The Weak Body of a Useless Woman: Matsuo Taseko and the Meiji Restoration (Women in Culture and Society)

In 1862, fifty-one-year-old Matsuo Taseko left her old life behind by traveling to Kyoto, the old imperial capital. Peasant, poet, and local political activist, Taseko had come to Kyoto to support the nativist campaign to restore the Japanese emperor and expel Western "barbarians." Although she played a minor role in the events that led to the Meiji Restoration of 1868, her actions were nonetheless astonishing for a woman of her day. Honored as a hero even before her death, Taseko has since been adopted as a patron saint by rightist nationalists. In telling Taseko's story, Anne Walthall gives us not just the first full biography in English of a peasant woman of the Tokugawa period (1603-1868), but also fresh perspectives on the practices and intellectual concerns of rural entrepreneurs and their role in the Meiji Restoration. Writing about Taseko with a depth and complexity that has thus far been accorded only to men of that time, Walthall has uncovered a tale that will captivate anyone concerned with women's lives and with Japan's dramatic transition to modernity.

Walthall, Anne

Biographies & Memoirs

University of Chicago Press

In 1862, fifty-one-year-old Matsuo Taseko left her old life behind by traveling to Kyoto, the old imperial capital. Peasant, poet, and local political activist, Taseko had come to Kyoto to support the nativist campaign to restore the Japanese emperor and expel Western "barbarians." Although she played a minor role in the events that led to the Meiji Restoration of 1868, her actions were nonetheless astonishing for a woman of her day. Honored as a hero even before her death, Taseko has since been adopted as a patron saint by rightist nationalists. In telling Taseko's story, Anne Walthall gives us not just the first full biography in English of a peasant woman of the Tokugawa period (1603-1868), but also fresh perspectives on the practices and intellectual concerns of rural entrepreneurs and their role in the Meiji Restoration. Writing about Taseko with a depth and complexity that has thus far been accorded only to men of that time, Walthall has uncovered a tale that will captivate anyone concerned with women's lives and with Japan's dramatic transition to modernity.

Although scholars have emphasized the importance of women’s networks for civil society in twentieth-century Japan, Women and Networks in Nineteenth-Century Japan is the first book to tackle the subject for the contentious and consequential nineteenth century. The essays traverse the divide when Japan started transforming itself from a decentralized to a centralized government, from legally imposed restrictions on movement to the breakdown of travel barriers, and from ad hoc schooling to compulsory elementary school education. As these essays suggest, such changes had a profound impact on women and their roles in networks. Rather than pursue a common methodology, the authors take diverse approaches to this topic that open up fruitful avenues for further exploration.\nMost of the essays in this volume are by Japanese scholars; their inclusion here provides either an introduction to their work or the opportunity to explore their scholarship further. Because women are often invisible in historical documentation, the authors use a range of sources (such as diaries, letters, and legal documents) to reconstruct the familial, neighborhood, religious, political, work, and travel networks that women maintained, constructed, or found themselves in, sometimes against their will. In so doing, most but not all of the authors try to decenter historical narratives built on men’s activities and men’s occupational and status-based networks, and instead recover women’s activities in more localized groupings and personal associations.

Women and Networks in Nineteenth-Century Japan (Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies) (Volume 90)

History

Gramlich-Oka, Bettina

Miyazaki, Fumiko

SUGANO, Noriko

Asia

University of Michigan Press

In the Presence of Gods and Spirits brings to life the early nineteenth-century Japanese religious leader and scholar Hirata Atsutane, whose fear of Russian incursion onto Japan's soil led him to redefine what it means to be Japanese. Atsutane advocated the study of the Way of the Gods, commonly known as Shinto, to explain what happens to the soul after death and to cultivate a&nbsp; Japanese identity centered on gods, spirits, and the emperor. His teachings would later attract thousands of followers and feed the movements that led to the Meiji Restoration. Drawing on the concept of material religion, Walthall demonstrates how Atsutane and his collaborators sought out knowledge of the unseen world and educated others, while seeking to bring themselves closer to the gods and spirits. This work showcases Atsutane and his community's legacy, which has had a profound influence on Japanese society, religious belief, and culture far beyond his lifetime.

