[Interesting Japanese History] If you empathize with the successive Emperors, Japanese history suddenly becomes a drama
●Introduction: The desire to learn and the frustration
As adult education or as a hobby , even if you want to learn Japanese history, it is quite difficult to learn everything, isn't it?
I have tried to tackle the general history of Japan many times, but I have given up quickly each time.
In textbook learning, even if you can know the events such as systems and battles, the emotions of the 'people' involved are hard to see, and because I could not empathize with them, I could not take an interest.
Also, with various characters such as powerful clans, monks, aristocrats, and samurai appearing one after another, getting confused about whose perspective I should look at history from was also one of the reasons why I gave up so quickly.
⸻
●If you try to empathize with the 'successive Emperors', the way you see Japanese history will change dramatically
However, by tracing history from the Emperor's perspective , the way you see Japanese history changes drastically!
The historical background of the time and human relationships emerge in three dimensions, and I have come to feel Japanese history not as someone else's business, but as my own business .
I truly realized that 'if you empathize with the successive Emperors, Japanese history suddenly becomes a drama'.
⸻
●Why does the way you see Japanese history change dramatically when you read from the Emperor's perspective?
'If I were the Emperor of this era, what would I do?'
'What was the background behind the creation of this system?'
'If this vassal were my subordinate, could I trust him...?'
It is because such thoughts naturally well up . Japanese history suddenly changes into an experiential story .
For example, when reading about the era of Empress Suiko :
'If I can be supported by Prince Shotoku, maybe I can fulfill the duties of the Emperor...! It's very reassuring, and I might even start to like him... but I shouldn't let personal feelings get in the way. I don't want to be like that Emperor who doted on Dokyo...'
Also, regarding Soga no Umako :
'This person... he wants power as if he were the Emperor himself... There is no way I can give him control over the Imperial family's direct territory. If he continues to act so arrogantly, is assassination unavoidable...?'
While thinking like this, systems and battles also feel like my own choices , and I become more and more immersed in history.
By learning about the historical background of the time through the Emperor, I felt that the knowledge that had been dots until now was connected, and the 'dots' of general history were becoming a 'line' .
⸻
●Before → After
〜Changes in feelings toward general history〜
[Before] (The old me)
・Tried to challenge general history many times but gave up immediately.
・Even if I memorized only terms like 'Konden Einen Shizai Ho' (Law of Perpetual Ownership of Cultivated Land) and 'Ritsuryo system', I could not empathize and it did not stay in my head.
・Even if there was a sense of accomplishment in memorization, I could not feel the fun as reading material.
↓
[After] (Since I started looking at history from the perspective of successive Emperors)
・Events and systems are linked to the Emperor , allowing for deep understanding.
・I have come to feel Japanese history as a continuous story .
・I empathize with the humanity and background of the characters, and a sense of 'reading history for fun' has sprouted.
⸻
●Build a foundation of knowledge! 4 recommended books
From here, I will introduce recommended books that were useful for me in learning general history!
① Know the successive Emperors! Recommended books📕
📚 'History of the 125 Emperors: A Visual Encyclopedia - Understand with Photos and Diagrams!' (Hirofumi Yamamoto)
https://amzn.asia/d/3bUqiPq
→ Believe it or not, 0 yen on Kindle Unlimited!
The text is compact and the diagrams are abundant.
Since you can see a list of all 125 generations from the first Emperor Jimmu to the Emperor of the Heisei era, it is perfect for getting a rough overall grasp.
I recommend reading this book first before reading a general history book!
Knowing the circumstances of the Emperor's accession and their personality will allow you to empathize, and a desire to know more about that era as if it were your own will grow rapidly.
⸻
② Two recommended books to grasp the overall flow of Japanese history!📕
📚 'Super Fast! The Latest Flow of Japanese History: From Primitive Times to the Restoration of Imperial Rule, grasp the flow in 2 hours! (University Entrance Exam Success Series)' (Mutsuhiro Takeuchi)
https://amzn.asia/d/3hPRaYI
📚 'Super Fast! The Latest Flow of Modern and Contemporary Japanese History: Conquer the difficult modern and contemporary era all at once!' (Mutsuhiro Takeuchi)
https://amzn.asia/d/ho7VvYz
→ The narrative style is incredibly interesting and it sticks in your head with a great tempo.
It explains exactly "why did this happen?" and gives you a sense of relief, like scratching an itch.
By understanding the background circumstances, my understanding of systems and events deepened significantly.
⸻
③ Recommended book to deepen your understanding of Japanese mythology!📕
📚 'Manga: Understand the Kojiki as Clearly as Possible!' (Kamiyu History Editorial Department)
https://amzn.asia/d/g2tp2ff
→ This is also 0 yen on Kindle Unlimited!
Since you can follow the story of the Kojiki through manga, it is a book that you can read at a good tempo and helps the content stick.
The explanations are also thorough, and it introduces the differences from the Nihon Shoki, allowing you to organize Japanese mythology from the basics.
⸻
● Summary
“Knowing the successive Emperors is the best gateway to making Japanese history “your own””
If you have felt until now that "I just can't get the general history of Japan into my head,"
I recommend that instead of starting with "systems" or "era names,"start with the “Emperor”.
By knowing the person who is the Emperor, the historical background becomes visible, scattered knowledge becomes a line, and eventually becomes a story.
History is a “human story”.
When you become able to empathize with those characters, Japanese history suddenly emerges as a drama.