Re: bakumatsu background

Dear All,

I've received a cultural exchange fellowship to spend three months in
Yamaguchi-ken from October to December this year to research a novel
which will be based on events in Choshu in the 1850s and 1860s. I'll
also be in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Kagoshima for short periods. I've
been to the area I'm staying in before and know Hagi and Yamaguchi quite
well. I've been reading Craig, Jansen, Wilson etc. Has anyone got any
suggestions for:
1)further reading, especially social and women's history, or historical
novels (Japanese is a bit of the one page a day variety, but it's not
impossible - I'll have plenty of time for reading in rural Japan, and
can either buy books in Tokyo or get friends to order them for me)
2) places to visit that give a sense of everyday life in pre-Meiji and
Meiji times. museums, samurai houses, villages etc.
3) historians or writers who'd have time to talk to me (preferably in
English, but again, Japanese is not impossible.)


btw I've got a second hand copy of a book called Secrets of the Samurai
by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, published by Tuttle in 1973. Does
anyone know this book and what's your opinion of its accuracy?

Thanks,

Gillian

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Gillian et al-
I enjoy reading the various jounals of the European visitors in Japan at
that time, if you haven't I would look into Bird, Huesken and all the travel
books written just after the opening.
For towns lost in Time try UCHIKO in Ehime pref. Be sure to check the
Japan Times for the "On the Archipelago" series for lots more.
Tom

For books I recommend

Women of the Mito Domain by Yamakawa Kikue, translated by Kate Wildman,
Stanford Un Press, Shows a lot on the domestic side. the author was a
granddaughter of one of the samurai of mito

Remembering by Shiba Goro translated by Teruko Craig, Hawaii Un Press. Gives
a view of the losing side.

For novels try Shiba Ryotaro. he is Japans most popular historical writer.
Two books set in the bakumatsu period have been translated into English,
`The Last Shogun`and `Drunk as a lord`.

You might already be familiar with the works of Totman, Beasley, Huber,
Statler, Akamatsu, Harootunian, Busch, Miyoshi, Barr, Williams.

As for places to visit, well I live here in Osaka so I can recommend places
in Kansai. There is a Bakumatsu museum in Kyoto called Reizan Rekishikan. In
Osaka there is a new Prefecture Historical Museum. There are so many
preserved houses and buildings its hard to include them all, but there is
one newly reconstructed samurai house from the edo period near my home in
Neyagawa.

As for people, there is a man here in Osaka, not an historian but a gude
interpreter with a good knowledge of local history. he organizes tours of
the area. His name is Paul Satoh, and his address is 3-6 Kori-Moto Machi
Neyagawa City 572-0083 Osaka Japan. He might not be available for personal
tours though. If not I could show you around. I have been here 8 years and
know my way around esp Kyoto, I go there almost twice month. If you are
interested let me know.

I forgot to mention in Kyoto there is Toei Eigamura, a movie theme park
where they film a lot of samurai dramas. You can see a lot of recreations of
various Edo and Meiji houses and buildings. Also in Gifu there is Meiji mura
where many buildings from the Meiji period have been transplanted and
preserved. That was quite an amazing place.

----- Original Message -----
From: Gillian Rubinstein <gillyru@...>
To: <samuraihistory@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 17, 2002 9:29 AM
Subject: Re: [samuraihistory] bakumatsu background


> Dear All,
>
> I've received a cultural exchange fellowship to spend three months in
> Yamaguchi-ken from October to December this year to research a novel
> which will be based on events in Choshu in the 1850s and 1860s. I'll
> also be in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Kagoshima for short periods. I've
> been to the area I'm staying in before and know Hagi and Yamaguchi quite
> well. I've been reading Craig, Jansen, Wilson etc. Has anyone got any
> suggestions for:
> 1)further reading, especially social and women's history, or historical
> novels (Japanese is a bit of the one page a day variety, but it's not
> impossible - I'll have plenty of time for reading in rural Japan, and
> can either buy books in Tokyo or get friends to order them for me)
> 2) places to visit that give a sense of everyday life in pre-Meiji and
> Meiji times. museums, samurai houses, villages etc.
> 3) historians or writers who'd have time to talk to me (preferably in
> English, but again, Japanese is not impossible.)
>
>
> btw I've got a second hand copy of a book called Secrets of the Samurai
> by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, published by Tuttle in 1973. Does
> anyone know this book and what's your opinion of its accuracy?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Gillian
>
> --
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>

Tom, that's good advice, - have read Bird and will track down the
others. Uchiko looks pretty interesting - may have to put Shikoku into
the itinerary.

Thanks,

-- Gillian

Thanks for all that information - I'll certainly follow up your
suggestions. It would be brilliant to meet in Osaka - I'll keep in touch
by email and let you know my dates.

Many thanks again, I'm really grateful.

Cheers,

G

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