Overview of japan

Good overview of japan. It feels a little general but it makes sense given the scope of the enterprise. I would suggest to listen to it on 1.25 or 1.5x

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excellent

Really enjoyable, felt like a learned a lot, plus confident clear delivery. Really great resource.

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Excellent

Wasn’t sure at first, was this going to be a dumbed-down lecture about a foreign culture?
Not at all. I was pleasantly surprised at how knowledgeable the professor is about Japan, and how engaging the presentation was.
This is definitive overview for any English speaker interested in learning more about Japan’s fascinating culture & history.

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Japan - Culture and History

This was absolutely brilliant. I loved it having been a consumer of Japanese culture. However I feel it should have been much longer. o would have preferred double. Much more on history esp 1900 onwards and more on the Japanese psyche again with reference to modern Japanese culture. Would have loved half hour lectures on Yakuza and origami as well as onsen. Overall this is the only audio set / book on Japanese culture and history and essential for everyone.

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1 person found this helpful

Really excellent introductory course.

This proved to be an excellent companion to my first trip to Japan, and I'll be looking for similar courses on other countries for future travels!

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A lesson on how Japan became Japan

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this to any friends or listeners who want to learn about the real Japan, as opposed to the image of Japan thst Westerners give themselves through some niche elements of Japanese culture or history - such as Japanese anime or the pop culture versions of samurai and ninjas - which can give a completely wrong impression.

I admit I have never been to Japan myself but having listened to this excellent series of lectures - I particularly enjoyed the theme of the different phases of globalisation and the lectures on the true history of the samurai - I feel that if I ever went I would find it much easier to understand why certain things were the way they are.

The lectures were all at a perfect pace and I came away from each one feeling like I knew more about the subject having listened to it and looking forward to the next one. I would not be surprised if I listened to these again in the near future or recommended them to some close friends in particular.

What about Professor Mark J. Ravina’s performance did you like?

Professor Ravina was a man I coukd have listened to for hours. His voice was very measured and calm befitting the subject matter but his clear interest and passion was infectious and obvious. Half the time I couldn't help but smile.

By the time I finished the lectures I felt sad to be leaving his virtual classroom. If he ever gives another series of lectures for The Great Courses I will be sure to get them from Audible.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes completely and totally. I was enraptured from beginning to end and found the entire thing fascinating. I truly hope they release more lectures focused on Japan or Asia in general as I'm sure I would love every minute of it like I did these. I have come away truly thinking I know far more about Japan's history and culture than I did when I entered. I cannot recommend these enough.

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4 people found this helpful

Excellent Choice of topics and narrative

Right balance of history and culture with very enjoyable dictation. I recommend this to anyone visiting Japan.

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Enlightening and Entertaining

A joy of a course structured in a way that takes one on a fun journey rather than a boring exposition of what happened in each year / period. Very insightful. Definitely recommend as an introduction to the subject

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5 Star Course

The content was fantastic and the narrator was enthusiastic. Loved that in addition to a developmental history over time, the course also provided snapshots into various aspects of Japanese culture

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Exceeds expectations

I’ve been privy to multiple lectures in my time as a student and during my days scouring the internet for Philosophy lectures by the brilliant Wes Cecil, and the quality of the work present in this audiobook is likely the best I’ve borne witness to. I learned a lot about the less mainstream history behind Japanese isolationist periods and the culture that has grown and adapted over the centuries. You’ll learn everything from politics to food culture in an extremely comprehensive overview of the Japanese heritage. If you take away anything from this, I think opening your mind and watching Kurosawa Akira’s movie Ikiru is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

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