LibGuides: Shogunate Japan: Shogunate Japan

History of Japan

History of Japan
From the the Fujiwara family in the 9th century to the end of the Tokogawa shogunate in 1868.
History of Japan timeline
Mediaeval Japan: Central themes and key points 1185-1600
Timeline of feudal Japan
The feudal Japan timeline starts in 1185, which was the year that ended the Heian period. This was when the Japanese government was operated by those in the military class. The shogunate era of Japan consisted of four main periods, the Kamakura period, Muromachi period and Azuchi Momoyama period and Edo period.

Pre-Shogunate Japan

"The tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shibuku
Genji monogatari (Tale of Genji) is often considered the first great novel in world literature. The author of the work, Murasaki Shibuku, was born around 978 and spent most of her life at or near the imperial court in Kyoto. After a brief marriage to an older man, she entered the service of Empress Akiko (or Shōshi) around 1005 as a lady-in-waiting. The novel consists of 54 books or chapters that recount the life and romances of Prince Genji, the young, handsome, and talented son of an emperor.
"The tale of Genji" - a travel guide
This site serves as a kind of travel guide to the world of Genji. The pages contain photographs of many of the places mentioned in the classic Japanese novel.

Japan under the Shoguns

The above animation by Cristobal Vila captures the "aspects that interest me the most about traditional Japan," featuring "scenes inspired by nature, gardens, architecture, interior scenes, etc." And it attempts to "create a calm and balanced atmosphere through the use of light, composition, materials, movement… and the choice of the motifs themselves."

For more information on the Video Wabi-Sabi A handful of memories from traditional Japan click this link to go to the Vila's site.