THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE CULTURE (Iwanami Paperbacks)   by Masahide Bito May 2000, 174 x 105 mm, 252 pp., 780- This book represents the fruit of Professor Bito's years of research as a scholar who has contributed greatly to the field of Japanese history, particularly the history of Edo-period Japanese philosophy, and is an ambitious attempt view Japanese history thematically. He discusses how Japanese lifestyles and thought patterns have been shaped through the long course of history since the time humans settled in the Japanese archipelago, focusing primarily on philosophy and religion. Until the end of World War II, nationalistic state authorities prevented Japanese historians from objectively studying the characteristics of Japanese society and Japanese traditions. Following the war, many historians disregarded indigenous traditions in favor of other themes. The author claims that an attempt should be made to connect the traditions of the past with the present using a different methodology than that used before the War, and does so in this book. The author discusses chronologically the development of the ancient state, the introduction of Buddhism and its unique development in Japan, the establishment of what he calls a “national religion,” the role played by Confucianism, and interest in Western studies in the Edo Period. He also examines changes caused by Meiji-era contact with modern Western civilization. Contents Chapter 1: Origins of Japanese Culture Chapter 2: Formation of the Ancient State and Japanese Mythology Chapter 3: Introduction and Development of Buddhism Chapter 4: From Chinese Culture to Japanese Culture Chapter 5: Buddhism in the Heian Period Chapter 6: Establishment of Kamakura-style Buddhism Chapter 7: Culture in the Civil-war Era Chapter 8: Establishment of a National Religion Chapter 9: Establishment of the Modern State and the Historical Viewpoint Chapter 10: Genroku Culture Chapter 11: Confucianism and Its Development in Japan Chapter 12: Kokugaku (Study of Ancient Japanese Thought and Culture) and Yogaku (Western Learning) Chapter 13: Principle of Public Opinion During the Meiji Restoration Chapter 14: Westernization and Traditional Culture in Modern Japan References Afterword About the Author Born in 1923, Masahide Bito graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1949 with a bachelor's degree in history. He has served as a professor at his alma mater, Chiba University, and at Kawamura Gakuen Women's University. Bito is currently professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo. Bito is prominent in the field of Edo-period studies of Chu Hsi Confucianism, and has long been a leading scholar of Edo history and history of Edo period philosophy. Books by Bito include The Study of Feudal Japanese Philosophy and Its History (Aoki Shoten); The Genroku Era (Shogakukan); and What was the Edo Period? (Iwanami Shoten).