When we think of early modern Japan we think of samurai: swords flashing, heads rolling. Such images circulate through popular culture via films, anime, and video games. But samurai were only one small part of a complex society, and early modern Japan was characterized by over 250 years of peace. This course spotlights factors that enabled Japan�s �great peace�: political stability, the growing economy, foreign relations, restructured gender and family roles, and popular culture.
