagements qui importent. Derriere l'apparente disparite des lieux ou des histoires evoquees, les contributions reunies dans cet ouvrage s'attachent a retracer de tels episodes d'action concertee. Ecrites par des chercheurs chinois et francais, elles prennent appui sur des materiaux d'enquete, tant historique qu'ethnographique. Les textes donnent ainsi a voir comment ceux qui s'associent, de facon parfois fugace, parfois stabilisee, retravaillent les arrangements sociaux, precisent le sens et la portee des institutions, testent des repertoires d'action et contribuent a redefinir des facons de tenir ensemble. Six d'entre eux sont ecrits en francais et deux autres en langue anglaise.

English summary: Japan is well-known for its poets, artists, and writers, but few are aware of the rich activity of the many intellectuals engaged in political and social criticism. The present volume offers a selection of original texts that reflect diverse and engaging thought on Japans colonial empire, illustrating a contested and complicated public debate. French description: Si le Japon est connu de par le monde pour ses romanciers, ses poetes ou ses artistes, il l'est beaucoup moins pour ses intellectuels engages dans la critique politique et sociale. Pourtant le Japon a connu, depuis au moins un siecle et demi, une longue tradition, a peu pres passee sous silence en Occident, de personnalites engagees capables de jeter sur leur societe un regard aigu, souvent pertinent, et meme parfois assez radical. Ces textes originaux qui refletent d'ailleurs la richesse du debat public au Japon n'ont jamais ete traduits. Et pourtant ils ont compte et comptent toujours. Des articles publies avant guerre par des journalistes, des universitaires ou des militants sont ici traduits et presentes par des chercheurs a l'Universite de Geneve. Ces textes critiquent les orientations prises par leur propre gouvernement dans les colonies de l'Empire du Grand Japon. Ils s'inscrivent dans une tradition de resistance aux discours convenus de l'Etat, dans un contexte parfois difficile, face a la censure, a la pression sociale, au conformisme du temps. Ils dessinent clairement les contours d'une opinion publique japonaise diverse et parfois virulente. A l'heure ou les tensions en Extreme-Orient autour de la memoire de la colonisation japonaise et de la guerre font l'actualite, il n'est pas inutile de redonner la parole a ceux qui, autrefois au Japon, eurent le courage de s'opposer et de dire non aux orientations politiques de l'Etat imperial. L'ouvrage est publie sous la direction de Pierre-Francois Souyri, professeur a l'Universite de Geneve ou il enseigne l'histoire japonaise. P-F. Souyri est l'auteur de plusieurs ouvrages, notamment Nouvelle Histoire du Japon (Perrin, 2010) et Histoire du Japon medieval, le monde a l'envers (Perrin, collection Tempus, 2013). L'ouvrage est le fruit d'un collectif de chercheurs specialistes du Japon moderne, le Groupe de Geneve.