Understanding Japan
A Cultural History
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Understanding Japan
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Narrated by:
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Mark J. Ravina
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Written by:
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Mark J. Ravina
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The Great Courses
About this listen
Japan's extraordinary culture is like no other in the world, and it remains mysterious to many of us. And that's unfortunate, because to truly understand Japan's influence on the world stage, one needs to understand Japan's culture - on its own terms.
In an exciting partnership with the Smithsonian, The Great Courses presents these 24 lectures that offer an unforgettable tour of Japanese life and culture. Professor Ravina, with the expert collaboration of the Smithsonian's historians, brings you a grand portrait of Japan.
From the dawn of Confucianism and the Meiji Restoration to World War II and the economic miracle years of 1955 to 1975, you'll explore landmark periods of Japanese history and learn how broad events and movements introduced, innovated, and revised everything from spirituality to popular entertainment. Along the way you'll get revealing insights into Shinto (Japan's indigenous religion), the art of Katsushika Hokusai, literary works like The Tale of Genji and the haiku of Basho, the everyday lives of samurai, the universal appeal of filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa, foods like yakitori and tempura, and so much more.
You'll come away from Professor Ravina's final lecture with a stronger sense of the very soul of this one-of-a-kind nation.
©2015 The Great Courses (P)2015 The Teaching Company, LLCYou may also enjoy...
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What listeners say about Understanding Japan
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jon Ross
- 2018-10-11
24 small slices of history and culture
Not quite sure if overall I have learned anything about the people and culture or if it was instead 24 slices of history that inform something of the culture. Either way enjoyable listening and well worth hearing tales.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kris Peet
- 2019-07-05
Compelling yet light; excellent balance.
Marvelous balance of context-rich explanations and succinct delivery. Avoids excess rumination, and keeps the listener engaged.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- A
- 2023-01-13
good course
this is a solid set of lectures. that said I came in already interested in the subject matter and found a few of them to be a bit boring. the professor is a good clear speaker, but sometimes it is a bit droning. still worth it for people who are interested in the study of Japanese culture.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-11-27
Excellent
This prof. really understand the heart of Japanese culture and puts it together for us in a historical context that anyone can understand. I’m going to listen to it again and have recommended it to many of my friends
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nick
- 2023-04-17
Mark Ravina is an informative and entertaining lecturer.
This course could have been very dry and challenging to get through but Mark Ravina has clearly thought about how to put it in a way that keeps the listener engaged. His narration is excellent and I was disappointed when this lecture series came to an end. Highly recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hmackdad
- 2020-01-24
Enlightening Educating Entertaining
Not a dull moment, a very good overview of History, Culture and Economics. Easy to listen too!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-08-01
On par with any Great Course
Another interesting and well researched title coming from the Great Courses. As I tend to say with any review on a great course, if this subject matter interest you, you will definitely enjoy this production. In fact, I had no particular interest in Japan myself, but still found it engaging and informative.
Recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sorin
- 2020-01-15
Exceptional course
Excellent speaker. Detailed thoughtful content covering multiple topics. I thoroughly enjoyed every Minute of it. Thank you!!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lukas
- 2018-09-20
Enthralling
I've listened to at least a dozen Great Courses courses on Audible, and some have a tendency to wax and wane between interesting and dull. I found Understanding Japan to be a particularly exceptional course that maintained my interest throughout every chapter. The biggest disappointment was that it was only 12 hours long, it easily could have held my interest for twice as long. I will be hopefully awaiting more courses presented by Ravina in the future.
#Audible1
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Chris
- 2019-04-02
Great comprehensive cultural review
If you're looking to understand Japanese culture at a foundational level, or just want the 30,000' historical view this is a good listen.
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1 person found this helpful