In the Presence of Gods and Spirits: Hirata Atsutane and His Collaborators (Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies) (Volume 104)

Although scholars have emphasized the importance of women's networks for civil society in twentieth century Japan, Women and Networks in Nineteenth Century Japan is the first book to tackle the subject for the contentious and consequential nineteenth century. The essays traverse the divide when Japan started transforming itself from a decentralized to a centralized government, from legally imposed restrictions on movement to the breakdown of travel barriers, and from ad hoc schooling to compulsory elementary school education. As these essays suggest, such changes had a profound impact on women and their roles in networks. Rather than pursue a common methodology, the authors take diverse approaches to this topic that open up fruitful avenues for further exploration. Most of the essays in this volume are by Japanese scholars; their inclusion here provides either an introduction to their work or the opportunity to explore their scholarship further. Because women are often invisible in historical documentation, the authors use a range of sources (diaries, letters, legal documents, etc.) to reconstruct the familial, neighborhood, religious, political, work, and travel networks that women maintained, constructed, or found themselves in, sometimes against their will. In so doing, most but not all of the authors try to decenter historical narratives built on men's activities and men's occupational and status-based networks, and instead recover women's activities in more localized groupings and personal associations.

Women and Networks in Nineteenth-Century Japan (Volume 90) (Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies)

In the Presence of Gods and Spirits brings to life the early nineteenth-century Japanese religious leader and scholar Hirata Atsutane, whose fear of Russian incursion onto Japan’s soil led him to redefine what it means to be Japanese. Atsutane advocated the study of the Way of the Gods, commonly known as Shinto, to explain what happens to the soul after death and to cultivate a Japanese identity centered on gods, spirits, and the emperor. His teachings would later attract thousands of followers and feed the movements that led to the Meiji Restoration. Drawing on the concept of material religion, Walthall demonstrates how Atsutane and his collaborators sought out knowledge of the unseen world and educated others, while seeking to bring themselves closer to the gods and spirits. This work showcases Atsutane and his community’s legacy, which has had a profound influence on Japanese society, religious belief, and culture far beyond his lifetime.

In the Presence of Gods and Spirits: Hirata Atsutane and His Collaborators (Volume 104) (Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies)

Designed for the East Asian history course, this text features the latest scholarship on the region's cultural, political, economic, and intellectual history. Coverage is balanced among East Asian countries, with approximately 20 percent of the text focused on Korea, an area that has become increasingly important in world politics. Special attention is devoted to gender and material culture, and themes are reinforced through the text's pedagogical features. Full color inserts on topics such as food, clothing, and art objects illustrate the rich artistic heritage of East Asia and bolster the coverage of material culture. Features include a range of primary source documents on topics such as women's independence and students-turned-soldiers, and biographical sketches throughout the text highlight the lives of popular figures and ordinary people. "Connections" features provide an international context for the history of East Asia, including topics such the origin and spread of Buddhism and a global perspective of World War II. Available in the following split options: EAST ASIA: A CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND POLITICAL HISTORY (Chapters 1-30), ISBN: 0547005342; PRE-MODERN EAST ASIA: To 1800 (Chapters 1-17), ISBN: 0547005393; MODERN EAST ASIA: From 1600 (Chapters 16-30), ISBN: 0547005369.

East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History

Ebrey, Patricia Buckley

Palais, James

Americas

Cengage Learning'

Modern East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History, Vol. 2: From 1600

Pre-Modern East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History, Volume I: To 1800

Designed for the East Asian history course, this text features the latest scholarship on the region and offers a range of cultural, political, economic and intellectual history. Coverage is balanced among East Asian regions, with approximately 20 per cent of the text focused on Korea, an area that has become increasingly important in East Asian courses and in world politics. Special attention is devoted to coverage of gender and material culture - themes that are reinforced through the text's pedagogical features. Colour inserts illustrate the rich artistic heritage of East Asia and bolster the coverage of material culture.

Modern East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History

Africa

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Walthall, Anne. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Walthall, Anne

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Walthall, Anne. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Weak Body of a Useless Woman: Matsuo Taseko and the Meiji Restoration (Women in Culture and Society)

The Weak Body of a Useless Woman: Matsuo Taseko and the Meiji Restoration (Women in Culture and Society)

Women and Networks in Nineteenth-Century Japan (Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies) (Volume 90)

In the Presence of Gods and Spirits: Hirata Atsutane and His Collaborators (Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies) (Volume 104)

Women and Networks in Nineteenth-Century Japan (Volume 90) (Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies)

In the Presence of Gods and Spirits: Hirata Atsutane and His Collaborators (Volume 104) (Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies)

East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History

Modern East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History, Vol. 2: From 1600

Pre-Modern East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History, Volume I: To 1800

Modern East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History