Review: Musashi

Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A really fun book. It is very long, but a great one to dive into in order to follow Musashi and others around 16th century Japan. The foreword called it the "Gone with the Wind" of Japan. I can't say I agree, but I see where the idea comes from. It is an epic, based on history, which became a classic, and rightly so (obviously the story is nothing like Gone with the Wind).

This can be divided into various episodes and adventures occurring (more or less) to the same small number of characters, so it's probably best to divide the reading up so it's more or less a collection of stories. In fact, the whole time I kept thinking how it seems perfectly written for an anime series (which obviously didn't exist when it was written). 

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Review: Genesis of East Asia, 221 B.C.-A.D. 907

Genesis of East Asia, 221 B.C.-A.D. 907 by Charles Holcombe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This had been on my wishlist forever, and I'm glad I read it. If you've read a smattering of the history of East Asian countries, this is a good book to bring it all together and see how they all relate. The section on Vietnam, especially, was all new to me (as well as the Southern Chinese "Yue" culture). 

I could have done without the final chapter on evolution, Darwinism, etc. 

Some of my notes:

"This was especially true in a China where it is doubtful that anyone ever normally spoke the classical written language aloud in ordinary conversation. In traditional China, the written language - "the only real language in the minds of many" - had not the slightest things to do with the modern vernacular". (p. 65)

From the beginning of the (Tang) dynasty... an "unbelievably high proportion" of those who were registered turned out to be women, who were conveniently largely tax exempt. (p. 83)

An instructive recent parallel may be found in the creation of the "Manchu" ethnic identity at the time of the establishment of the Qing dynasty in China in the seventeenth century. "There was, in fact, no traditional 'Manchu' culture or identity." There had been no previous Manchu "nation". Instead, there had been only a scattering of relatively small Tungusics-speaking bands. (p. 113)

...in the early seventh century, it was possible to observe of Paekche that their "current language and ceremonial apparel are roughly the same as in Koguryo". (p. 175)

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Review: As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams: Recollections of a Woman in Eleventh-Century Japan

As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams: Recollections of a Woman in Eleventh-Century Japan by Lady Sarashina
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My second reading of one of my favorite books. I'm still not sure why I enjoy it so much, except it is enthralling it is 'everydayness' and to think that all those actions really did occur. 

As per the introduction, at the very same time Lady Sarashina was accompanying the empress to the imperial palace, and probably while she was visiting the sacred mirror room, half a world away St. Edward the Confessor was probably getting ready for his coronation to be held later that day. 

Regardless, I recommend reading the diary first, then going back to the introduction later. Read it as time travel, accompanying her through random points her in life. 

Some notes I took while reading:

Mt. Fuji still had an active flame!!

I'm amazed she could leave the imperial palace after her first night in service there just because she didn't want to work there anymore. I guess they weren't very strict about matters like that. 

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Review: The Failure of Freedom: A Portrait of Modern Japanese Intellectuals

The Failure of Freedom: A Portrait of Modern Japanese Intellectuals by Tatsuo Arima
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Paul, a Jew and a disciple of Jesus the Christ, was a true samurai, the very embodiment of the Spirit of bushido. Said he, "for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void." He preferred death to dishonour, to dependency, to begging whatever cause." -Uchimura Kanzo (p. 23)

This book would actually be very useful to someone studying the Taisho era, or pre-war era in general, of Japan. It is a bit too philosophical for me, so I'm afraid that many of the concepts were over my head, plus it mentions many people I'm just not familiar with.

Still, it is interesting to see the reaction in Japan to Marxism, Anarchism, and world-wide events during the first decades of the 20th century. This book covers some Japanese Christian authors, the Naturalists, the Shirakaba-ha, Marxists and others.

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Review: Cross and the Floating Dragon: The Gospel in Ryukyu

Cross and the Floating Dragon: The Gospel in Ryukyu by Edward E. Bollinger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is basically the history of Christianity in Okinawa. I thought it would be the most boring book I had ever read, but it turned out to be a gem, giving me a look into the history of something that touched the lives of millions of people in the island all told. It covers all types of Christianity (Catholicism, COE, Episcopalianism, Methodism, Presbyterianism, Baptists, seventh day Adventists, and others) on the island.

