Japanese Culture: The Religious and Philosophical Foundations
takes readers on a detailed and thoroughly researched journey through Japan's cultural history. Based on a conceptual framework known as the multilayered model, which was developed by cultural anthropologists to explain the diverse religious and philosophical traditions that underlie modern Japanese culture, this book Japanese history and culture book begins with an investigation of the origins of the Japanese peoples, followed by an analysis of the most important approaches used by scholars to describe the essential elements of Japanese culture. Thereafter, each of the formative elements in the multilayered religious model are explored in chapters Shinto, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, Confucianism, and Western influences of the modern era. All of the units in this book are followed by extensive endnotes, as well as thought-provoking discussion activities and accompanying illustrated appendices, making "Japanese Culture: The Religious and Philosophical Foundations" ideal not only for individual readers but also for classroom instruction. For those interested in Japan, this work provides an invaluable resource for understanding the authentic nature of this complex and fascinating nation.
