Thread: Books On Japanese History And Culture

Yesterday, I got my driver's license updated with my new address (I have a temp license until the real one comes in the mail in a few weeks) and now I can get a library card out here now. I just took up learning about Japanese culture and history, because I feel it's a beautiful culture. I like the traditional Japanese music, anime, manga, food (especially sushi), Resident Evil and they have beautiful country landscape. So I like to know is do any of you guys know of any good books on Japan adult nonfiction that would be good to learn about? I want to learn about what life was like during the times of the Shogun, Tokagawa, Ninjas, and samurais.

Speaking of Japanese books; last night I ordered 2 books that I had but left behind by accident when I moved and they probably got sold in the estate sale. I got the English-Japanese Dictionary and "Zen And Japanese Culture."

Speaking of Japanese music and sushi; right now as I wait for something good to come up on TV, I'm listening to the Japanese soundtrack to the SNES game Mystical Ninja, and this evening I'm going out to a sushi restaurant called Bistro Chen.

As much as I miss my old neighborhood, this town I live in with my mother does have its perks; we have a lot of Japanese restaurants and even an authentic Japanese grocery store with a food court a few miles away called Mitsuwa. Where I came from before, there weren't too much Japanese restaurants; one all-you-can-eat sushi buffet which my best friend and I would hang out there for lunch went out of business due to COVID.

Though modern, Tameicha Hara's Japanese destroyer Captain is a classic. There are a million WW II books out there of which at least a thousand or so are really good. Hara's book can stand with any of them, as can he, with his battle record. He's the real deal. Being an Acadamy graduate, he was at least socially upper class. Still, he comes off as a decent human being, at least as much as the Japanese Navy would let him. There's enough about his family life to show what upper middle-class Japan was like a hundred years ago.

I doubt his book's still in print, it's pretty old. But it was popular and there are sure to be used paperbacks out there.

If I remember right, Shogun was fiction, but historically correct. It was popular long ago, should be easy to find one cheap. It became a movie or a mini-series, you could find it easy too, if you wanted.

It needs to be said that like everybody else, the Japanese have their faults. In WW II their officers slapped the NCO's around, and the enlisted men got theirs from the NCO's. Having only POW's below them, the enlisted men naturally took full advantage of the helpless POW's. My old man got the shit beat out of him regular, and lots worse. He weighed 98 pounds when liberated and told me he'd a been dead in two weeks if he hadn't been saved when he was. Maybe the Japanese didn't have ovens, but they had death camps. Only a third of the guys captured at the start of the war lived to see the end.

It also needs to be said the Japanese were hard on themselves too. Almost none of their men made it home. And their Country got flattened.

WW II seems to have taken some of the meanness out of them and that's good. But I reckon their still hard underneath. With all those people on little bity Islands the size of California, you'd have to be. Anyway, Japan be strange mon.

Thanks, but I'm not looking for books or movies on World War II, but on traditions, culture, and customs, way of living, festivities, countryside, and geography, and maybe food recipes.

I did find a book yesterday at the memorial library, after my walk to a sushi restaurant, it's called "What Life Was Like Among Shoguns And Samurai." I looked on the library's website to find something else and I did which is called: "Being Japan: The Art Of Japanese Living." I got to pick it up tomorrow before or after my grocery trip.

I already read some of the first book I got and I have to tell you, it uses a lot of hard-to-remember names in history. It confuses me. But from what I saw on YouTube, Japan (especially Tokyo) is the safest, cleanest and friendliest country in the world and I believe it after living in America for 40 1/2 years. I think they're friendly over there because they are quite conservative, educated and disciplined.

I'd kill or die to experience real Japanese culture up close visiting them, but unfortunately, I have problems with money, employment and I haven't flown since June 1998 (before 9/11) so I'm kind of scared especially with what you heard about on the news about trouble on flights these days.

Here are two dictionaries you might find useful:

Japanese-English Bilingual Visual Dictionary (DK Bilingual Visual Dictionaries)

This is part of a series DK has published covering most major languages. Each page has color pictures of everyday things and the words for them in English and in the second language.

The Modern Reader's Japanese-English Character Dictionary: Original Classic Edition (Tuttle Language Library)

Also known as the Nelson dictionary after its author, this is an oldie, but a goodie. It's better for most English speakers than many other Japanese–English dictionaries.

I have dabbled a little in studying Japanese for work reasons, but never got far with it.

Enjoy!

Originally Posted by ResidentEvil7

Thanks, but I'm not looking for books or movies on World War II, but on traditions, culture, and customs, way of living, festivities, countryside, and geography, and maybe food recipes.

Hara knew many Americans would read his book and he put a lot of work into attempting to explain the Japanese people and the Imperial Navy's actions so we would understand. I wouldn't have recommended destroyer Captain to you if it wasn't so. It's not just a WW II story, it has a lot of background that would help you. Also, the Japan of yesteryear was very traditional. If Hara's family was doing something in the 1930's, you can bet the roots of it go back hundreds of years.

Originally Posted by frog

If I remember right, Shogun was fiction, but historically correct. It was popular long ago, should be easy to find one cheap. It became a movie or a mini-series, you could find it easy too, if you wanted.

Shogun, by James Clavell is one of my all-time favourites, but as you say it is fiction albeit based on reality.

That said, it gives great insight into Japanese feudal culture as it combats the European Golden Age, Circa 1600’s.

The names of the lead players have been changed so it may be confusing if you intend to study history, but for insight into the various cultures of the time it is (IMO) excellent reading. It’s quite long but a page turner, in other words once you get into it you won’t want to stop reading.

As for the mini-series starring Richard Chamberlain, my advice is to stay away from it at least until you have read the book. It captures many of the salient points, but honestly it misses out on so much of the insight there’s no comparison.

Yes, the book is fiction but it’s well worth a read if you’re interested in such things. You won’t be disappointed.