Empires - Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire

Starring:Japan-Memoirs of a Secret Empire
Studio: Pbs Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
The mysteries of feudal Japan are thoroughly explored in Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire, originally presented on PBS as part of its excellent nonfiction series Empires. The history covered in this 160-minute, two-part program is concise yet comprehensive: The period of 16th- to 19th-century Japan was an eventful renaissance dominated by the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate, a 250-year dynasty that began (in Part 1: "The Way of the Samurai") under the leadership of Tokugawa Ieyasu (b. 1543), saw the arrival of Portuguese merchants and European Christian missionaries, and endured despite uneasy alliances and eventual war between opposing daimyo warlords. Part 2 ("The Will of the Shogun") finds Ieyasu successfully establishing a lasting piece based on samurai codes of ethics and obedience; the harsher rule of his grandson Iemitsu results in the expulsion of foreigners, leading to the Shimabara rebellion of 1637 and the start of Japan's 200-year prohibition of foreign visitors. Part 3 ("The Return of the Barbarians") chronicles the thriving metropolis of Edo (which would eventually become Tokyo) and 18th-century re-opening of Japan's borders, including the 1853 arrival of American Commodore Matthew C. Perry and his demands that Japan open trade relations with the United States or face possible warfare. As the Tokugawa Shogunate ended, the era of modern Japan began, and all of these events are recounted in rich detail by narrator (and Shogun TV star) Richard Chamberlain, visualized through elaborate re-creations and Edo-period artworks. All in all, this is a highly recommended primer for a deeper, book-related study of Japanese history, with a detailed website link for those seeking greater detail on the events and personalities showcased on this fine DVD. --Jeff Shannon

Empires Collection - The Dynasties (Egypt's Golden Empire / The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance / Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire / The Roman Empire in the First Century / The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization)
Average customer rating:

A really good review of the 5 civilizations covered

Excellent collection

Empires Collection - The Dynasties (Egypt's Golden Empire / The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance / Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire / The Roman Empire in the First Century / The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization)
Starring: Empires-Dynasties
Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000ANVQ6Y
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

Empires Collection: The Dynasties (5 Disc Gift Set) - Empires Collection: The Dynasties is a compilation of five outstanding stories of some of histories greatest dynasties.

Egypt's Golden Empire
In 1570 B.C., when Rome was still a marsh and the Acropolis was an empty rock, Egypt was already 1000 years old. Although the period of the pyramid-builders was long over, Egypt lay on the threshold of its greatest age. The New Kingdom would be an empire forged by conquest, maintained by intimidation and diplomacy, and remembered long after its demise. Led by a dynasty of rich personalities, whose dramatic lives changed the course of civilization, Egypt's Golden Empire presents the most extraordinary period in Egyptian history: from 1570 B.C. to 1070 B.C., when the Egyptian Empire reached its zenith.

The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance
The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance - From a small Italian community in 15th century Florence, the Medici family would rise to rule Europe in many ways. Using charm, patronage, skill, duplicity and ruthlessness, they would amass unparalleled wealth and unprecedented power. They would also ignite the most important cultural and artistic revolution in Western history- the European Renaissance. But the forces of change the Medici helped unleash would one day topple their ordered world. An epic drama played out in the courts, cathedrals and palaces of Europe, this series is both the tale of one family's powerful ambition and of Europe's tortured struggle to emerge from the ravages of the Dark Ages.

Japan: Memoirs Of A Secret Empire
Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans -- all were part of the Japanese "renaissance" -- a period between the 16th and 19th centuries when Japan went from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land closed to the Western world, ruled by the Shogun under his absolute power and control. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship to the West, and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world.

The Roman Empire in the First Century
Two thousand years ago, at the dawn of the first century, the ancient world was ruled by Rome. Through the experiences, memories and writings of the people who lived it, this series tells the story of that time - the emperors and slaves, poets and plebeians, who wrested order from chaos, built the most cosmopolitan society the world had ever seen and shaped the Roman empire in the first century A.D.

