This important new and original study on the institution of the Japanese emperors focuses on the enigma of the institution itself, namely, the extraordinary continuity of the Japanese dynasty, which is unknown anywhere else in the world, yet which is now at risk on account of more recent laws of succession.
The Japanese emperors, a peculiar and unique phenomenon in modern times, are the subject of this important handbook edited by Ben-Ami Shillony. An international team of leading scholars looks at these emperors - Meiji (Mutsuhito), Taishō (Yoshihito), Shōwa (Hirohito), and the present emperor Akihito – both as personalities, and as a constantly developing institution. It becomes clear that both the personalities, and the periods in which they reign(ed) have shaped Japanese monarchy, and our image of it. The essays thoroughly deal with topics such as the ideology behind the institution, the roles of the emperors and their wives, their visual representation, their links to Christianity, the antagonism they called forth in right-wing circles, Hirohito’s much-debated war responsibility, and the controversy over amending the succession rules.
The book offers a fascinating picture of the four emperors of modern Japan, their institution, their personalities and their impact on the history of their country. Leading scholars from Japan and other countries have contributed essays which treat this subject from various angles.
Emperor Constantine the Great is one of the most impressive and controversial figures in world history. His decisions are a real enigma, which is masterfully unravelled in this book. His life was a series of struggles and conquests, friendships and hatreds, loves and heartbreaks, grandeur and misery, noble acts and terrible crimes, deceptions and betrayals. With the humility of a man facing his own death, he weighs it all in the balance. The last of the great emperors, he was the bastard son of Constantius Chlorus and reunified the entire Roman Empire, east and west, for the last time. He gave Christians their freedom, created the first mobile army and introduced a single currency (the Solidus, the true forerunner of the Euro). He founded Constantinople, murdered people with his own hands ... and experienced great love with Minervina, his first wife. There are great mysteries too: he was the son of St Helena but was not baptised until two days before he died; even then he found an Arian bishop to do it. He never gave up the title Pontifex Maximus, nor did he stop worshipping Mithras, the sun god. After unifying the entire empire, he had it split into four parts after his death. Delving into the life of Constantine the Great is to relive an incredible era and discover the great mystery behind his seemingly absurd and contradictory decisions. In reality, a surprising, relentless logic runs through them all, which Albert Salvado portrays with a steady hand. "The Enigma of Constantine the Great is an engaging book with aspirations to match. The book is intended for a wide range of readers who will not come away disappointed." Joan Isern. AVUI. "The Enigma of Constantine the Great is a reflection on the great questions of life and death, the value of the present, and eternity, by a person well-suited to doing so. The author holds nothing back in his portrayal of the character's dark side: his calculating mind, his loss of affection, his brutality ... There is a lot packed into this book but the skill of an accomplished author makes it easy to read." (Alvar Valls, El Periodic) Watch out for two things: one, the first edition will sell out in no time; two, it seems this eminent author will never tire of writing. What is the enigma? The enigma is resolved within the book itself. (Manel Anglada, writer, Diari d'Andorra)
This volume of the Collected Writings of Modern Western Scholars on Japan brings together the work of Ben-Ami Shillony on modern history, crisis and culture, Japan and the Jews.
The wartime secrets of the British codebreakers based at Bletchley Park continue to be revealed. In this book, Michael Smith examines how Japan's codes were broken, and the consequences of this for the Second World War.
Japan has had three Catholic prime ministers, and its current empress was raised and educated in the faith. How did a non-Christian nation come to foster more Catholic leaders than the United States, particularly when Protestantism is said to define Christianity in Japan and Catholicism is believed to be but a fleeting element of Japan’s so-called Christian century? Far from being a relic of the past – something brought to Japan by sixteenth-century missionaries such as Francis Xavier and then forgotten – Catholicism offered, and continues to provide, an authentic way for Japanese believers to shape their cultural identities. This volume documents the appeal of Catholicism, not only among farmers and fishers but also among scientists, diplomats, novelists, and members of the imperial household who have found in Catholicism an alternative way to keep “tradition” and negotiate modernity since the late nineteenth century.
During a family trip to China, eleven-year-old Mia Chen and her older brother Jake follow clues and solve riddles in hopes of finding their missing Aunt Lin and, perhaps, a legendary treasure.
Ideal for high school and college students studying history through the everyday lives of men and women, this book offers intriguing information about the jobs that people have held, from ancient times to the 21st century. This unique book provides detailed studies of more than 300 occupations as they were practiced in 21 historical time periods, ranging from prehistory to the present day. Each profession is examined in a compelling essay that is specifically written to inform readers about career choices in different times and cultures, and is accompanied by a bibliography of additional sources of information, sidebars that relate historical issues to present-day concerns, as well as related historical documents. Readers of this work will learn what each profession entailed or entails on a daily basis, how one gained entry to the vocation, training methods, and typical compensation levels for the job. The book provides sufficient specific detail to convey a comprehensive understanding of the experiences, benefits, and downsides of a given profession. Selected accompanying documents further bring history to life by offering honest testimonies from people who actually worked in these occupations or interacted with those in that field.