Description - Japan by Andrew Haslam
In this book on Japan, which is one of a series, the reader learns about four different periods of Japanese history, each one telling of something new about the Japanese way of life and character. The information is gleaned from writings, paintings and historians. The method the "Make it Work!" series uses to look at history is to ask questions about the past and discover some of the answers by making replicas of the things people made. But first, to establish the chronological sequence of emperors and rulers, religion and culture, the outside world and war and periods in Japanese history, there is an extended timeline. A three-dimensional model of the islands of Japan is illustrated to show a few of the crops that are grown and the types of fish that are found in the coastal waters. The types of clothing worn by Japanese people through history can reveal much about society at different times. To illustrate this point there is a display of clothing modelled by children with instructions to make a kimono, a pair of Japanese shoes (geta), descriptions of men's hairstyles, women's make-up and the custom of blackening teeth practised by the upper classes.
Whereas buildings in many parts of the world were built to provide a barrier between people and the outside world, Japanese homes were designed to blend with nature. To illustrate this point there is a model of a typical farmhouse, open-sided to give the reader an idea of the interior. Details are given for the making of a paper screen which the Japanese use to divide living spaces. Development of residential buildings is explained further through a model of a 16th-century castle compound, with strong stone walls to withstand cannonballs. To present the idea of how the nobles lived, the book includes costume of the period, and instructions for making a fan; whereas to bring a clearer understanding of how the townspeople lived, the roles of men, women and children are defined and a game called Battledore is explained. The samurai, who were fearless fighters, trained for years to learn the skills of swordmanship and archery. The sword was the most valuable possession and was handed down from father to son. The making of such a sword is illustrated in step-by-step fashion. To mark the change of the seasons numerous festivals are held and crafts made.
To take part in these one needs to know how to make a carp streamer, a candlelit lantern, and a kite decorated with fierce looking warriors from ancient legends. To fully encompass the varied culture of the Japanese this book has endless creative suggestions for the making of fishing boats, sushi, a decorative shamisen, a noh and kendo mask, a hanko, the art of paper making, a lacquered bento box, an origami flapping bird, a shinto shrine and a zen garden. The text concludes with the fact that over the past century Japan has changed in many ways. The people have taken on many western influences yet they have kept a cultural identity that is firmly rooted in their past.
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