Opinion of Feudal Japan

[Rin-chan]

I just watched The Last Samurai for the second time.

Did you know that I feel that I had a past life in feudal Japan?  Now you think I'm a retard... but it's true.

I love honor and dicipline and Bushido and samurai and the old Japanese culture.

I would love to live there, but then, I feel as if I already have.



Rin-chan

[A18]

Um... okay.

[John Dibble]

I like certain aspects and dislike others. You have to remember that one of the key words is 'feudal' - the peasants were basically slaves to the local lord(who could range from benevolant to tyrannical), the Emperor claimed to be a living god not unlike the Egyptian pharoahs, and there really wasn't much of a way to change your status in life. I think the culture itself is certainly interesting, the architecture is beautiful and I enjoy Japanese food. Bushido was a better system of honor than the European equivalent, chivalry, but still had it's problems since one could gain 'honor' in the service of his lord even if the lord was a tyrant.

The discipline was good, as the Japanese put their all into pretty much anything they did - this resulted in them being the best in terms of feudal technology level warriors. Unfortunately for them, their isolationism kept them from advancing for a long time, and it's interesting to know that the actual 'Last Samurai' story was more about the rebelling samurai trying to maintain the power they knew they were losing once Japan was basically forced to open up by the US(if we didn't, someone else would have).

I don't really like the option 'whatever' but it's the closest thing to how I feel about it.

[Rin-chan]

I don't really like the option 'whatever' but it's the closest thing to how I feel about it.

Yeah, I didn't really know how else to phrase that.

Rin-chan

[opebo]

'feudal' - the peasants were basically slaves to the local lord(who could range from benevolant to tyrannical)

I think you exaggerate the difference between feudalism and the servitude of the working class in modern capitalism, however clearly both are horrible.

I voted 'pretty cool' though because the culture was, at least not stupidly puritannical like western culture. 

[phk]

I'd love to live in the Japan of the 1980s.

[opebo]

I'd love to live in the Japan of the 1980s.

Me too, though the present day Japan isn't bad either.  Of course the caveat on both eras is you'ld need about $2,000/week spending money to live. 

[John Dibble]

'feudal' - the peasants were basically slaves to the local lord(who could range from benevolant to tyrannical)

I think you exaggerate the difference between feudalism and the servitude of the working class in modern capitalism, however clearly both are horrible.

Give it a rest already. You're like a broken record that had a bad song on it even when it wasn't broken.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Depends on the era - some where rather puritanical, others were not, similar to Europe and the US.

[Bono]

I would love to live there, but then, I feel as if I already have.

YOu just want to meet InuYasha.

[John Dibble]

I would love to live there, but then, I feel as if I already have.

YOu just want to meet InuYasha.

I'm surprised you even know what InuYasha is, Bono.

[MasterJedi]

Whatever, I'd like modern Japan thank you.

[phk]

Whatever, I'd like modern Japan thank you.

Oh would you?

[Rin-chan]

I would love to live there, but then, I feel as if I already have.

YOu just want to meet InuYasha.

I'm surprised you even know what InuYasha is, Bono.

No, if I wanted to meet anyone from InuYasha, it would be Sesshomaru.

If I could pick anyone to meet in feudal Japan, it would be the characters from Samurai Deeper Kyo (AWESOME manga, by the way.  I know where to download it.  However it's not close to where TokyoPop has translated it)

Rin-chan

[© tweed]

Beyond horrible.  I hate discipline.

[patrick1]

Getting your head chopped off because you did not show enough deference is awesome!!  It was remnants of this type of barbarism that lead to the massacres at Nanking.

[MasterJedi]

Beyond horrible.  I hate discipline.

*pictures South Park and Cartman sumo wrestling*

"You must learn the discipline"

[Bono]

I would love to live there, but then, I feel as if I already have.

YOu just want to meet InuYasha.

I'm surprised you even know what InuYasha is, Bono.

why not? I don't live in a buble.

[Bono]

I would love to live there, but then, I feel as if I already have.

YOu just want to meet InuYasha.

I'm surprised you even know what InuYasha is, Bono.

No, if I wanted to meet anyone from InuYasha, it would be Sesshomaru.

Eh, judging from your username, it's not really surprising.
And he is the best character in the story.

[Michael Z]

To me feudal Japan = Toshiru Mifune getting drunk and chopping people's arms off. Awesome, in other words.

I've watched waaaaay too many Kurosawa movies.

[KillerPollo]

I'd love to live in the Japan of the 1980s.

Me too, though the present day Japan isn't bad either.  Of course the caveat on both eras is you'ld need about $2,000/week spending money to live. 

Not to mention, opebo that nowadays there is a lot more freedom for GIRLS!

[Frodo]

It was probably horrible then by our standards, and hard by theirs.  Imagine worrying about famine and instant death every minute of your life, with the highest taxes typically being levied on peasants in the form of rice, and retaining very little for themselves, and being tortured and even killed if they failed to pay it.  Imagine also having every single aspect of your life being regulated, from the clothes you wear to how you wear them in a society as stratified as it was then.  And even before the Tokugawa shogunate it was even worse, with no road being safe for travel as clan clashed with clan, and highway robbery being rife. 

The only ones who really would have considered themselves fairly well-off would be, of course, the nobles, the shoguns, and the imperial family.