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Trevor Stephens
21st February 2004, 04:11
For my world civilization class, i was told to write a paper on anyting that we had covered in the class, one of which was Japan and samurai. I am having trouble deciding on what to write about, but i was thinking along the lines of the decline and abolishment of the smaurai class being one of the largest mistakes of japanese culture and history. I know it is a little extreme, but i was wondering if anyone has anything to say, whether it is for or against the topic. I would also appreciate if anyone could add any ideas that may be usefull to me. thank you.


Humbly,
trevor stephens

Tri-ring
21st February 2004, 04:50
Originally posted by Trevor Stephens
For my world civilization class, i was told to write a paper on anyting that we had covered in the class, one of which was Japan and samurai. I am having trouble deciding on what to write about, but i was thinking along the lines of the decline and abolishment of the smaurai class being one of the largest mistakes of japanese culture and history. I know it is a little extreme, but i was wondering if anyone has anything to say, whether it is for or against the topic. I would also appreciate if anyone could add any ideas that may be usefull to me. thank you.


Humbly,
trevor stephens
The decline and abolishment of the samurai class with it's ethos was in a way unavoidable with the global tide of internationalization.
The first wave was brought in by the growing pressure by the western nations to open up the isolation policy drawn by the Tokunaga-regime.
The second wave which was also the final blow came with the defeat in the second world war.
My question as a Japanese is not of right or wrong, it is more a question of virtue, what will be the core belief as a Japanese with out the samurai spirit(sounds a little corny)?
The samurai spirit is a combination of buddism and Shintoism, to accept as it is.(Death and life, the urge for selfenlightment and value of words and mind past down through generation)
If possible I suggest you read "Ryoma Life of a Renaissance Samurai" who is my ultimate hero.
I hope you get good point, and even if you don't I promise you, you'll be able to grasp a better image of Japan.

Gene Williams
21st February 2004, 04:55
Why don't you just write a paper about the history of the era and its decline and the reasons for it, sticking to the facts, rather than some silly "opinion" paper as to whether it was good or bad? Students need to stick to the facts in papers like this. Their opinions are being formed, not consulted.

P Goldsbury
21st February 2004, 14:46
Originally posted by Trevor Stephens
For my world civilization class, i was told to write a paper on anyting that we had covered in the class, one of which was Japan and samurai. I am having trouble deciding on what to write about, but i was thinking along the lines of the decline and abolishment of the smaurai class being one of the largest mistakes of japanese culture and history. I know it is a little extreme, but i was wondering if anyone has anything to say, whether it is for or against the topic. I would also appreciate if anyone could add any ideas that may be usefull to me. thank you.


Humbly,
trevor stephens

Yes, as Gene Williams has intimated, you would need to produce some very good arguments about why the abolition of the samurai class was a mistake. Have you read anything by Conrad Totman or Karl Friday?

Another possibility is whether the samurai before the Tokugawa era were really what they were cracked up to be: the embodiment of bushido virtue. In this respect you need to read Karl Friday's latest book.

Yet another possibility is the question whether there are actually any modern samurai. We know that the class was abolished in the Meiji restoration, but many bureaucrats and gangsters believe that they are truly modern-day samurai.

Finally, Hillsborough's book is very good, but it is fiction.

Best regards,

John Lindsey
21st February 2004, 16:45
I think a better and fresh idea is to write on the "Myths of the Samurai" instead of their decline.

Trevor Stephens
21st February 2004, 21:49
Thank you all for the responses.

Humbly,