The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
The Greeks - Classical Greece of the 4th and 5th centuries, B.C. was a magnificent civilization that laid the foundations for modern science, politics, warfare, and philosophy, and produced some of the most breathtaking art and architecture the world has ever known. Through the eyes and words of the great heroes of ancient Greece, this dazzling production charts the rise, triumph, and eventual decline of the world's first democracy. Now, through dramatic storytelling and state-of-the-art computer animation, you witness history, art, and government with giants like Pericles, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Customer Reviews:

A really good review of the 5 civilizations covered.......2007-03-09

I've been reviewing areas of history that I don't usually cover to balance out my general knowledge. No video can compress into a couple of hours the libraries that have been written on these subjects, but I watched them with a pad nearby and started searching names and topics for further study. Then I added books on those areas to my wish list here on Amazon.

All in all, each disc is a great review if you're rusty or a place to start if you're moving into new areas of history.

Excellent collection.......2007-01-05

I was very impressed with this series. I learned very much, escpecailly about the Medici's. If you enjoy history/documentaries you'll love this collection. I was so impressed I've ordered other Empire series. Props to PBS on this one!

Empires - Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire

Average customer rating:

Sun Rising over a Flowering Civilization and State
A valuable pedagogical tool.
A Whirlwind Overview
good history
Well worth the money

Empires - Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire
Starring: Japan-Memoirs of a Secret Empire
Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

All | PBS | Specialty Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Empires - The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance
Empires - Islam: Empire of Faith
The French Revolution (History Channel)
Empires - The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
Empires - Egypt's Golden Empire

ASIN: B0001KNHSQ
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Amazon.com

The mysteries of feudal Japan are thoroughly explored in Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire, originally presented on PBS as part of its excellent nonfiction series Empires. The history covered in this 160-minute, two-part program is concise yet comprehensive: The period of 16th- to 19th-century Japan was an eventful renaissance dominated by the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate, a 250-year dynasty that began (in Part 1: "The Way of the Samurai") under the leadership of Tokugawa Ieyasu (b. 1543), saw the arrival of Portuguese merchants and European Christian missionaries, and endured despite uneasy alliances and eventual war between opposing daimyo warlords. Part 2 ("The Will of the Shogun") finds Ieyasu successfully establishing a lasting piece based on samurai codes of ethics and obedience; the harsher rule of his grandson Iemitsu results in the expulsion of foreigners, leading to the Shimabara rebellion of 1637 and the start of Japan's 200-year prohibition of foreign visitors. Part 3 ("The Return of the Barbarians") chronicles the thriving metropolis of Edo (which would eventually become Tokyo) and 18th-century re-opening of Japan's borders, including the 1853 arrival of American Commodore Matthew C. Perry and his demands that Japan open trade relations with the United States or face possible warfare. As the Tokugawa Shogunate ended, the era of modern Japan began, and all of these events are recounted in rich detail by narrator (and Shogun TV star) Richard Chamberlain, visualized through elaborate re-creations and Edo-period artworks. All in all, this is a highly recommended primer for a deeper, book-related study of Japanese history, with a detailed website link for those seeking greater detail on the events and personalities showcased on this fine DVD. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Sun Rising over a Flowering Civilization and State.......2007-07-05

Japan, Memoirs of a Secret Empire, a three-part DVD set by PBS, does not cover the entire history of Japan. This documentary covers the period that started with the arrival of the first Europeans and a bloody civil war raging in the 16th century C.E. that led to the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603 C.E. After defeating his remaining adversaries in 1600 C.E., Tokugawa Ieyasu was appointed Shogun by the emperor and established his capital in Edo, the future Tokyo, in 1603 C.E. Ieyasu's successors, the Shoguns, remained in power for over 250 years until the Meiji restoration in 1868 C.E., which ushered Japan into its modern era. Japan, Memoirs of a Secret Empire, ends with the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry and his ships on Japan's shores in 1853 C.E. This arrival ultimately sealed the downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which was unable to cope with the opening of Japan to the outside world. To its credit, Japan, Memoirs of a Secret Empire, brings to light the sophisticated, refined Japanese civilization in its splendor. This production clearly explained the interactions existing among the Samurai, peasants, artisans, merchants, and the rest of the society such as artists and priests. Perhaps, more importantly, Japan, Memoirs of a Secret Empire, is an invitation extended to spectators to go (back) to Japan and to better know this unique civilization and state for themselves.

