{"id":11977,"date":"2026-06-09T10:19:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T02:19:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/?page_id=11977"},"modified":"2026-06-12T09:32:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T01:32:34","slug":"history-and-culture","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/history-and-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese History and Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#Starter\">Starter Activities<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Shogun\">Shogun<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Perspectives\">Perspectives of the Meiji Restoration<\/a>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#Edwin\">Edwin O. Reischauer&#8217;s <em>Japan: A Story of a Nation<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Herbert\">Herbert Norman&#8217;s <em>Japan&#8217;s Emergence as a Modern State<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-background\" id=\"Starter\"><strong>Starter Activities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not need an in-depth knowledge of Japanese history for Paper One but it is both useful and interesting to understand something of its past before the Meiji Restoration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A bit of fun to begin with&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0a6ce58724e49132c517555dbfc0328a\">Describe these images,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"726\" height=\"734\" src=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.04.54-PM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11991\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.9891082525051019;width:378px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.04.54-PM.png 726w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.04.54-PM-297x300.png 297w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.04.54-PM-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 726px) 100vw, 726px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7b0c1003e873c2838de77bf1b08faa63\">And these,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"500\" data-id=\"11992\" src=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11992\" style=\"width:518px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-2.png 1000w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-2-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-2-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"580\" data-id=\"11993\" src=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.10.07-PM-1024x580.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11993\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.10.07-PM-1024x580.png 1024w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.10.07-PM-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.10.07-PM-768x435.png 768w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.10.07-PM.png 1130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to Gemini:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"475\" src=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.11.21-PM-1024x475.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11994\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.11.21-PM-1024x475.png 1024w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.11.21-PM-300x139.png 300w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.11.21-PM-768x356.png 768w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.11.21-PM-1536x713.png 1536w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-12.11.21-PM.png 1556w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-background\" id=\"Shogun\"><strong>Shogun<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt2788316\/\">tv series <\/a>from FX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-vivid-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-830d03e787158826c2eb3dbf6d0b6387\">What do you learn from this source about Japanese culture?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-vivid-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0b17f4fdfeb32e432eeff4d854db0a2a\">What are the values of this source to the historian?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-vivid-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2450c4d1895d4a2e1bb7d948b2b725a7\">What are the limitations of this source?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mariko Tells Buntaro She Never Loved Him Tea Scene Shogun Episode 8\" width=\"525\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xTg2HDDvuF8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-dc6d291804da1ddbb53e857e4e208fb7\">4. What do you learn from this source about Japanese culture?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sh\u014dgun Clip - \u201cLord Toranaga Sees A Map of the World\u201d (2024)\" width=\"525\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zbuf3B6ZQ7M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas, the world was divided into two. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-center\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11985 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-1.png 225w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-1-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><em>To give a little context to the clip above, here is what the English character is describing. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"245\" src=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-10.37.17-AM-1024x245.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11983\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-10.37.17-AM-1024x245.png 1024w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-10.37.17-AM-300x72.png 300w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-10.37.17-AM-768x183.png 768w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-10.37.17-AM-1536x367.png 1536w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-10.37.17-AM.png 1716w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"http:\/\/Britannica\">https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Treaty-of-Tordesillas<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-background\" id=\"Perspectives\"><strong>Perspectives of the Meiji Restoration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the bulk of the analysis and history on this unit, I have used the following two perspectives. They are two of the leading historians on the topic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-background-color has-background\" id=\"Edwin\"><strong>Edwin O. Reischauer&#8217;s <em>Japan: A Story of a Nation<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the time period up to 1900, I have made notes on the book above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1ZbCuD-kqnNrB0cRM_WCgRNVVQHj-41J6X9REhKoT-Oo\/edit?tab=t.0\">Reischauer&#8217;s Chapter Summaries<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>His key thesis:<\/strong> With<strong> <\/strong>high literacy rates (outperforming many contemporary European nations), a growing and successful merchant class, and an effective administrative samurai (who had transitioned from being warriors), Japan had several pillars in place for an amazing revolution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A critique of Edwin Reischauer:<\/strong> Perhaps he argued that Reischauer had sanitized Japanese history to suit an American audience. The Cold War was in full swing and he may have been aiming to persuade Americans that Japan was a country that was worth the effort, it had been moving towards a liberal democracy and may have done so if not for the Great Depression. However, he ignores the extreme militarism of the 1930s and the human suffering it caused&#8230;Japan was not moving towards a liberal democracy, it had authoritarian roots after all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-background-color has-background\" id=\"Herbert\"><strong>Herbert Norman&#8217;s <em>Japan&#8217;s Emergence as a Modern State<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a different point of view on the history, I did the same for this book too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1bpzJEMFYNkfpvMqlcdWeuyv6H4RoWQPdv3Wrnm9qx18\/edit?tab=t.0\">Norman&#8217;s Chapter Summaries<\/a> &#8211; to be completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>His key thesis:<\/strong> Norman argues that the Restoration took place because lower-class samurai joined forces (largely from areas of the country such as Satsuma and Choshu) with some of the wealthy merchants of the country to remove the Tokugawa Shogunate (or Bakufu). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" data-id=\"12002\" src=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-3.png 400w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-3-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-3-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-3-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"227\" height=\"222\" data-id=\"12003\" src=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/image-4.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12003\" style=\"width:397px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A critique of Herbert Norman:<\/strong> One of Norman&#8217;s arguments is that the the Tokugawa Shogunate, an elite group of samurai, was replaced by another group of samurai from different parts of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you look strictly at the personnel change in 1868, it looks like a simple elite replacement. But history is rarely just about who is wearing the hat; it is about what they do once they put it on. He ignores the total liquidation of the Japanese feudal structure and the abolition of the samurai class. The Meiji Restoration was a top-down revolution, yes, but it was a revolution nonetheless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Starter Activities You do not need an in-depth knowledge of Japanese history for Paper One but it is both useful and interesting to understand something of its past before the Meiji Restoration. A bit of fun to begin with&#8230; Describe these images, And these, Shogun A recent tv series from FX. 4. What do you &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/history-and-culture\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Japanese History and Culture&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11977","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11977"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12009,"href":"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11977\/revisions\/12009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stg.igbis.edu.my\/the-past-changes-a-little-every-time-we-retell-it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}