Reading is an act capable of changing lives. It is also the driving force for the good education of a country. The Japanese culture can be better understood through good texts and, above all, good books.
In this article, I will recommend a few. For those who don't like to read, I recommend that you try to start creating this habit, considering that knowledge makes us better people. To those who already like it, I hope you will approve the suggestions that I will comment below. In Brazil, unfortunately, a solid reading habit has not yet been created. But who knows, maybe one day, right?
Read our article with the best books to learn the Japanese language by clicking here!
If you have a book suggestion and it doesn't appear here on this list, feel free to let us know in the comments. Any suggestion will be welcome.
That said, let's get to the list!
Table of Contents
1. The Japanese - Celia Sakurai
One of the best books to learn about Japanese culture. This is how I define Os Japoneses, by Célia Sakurai; a compendium that brings together the most diverse aspects of Japan - Mythology, Agriculture, Economy, Society, Family, History, Politics, and Pop Culture are some of the themes covered. Easy to understand, the chapters succinctly summarize with quality and vigor each of the main elements related to the Land of the Rising Sun.
For those who want an overview of what makes Japan, Japan, through an easy and fun read (filled with photos, graphs, and illustrations), Os Japoneses (2007), from Contexto publisher, is undoubtedly the best choice.
Below, excerpts from the author's interview on Jô's program:
The Japanese - Célia Sakurai on Programa do Jô 1/2 - YouTube
The Japanese - Célia Sakurai on Programa do Jô 2/2 - YouTube
2. A Concise History of Japan - Brett L. Walker
The history of Japan is full of wars, disputes between clans, feudal lords, samurais, ninjas, emperors, shoguns, and economic transformations. To encom such a rich and ancient history, a specific book is needed for this.
Concise History of Japan, the North American Brett L. Walker is precisely what we are looking for. Addressing from Japanese prehistory, when the country was still regarded by the Chinese and Koreans as kingdom of wa (Kingdom “Dwarf”, in free translation), until the present time, the book is guided by the importance of learning, too, about natural disasters and the environmental consequences of the globalized capitalist world, in which Japan and other world powers are inserted..
Great for history lovers in general!
3. Time and Space in Japanese Culture - Shuichi Kato
Philosophical book that talks about the question of time (and space) in Japanese culture. Characterized as a “culture of the present”, that is, focused on the moment in which things are lived, Japanese society carries with it a constant fear of the future, justified by the uncertainties of nature (tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and future nuclear disasters) territorial.
Even in the language, we see a constant tendency to express the present, considering the grammatical form grammatical structure for the completed past and for the present/future. In this sense, it is valid to question why this is the case.
On the back cover of the book, we have the following quote, which sums up well what this theme is about:
"In all levels of Japanese society, there is a strong tendency"
of living in the present, letting the past be carried away by the waters and
"entrusting the future to the direction of the wind. The meaning of present events defines itself, regardless of the relationship between the past history and the future purpose."
4. Introduction to Japanese Culture: Essay on Reciprocal Anthropology – Hisayasu Nakagawa
Short, with about 128 pages, elaborated from a set of essays/collections, published in Brazil by the publisher Martin Fontes, Introdução à Cultura Japonesa: Ensaio de Antropologia Recíproca is an anthropological book that addresses Japanese culture from a Western perspective, more specifically French, through a fluid writing style that greatly contributes to the increase of knowledge about the country and its culture.
The book can be purchased on Amazon and in other online stores. In physical stores, it is difficult to find, especially in more remote regions of the country (outside the Rio-São Paulo axis).
5. The Book of Tea - Kakuzo Okakura
Contrary to what the title says, “The Tea Book”, written by Okakura Kakuzō, is not a book about teas, but an essay that tries to relate aspects of Japanese culture with the tradition of the tea ceremony, working on the issue of tea. antagonism between antiquity and modernity, an aspect so present in contemporary Japan.
Other subjects are addressed, such as the question of the influence of Zen-Buddhism, Taoism and architecture on Japanese culture and on the experience of the tea ceremony.
A very rich book, well worth it!
6. The Analects - Confucius
Confucius, an important Chinese thinker, influenced numerous aspects of social life in the East. From ideals of loyalty, wisdom, obedience, and authority to family, governmental, and psychological issues, Confucius is one of the fathers of the Eastern world, giving name to what is called "Confucianism", the political, philosophical, religious, and social doctrine that dominated China for centuries and still holds influence when it comes to Japanese culture and its determining influences.
The Analects is the most famous and most important book on Confucianism. For those who want to read, know that not everything applies to modern Japan, but many of the verses were teachings that spanned generations.
7. Oriental Psychology and Religion - Carl G. Jung
To lovers of psychology, we also have an excellent option for those who wish to better understand Japanese culture and the oriental mentality.
Psychology and Eastern Religion, by the famous Swiss psychiatrist and physician Carl Jung (creator of Analytical Psychology or Archetypal Psychology), is a dense, complex book, rich in information and philosophical reflections.
Here, Jung addresses the difference between Western thought and Eastern thought, bringing to light themes such as Budismo, Hinduism, Chinese Culture, Tao te ching, and History to outline the issue of Eastern monism that contrasts with Western dualistic thought (rationalism).
8. Pre-industrial Japanese Culture: Socioeconomic Aspects – Nobue Myazaki
It addresses the coexistence between two fundamental aspects of Japanese culture: high technology and pre-industrial traditions. A society that mixes the old and the new, the modern and the old, urban technology and rural nature. The book is divided into parts dealing with Anthropology, Economics and Technology, totaling just over 144 pages.
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