This is not a fiction : “History is an unending dialogue between the present and the past”
This is the essay I wrote to apply to for MA Program in Waseda University. The successful candidates have been announced yesterday and I'm lucky enough that I'm one of them. Let's hope that everything will go as planned, there are so many things that I have to take care of for the upcoming months and let's hope that I'll be in Japan next March.
My friend helped me with the grammars and he also gave some comments, so the essay will be easier to understand. Credit goes to him.
“History is an unending dialogue between the present and the past”
A statement by Edward Hallett Carr
History is a study of human past experiences. It is a discovery, a collection, and a storage of information about events that happened for years or even centuries ago. Human civilization thus has a deep correlation with history; What we have at the present time is the result of long history from the ancient period.
Edward Hallett Carr (English Historian, 1892-1982) described the history in his book ‘What is History’ as ‘an unending dialogue between the present and the past’. Furthermore, E.H. Carr defined that the historical facts and historian are intertwined and would be meaningless in the absence of each other.
The unending dialogue between the present and the past can be seen in the value of bushido or the code of conduct of warrior for Samurai clan in Japan. Samurai clan holds an important role in the history of ancient Japan and their bushido live across the time and is known all over the world.
Similarly, the character of Samurai also plays an important role in the modern Japanese values. They are respected and pictured as the brave soldiers whose loyalty is unquestionable and are not afraid of death. The bravery of Samurai is also presented in modern Japan through historical movies, novels, mangas and anime. In other words, the character of Samurai remains influential.
Samurai first appear in historical record of the tenth century. They are the ruling class of Japan for almost 700 years. Samurai fought to keep Japan free from outside influences, particularly during Edo Period (1603-1868). The terms ‘Samurai 侍’ means those who serve. They were the masters of battlefield, in peace they were the administrators and the aristocrats.
“The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance. To say that dying without reaching one’s aim is to die a dog’s death is the frivolous way of sophisticates. (Wilson, 17).
Accordingly, it is understandable that the Samurai is ready to die anytime and they don’t recognize the pathetic death. If this theory is linked with the modern Japan, there is a tendency from Japanese people to take their own life upon failure or mistake. The suicide rate in Japan remains the highest among the developed nations and it is linked to the concept of ‘honorable suicide’.
The role of Samurai in social and political history in modern Japan was described in Elise K. Tipton book. One of the most powerful Samurais in Japan during Edo Period was Tokugawa Ieyasu. With the help of imperial authority, Tokugawa Ieyasu became the emperor’s highest military official or what was known as shogun. His power remains stable for more than two and a half centuries until Meiji Restoration in 1868. Tokugawa shogunate ruled Japan from Edo which later became Tokyo in the present day.
During Edo Period, Tokugawa shogunate closed the country from the outside world in 1630s which involved the suppression of Christianity. In modern Japan, most Japanese has no attachment to certain religion due to the upcoming result of their long-history, including the closing-country from European influence.
As the Meiji restoration started over, the glory Tokugawa shogunate ended and the power was given back to the emperor. Meiji Restoration is the turning point of modern Japan like what we know today. Japan changed from feudal nation into a modern industrial state. The shogunate capital of Edo was renamed Tokyo which later became the biggest urban city in the world. The Meiji Era brought major changes in the economic, social and political sectors, which became the foundation of modern Japan.
Samurai clan domination might end, but the spirit of bushido still lives among Japanese society. Courage, self-denial and loyalty are the modern ‘bushido’ among the salarymen in Japan. The salaryman is understood as a corporate warrior, working towards the protection and the improvement of Japanese economy (Hadaka, 37). In the feudal era, Samurai was a warrior to protect those they were entrusted to protect. Meanwhile, , salarymen work to protect Japanese economy in the modern Japan.
The term ‘karoushi’ or dying from work is the rising topic in Japan recently. This ‘karoushi’ phenomenon reflects the courage in bushido where they died for the sake of their company and the possibility of the improvement of Japanese economy. In other words, the salarymen serve as another version of Samurai who fought for Japan economy.
