Kendo

Culture of the Sword

Nonfiction, History, Asian, Japan
Cover of the book Kendo by Alexander C. Bennett, University of California Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Alexander C. Bennett ISBN: 9780520959941
Publisher: University of California Press Publication: July 31, 2015
Imprint: University of California Press Language: English
Author: Alexander C. Bennett
ISBN: 9780520959941
Publisher: University of California Press
Publication: July 31, 2015
Imprint: University of California Press
Language: English

Kendo is the first in-depth historical, cultural, and political account in English of the Japanese martial art of swordsmanship, from its beginnings in military training and arcane medieval schools to its widespread practice as a global sport today. Alexander Bennett shows how kendo evolved through a recurring process of "inventing tradition," which served the changing ideologies and needs of Japanese warriors and governments over the course of history. Kendo follows the development of Japanese swordsmanship from the aristocratic-aesthetic pretensions of medieval warriors in the Muromachi period, to the samurai elitism of the Edo regime, and then to the nostalgic patriotism of the Meiji state. Kendo was later influenced in the 1930s and 1940s by ultranationalist militarists and ultimately by the postwar government, which sought a gentler form of nationalism to rekindle appreciation of traditional culture among Japan’s youth and to garner international prestige as an instrument of "soft power." Today kendo is becoming increasingly popular internationally. But even as new organizations and clubs form around the world, cultural exclusiveness continues to play a role in kendo’s ongoing evolution, as the sport remains closely linked to Japan’s sense of collective identity.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Kendo is the first in-depth historical, cultural, and political account in English of the Japanese martial art of swordsmanship, from its beginnings in military training and arcane medieval schools to its widespread practice as a global sport today. Alexander Bennett shows how kendo evolved through a recurring process of "inventing tradition," which served the changing ideologies and needs of Japanese warriors and governments over the course of history. Kendo follows the development of Japanese swordsmanship from the aristocratic-aesthetic pretensions of medieval warriors in the Muromachi period, to the samurai elitism of the Edo regime, and then to the nostalgic patriotism of the Meiji state. Kendo was later influenced in the 1930s and 1940s by ultranationalist militarists and ultimately by the postwar government, which sought a gentler form of nationalism to rekindle appreciation of traditional culture among Japan’s youth and to garner international prestige as an instrument of "soft power." Today kendo is becoming increasingly popular internationally. But even as new organizations and clubs form around the world, cultural exclusiveness continues to play a role in kendo’s ongoing evolution, as the sport remains closely linked to Japan’s sense of collective identity.

More books from University of California Press

Cover of the book Restless Dead by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Can't Catch a Break by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Laughter Out of Place by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Tracks and Shadows by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Bringing the War Home by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Moral Wages by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book America's Favorite Holidays by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Shameless by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Selected Works of D.T. Suzuki, Volume III by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Toxic Injustice by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Orderly Anarchy by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Darkness Moves by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Everyday Illegal by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Life Lived in Relief by Alexander C. Bennett
Cover of the book Paradoxes of Green by Alexander C. Bennett
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy