• Unifying and Governing Early Modern Japan: Edicts of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
and the Early Tokugawa Shôguns [Reading]
An introduction to and excerpts from official edicts
written by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the military unifiers of Japan and
by the early Tokugawa shôguns. The edicts reveal concerns about
both domestic and foreign affairs in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
• The
Four Classes [Reading]
Excerpts from a text written by Tokugawa Ieyasu (the
first Tokugawa shôgun) defining the roles of warrior, farmer, artisan,
and merchant.
• Bushidô:
The Way of the Warrior [Reading]
Includes three readings: Hagakure: The Book of
the Samurai, (written by a young warrior in the eighteenth century);
an essay on "The Tale of the Forty-Seven Rônin" (story
based on a historical event); commentary on the "The Tale of the
Forty-seven Rônin" by the author of Hagakure. Includes
discussion questions.
•
The
Prosperous Merchant [Reading]
Discussion of a quote by Mitsui Takatoshi, the Tokugawa
merchant who founded the Mitsui empire. With questions.
• China,
Japan, and the West: The Ming, Qing, and the Tokugawa [Outline Reading]
Unit for teachers highlighting the key points for
teaching about China and Japan and their interactions with "the West"
from 1450 to 1750.
for
students 
includes teacher's
note 
multimedia unit
primary source reading
general reading 
includes art