A valuable pedagogical tool........2005-12-27

In Empires - Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire, we see Japan covered through one of its more turbulent eras. We begin with the very first European contact in the mid-16th century. The series explores early unsuccessful tries by the Japanese to establish trade while at the same time still wishing to protect and uphold their own cultural values. The series transitions into the exploation of Japan's self-imposed 200-year period of "seclusion" from the "barbarians," and concludes with the "opening" after a long period of isolation with the unexpected (and unsolicited) arrival of US steamships in the mid-19th century, forcing Japan to "open" to the rest of the world. Ironically, it already was.

In Episode I: The Way of the Samurai, we are treated to an exploration of the period from 1543, when the Portuguese set foot in Japan. According to this rendition they found a country in turmoil and divided through civil war, up until the early 17th century. An important segment is the treatment of the battle of Sekigahara - a battle that changed Japanese history forever, and the early rulers of the whole of Japan. The introduction of firearms came way before the Meiji era as implied by movies like "The Last Samurai." In Episode II: The Will of the Shogun, we are transported back to the mid 17th century and the beginning of Japan's period of self-imposed isolation from foreigners - just where Episode I leaves off. There is the treatment of the story of William Adams, the united rule of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the establishment of a strict class system administered by the revered samurai. Last, in Episode III: The Return of the Barbarians, we see how in the period from mid 17th century to late 19th century the only exception to the rule of no contact with the outside world was a small community of Dutch traders led by Dr Kaempfer in Nagasaki impacted Japan. We see how the rule of the fifth Shogun Tsunayoshi influenced Japanese society in a new direction. We see life in the flourishing 18th century city of Edo. Finally, we see the dissolution of the samurai and the long-held societal classes. In this episode we see a Japan, challenged to respond to the US incursion with the arrival of Matthew Perry and his steamships in 1853, demanding the opening up of trade transitioning Japan into its more modern.

Although at time hinting dangerously of an essential, primordial, and "uniquely unique" Japan, the narrations are well written, well crafted and well produced. They are highly enlightening as well as very educational. I would encourage all educators in this area to use this as a valuable pedagogical tool.

Miguel Llora

A Whirlwind Overview.......2005-10-21

This PBS documentary is, as stated in the title, a quick and selective historical narrative. It mostly covers the Tokogawa political history and the impact of the West, especially that of Christianity. It takes the viewer from the beginning of Shogun Japan through to its demise. In other words, from the time Westerners first reached Japan until the arrival of Commodore Perry. This video uses a compilation of sources from an outside point of view as well as using local historical documentation. It focuses on the differences of Japan in comparison to the West and the depth and advancements of the complexities of historical Japan. I enjoyed the use of dramatic recreation, but thought that it could have gone into more detail on the cultural aspects of isolationalism. This video is great for those who wish to learn more about Japan's past and have no prior historical knowledge of this era.

good history.......2005-08-28

If you like Japanese history you will enjoy it. I liked it, but it was like being in a history class(not very exciting). I really like samarai history so It was good for me.

Well worth the money.......2005-07-06

Overall I was glad I got this DVD. Like other reviews, I was also frustrated by the recycling of some scenes, but that happens in many documentaries so I wasn't that disappointed. If you don't know much about this period of Japan, I definitely recomend this DVD. Even if you do know a lot, it's still worth it for the stories, costumes, and the amount of info they provide. The film quality is good (as it should be) and so is the music. Unlike most documentaries that try to fit everything into 1 hour, you get three discs with this set. It's a lot for the money and well worth it.

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