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Tsunayoshi (1646–1709), the fifth Tokugawa shogun, is one of the most notorious figures in Japanese history. Viewed by many as a tyrant, his policies were deemed eccentric, extreme, and unorthodox. Hi

Turning Pages makes sense of Japanese "ladies' magazines" through a detailed analysis of several interwar magazines, including the literary journal Ladies' Review, the popular domestic periodical Hous

This volume sets out to analyze changes in governance processes in Southeast Asia, particularly those relating to democratic development. The volume harbors an ambition to go beyond the often one-dime

A thousand years ago, most visitors to Japan would have arrived by ship at Hakata Bay, the one and only authorized gateway to Japan. Hakata was the location of the Kôrokan, an official guest-house for

Following the destruction of Kyoto during the civil wars of the late fifteenth century, large-scale panoramic paintings of the city began to emerge. These enormous and intricately detailed depictions

Handmade Culture is the first comprehensive and cohesive study in any language to examine Raku, one of Japan’s most famous arts and a pottery technique practiced around the world. More than a history

Both Western and Chinese intellectuals have long derided filial piety tales as an absurd and grotesque variety of children's literature. Selfless Offspring offers a fresh perspective on the genre, rev

Kawano (sociology and anthropology, U. of Guelph, Ontario) investigates religious rites, or those often defined by their associations with supernatural entities and powers, and analyzes how people con

Maynard (Japanese language and linguistics, Rutgers U.) presents a reference text for both students studying Japanese language and culture at institutions and students studying on their own. Featuring

Taylor (anthropology, Australian National U.) provides an ethnographic account of pilgrimages and the revival of popular religion in Vietnam. Focusing on the goddess known as the Lady of the Realm, wh

Since the early 1990s, the shrine of Ba Chua Xu, the Lady of the Realm, has become the most visited religious site in southern Vietnam, receiving more than a million visitors annually. Mother, benevol

Craig (sociology of health and medicine and international social policy, U. of Auckland) explores the construction of everyday household health in the southeast Asian country, which integrates classic

This is the first book to assess the indigenous systems of belief in the spirits of ancestors in Indonesia. Thirteen international anthropologists, historians, and literary scholars examine various a

The state of Sarawak was founded in the 19th century by a coalition led by James Brooke on the northwest coast of Borneo. Walker (political science, U. of New South Wales, Australia) analyzes the netw

In light of the rapid urbanization of the Asia-Pacific region and the perceived need for both land-use control and compulsory purchase powers, scholars of law, economics, and city planning from the re

As early as the first millennium A.D., the Philippine archipelago formed the easternmost edge of a vast network of Chinese, Southeast Asian, Indian, and Arab traders. Items procured through maritime t

Praying for practical benefits (genze riyaku) is a common religious activity in Japan. Despite its widespread nature and the vast numbers of people who pray and purchase amulets and talismans for ever

The number, variety, and political prominence of non-governmental organization in the Philippines present a unique opportunity to study citizen activism. Nearly 60,000 in number by some estimates, gra

This book explores the connections between popular music genres and politics in Southeast Asia, with particular emphasis on Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.Over the past

In the history of Chinese calligraphy, few are more famous than the eighth-century statesman Yan Zhenqing (709-785). His style is still taught today as a standard, and Chinese bookstores the world ove

Joan Ericson's magnificent survey of writing by Japanese women significantly advances the current debate over the literary category of "women's literature" in modern Japan and demonstrates its signifi

Taigu Ryokan (1758-1831) remains one of the most popular figures in Japanese Buddhist history. Despite his religious and artistic sophistication (he excelled in scriptural studies, in calligraphy, an

This volume is the first in English to grapple specifically with the nature of a national development that lies at the center of the last three decades of tumult and change in South Korea. Written by

In Taiwan Archaeology: Local Development and Cultural Boundaries in the China Seas, Richard Pearson describes the archaeology of the island, outlining the major discoveries of the past fifty years. These date from roughly 200,000 years ago to the pivotal seventeenth century AD, the time of Dutch and Spanish contact and the entry of Taiwan into global trade markets. The book focuses on some forty sites and is based on roughly 450 published sources in English, Chinese, and Japanese and includes a brief discussion of finds from the surrounding areas of Fujian, Guangdong, the northern Philippines, and the Ryukyu Islands, noting their significance for understanding Taiwan. This discussion allows for comparison of the different historical trajectories of the neighboring regions of the East and South China Seas through more than five millennia.While the early chapters are primarily descriptive with some interpretive conclusions, the final chapter contains discussions of general topics that in