Today, Japan is still one of major world economic powers both regionally and globally. The extreme hard work, loyalty to the company, devotion to quality and precision as a sign of personal honor are the reflection of bushido among Japanese society. The spirit of bushido of ancient samurai remain intact and will always suit Japanese society in the future.
My friend helped me with the grammars and he also gave some comments, so the essay will be easier to understand. Credit goes to him.
“History is an unending dialogue between the present and the past”
A statement by Edward Hallett Carr
History is a study of human past experiences. It is a discovery, a collection, and a storage of information about events that happened for years or even centuries ago. Human civilization thus has a deep correlation with history; What we have at the present time is the result of long history from the ancient period.
Edward Hallett Carr (English Historian, 1892-1982) described the history in his book ‘What is History’ as ‘an unending dialogue between the present and the past’. Furthermore, E.H. Carr defined that the historical facts and historian are intertwined and would be meaningless in the absence of each other.
The unending dialogue between the present and the past can be seen in the value of bushido or the code of conduct of warrior for Samurai clan in Japan. Samurai clan holds an important role in the history of ancient Japan and their bushido live across the time and is known all over the world.
Similarly, the character of Samurai also plays an important role in the modern Japanese values. They are respected and pictured as the brave soldiers whose loyalty is unquestionable and are not afraid of death. The bravery of Samurai is also presented in modern Japan through historical movies, novels, mangas and anime. In other words, the character of Samurai remains influential.
Samurai first appear in historical record of the tenth century. They are the ruling class of Japan for almost 700 years. Samurai fought to keep Japan free from outside influences, particularly during Edo Period (1603-1868). The terms ‘Samurai 侍’ means those who serve. They were the masters of battlefield, in peace they were the administrators and the aristocrats.
“The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance. To say that dying without reaching one’s aim is to die a dog’s death is the frivolous way of sophisticates. (Wilson, 17).
Accordingly, it is understandable that the Samurai is ready to die anytime and they don’t recognize the pathetic death. If this theory is linked with the modern Japan, there is a tendency from Japanese people to take their own life upon failure or mistake. The suicide rate in Japan remains the highest among the developed nations and it is linked to the concept of ‘honorable suicide’.
The role of Samurai in social and political history in modern Japan was described in Elise K. Tipton book. One of the most powerful Samurais in Japan during Edo Period was Tokugawa Ieyasu. With the help of imperial authority, Tokugawa Ieyasu became the emperor’s highest military official or what was known as shogun. His power remains stable for more than two and a half centuries until Meiji Restoration in 1868. Tokugawa shogunate ruled Japan from Edo which later became Tokyo in the present day.
During Edo Period, Tokugawa shogunate closed the country from the outside world in 1630s which involved the suppression of Christianity. In modern Japan, most Japanese has no attachment to certain religion due to the upcoming result of their long-history, including the closing-country from European influence.
As the Meiji restoration started over, the glory Tokugawa shogunate ended and the power was given back to the emperor. Meiji Restoration is the turning point of modern Japan like what we know today. Japan changed from feudal nation into a modern industrial state. The shogunate capital of Edo was renamed Tokyo which later became the biggest urban city in the world. The Meiji Era brought major changes in the economic, social and political sectors, which became the foundation of modern Japan.
Samurai clan domination might end, but the spirit of bushido still lives among Japanese society. Courage, self-denial and loyalty are the modern ‘bushido’ among the salarymen in Japan. The salaryman is understood as a corporate warrior, working towards the protection and the improvement of Japanese economy (Hadaka, 37). In the feudal era, Samurai was a warrior to protect those they were entrusted to protect. Meanwhile, , salarymen work to protect Japanese economy in the modern Japan.
The term ‘karoushi’ or dying from work is the rising topic in Japan recently. This ‘karoushi’ phenomenon reflects the courage in bushido where they died for the sake of their company and the possibility of the improvement of Japanese economy. In other words, the salarymen serve as another version of Samurai who fought for Japan economy.
Today, Japan is still one of major world economic powers both regionally and globally. The extreme hard work, loyalty to the company, devotion to quality and precision as a sign of personal honor are the reflection of bushido among Japanese society. The spirit of bushido of ancient samurai remain intact and will always suit Japanese society in the future.