This advanced seminar examines the central role of the imperial institution in Japan throughout history from the Heian period through the Edo period. Despite the continuous existence of the imperial institution, most textbooks and scholarly publications minimize the cultural significance of the court between the Heian (794-1185) and Insei periods and the Meiji restoration in 1868. In cultural history, one tendency has been to focus on cultural forms associated with the ruling class of daimyo and shoguns, or on the art and literature of specific groups in opposition to military regimes. This course reexamines the later medieval and early modern periods with this gap in mind, while also exploring the earlier periods, when conversely imperial patronage by specific rulers tends to dominate the scholarship.

Readings consist primarily of chapters from the recent six-volume series, Tennō no bijutsushi, authored by leading scholars in Japan.  Supplementary English language materials will be assigned or suggested each week. Provides an understanding of the larger picture of Japanese history, some of the most significant works of art and architecture from the 7th to the 19th centuries, and a deep understanding of historical context. Through the focus on scholarship published in Japan, students will acquire a fluency in Japanese historical terms, premodern primary documents and sources, art historical vocabulary, and a snapshot of the methodologies and issues in Japanese scholarship at the moment.