The whole section on Bettelheim was extremely entertaining (and it turns out he has a Wikipedia page too), especially the tactics the locals used to discourage him, and how he kept persevering.

The "Village that lives by the Bible" story was also extremely interesting, including the truth behind it.

After the war, there was a general mentality that "America won the war, so now we must become Christians" (p. 189), which undoubtedly helped the Christian movement (although it had been going very strong before the war as well).

It was also interesting to read about the conflict between ancestral rites and Christianity, and how Catholicism was the most accommodating for this practice.

All in all an interesting and unique look into a subject I otherwise would never have read about.

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Review: Tales of Moonlight and Rain

Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Ueda Akinari
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Some great stories, although I'm sure 98% of the symbolism/references/allusions were lost on me. Plenty of endnotes and explanations before each story, but it was still a lot.

I ended up just reading the stories through, and then, after each story, going back to its intro to read more about its context etc. I just enjoyed reading them as stories by themselves first, and then seeing what all I had been missing.

Some of them were also pretty scary, and plenty of references to Chinese/Japanese myths and Tale of Genji.



http://4201mass.blogspot.com/

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Review: Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis

Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis by Jared Diamond
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an extremely interesting book, although I'm not sure how useful it is. It is a review of the recent history of 7 countries that Diamond has some connection, experience, or ties with. The countries were Finland (extremely interesting to me, given how little I knew of their recent history), Japan, Chile, Germany (also interesting, given how much I thought I already knew), Indonesia, Australia, and the United States.

To his credit, he does mention, in the final chapter, that a quantitative study should be made of this ideas. I agree, although I think he should have done this since he was writing the book.

All of this isn't to say I disagree with his 12-part model. But that sort of is the point. This model may or may not be correct, and whether I agree or disagree makes no difference until quantitative analysis is applied to it, rather than anecdotal info taken from his non-random assortment of countries.

Having said that, I reiterate that the histories of each country were extremely interesting.

I liked his statement that if he were a dictator trying to engineer Japan's downfall, he would institute the exact policy they have right now

Some notes I took regarding the US:
- Since 2005 (especially with the advent of the tea party), there has been much less will to compromise, which means fewer laws have been passed, budgets have been late more than once, and the government has shut down more than ever before.
- Under our first 43 presidents (over 220 years), only 68 nominees for government positions were opposed by filibuster. But when Obama was president republicans blocked 79 nominees in 4 years. This forced a change in laws which means minority opinions will be less represented in the future.
- "There is no way China or Mexico can destroy the US. Only we can destroy the US"

3.5 Stars

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The Imjin War: Japan's Sixteenth-Century Invasion of Korea and Attempt to Conquer China by Samuel Hawley

The Imjin War: Japan's Sixteenth-Century Invasion of Korea and Attempt to Conquer China by Samuel Hawley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a whirlwind. The Japanese overrun Korea in order to Conquer China, then get sent back, then return, and get sent back again. This will end up involving not only those three countries, but soldiers from as far as Thailand, Okinawa and Indonesia, the Spanish and the Portuguese, Catholic priests (including the first documented westerner to set foot in Korea), more games and tricks than Romance of the 3 kingdoms or game of thrones, and characters like Hideyoshi, Yi Sun-shin (probably the most underrated admiral/general ever), the Red robe general and Big Sword Liu. Anyway, so many other things were happening due to this war as well, such as Korean potters being taken to Japan and spreading new pottery styles (and neo-Confucianism), Japanese and Chinese negotiators forging documents so as to reach a peace settlement their rulers knew nothing about, slave traders buying Korean prisoners in Nagasaki and taking them to India and Europe, Catholic Japanese generals infighting with Buddhist Japanese generals, Korean political factions infighting amongst each other, bilingual double agents spreading misinformation, new weapons and ingenious tactical methods, etc. etc. This book does a great job of detailing the events in a coherent and chronological manner. It is a heavy, long, book, but definitely worth reading.


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