The companion website to a 3-hour PBS documentary entitled Memoirs of A Secret Empire is a beautifully crafted site. When you enter Edo you will discover an ancient kingdom where warriors, scientists, artists and tradesmen created an isolated civilization that would shape the modern world.
After becoming supreme ruler in the late 16th century, Tokugawa Ieyasu moved Japan's capitol to Edo, (now known as Tokyo)transforming the sleepy fishing village into the country's premier political
and economic center. Perhaps one of the really exciting elements of this site is that you can tour the ancient kingdom and meet characters who lived at that time. My favourite is the writer. Drawn from all levels of society,writers were not assigned a specific caste position. With merchants spending lavishly on entertainment and fine arts, idle samurai increasingly put their creative energies toward intellectual pursuits. Among the results was an outpouring of prose and poetry.
Known for his poetry and travel diaries, Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) was the son of a lowly samurai. When his lord died,he became a ronin and moved to Edo. Taking part in the popular poetry writing and debate competitions, Basho excelled in haikai (now known as haiku) a three-line segment poem of five, seven and five syllables which used simple language and every day occurrences to create images that evoked emotion. Basho became the most famous poet of his generation, and when he traveled, locals would gather to match their wits against him.
On this site you are provided with more than enough information and resources to create a historical paper or write a piece of fiction set in that time. However, you may simply be inspired to write Haikai.
After becoming supreme ruler in the late 16th century, Tokugawa Ieyasu moved Japan's capitol to Edo, (now known as Tokyo)transforming the sleepy fishing village into the country's premier political
and economic center. Perhaps one of the really exciting elements of this site is that you can tour the ancient kingdom and meet characters who lived at that time. My favourite is the writer. Drawn from all levels of society,writers were not assigned a specific caste position. With merchants spending lavishly on entertainment and fine arts, idle samurai increasingly put their creative energies toward intellectual pursuits. Among the results was an outpouring of prose and poetry.
Known for his poetry and travel diaries, Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) was the son of a lowly samurai. When his lord died,he became a ronin and moved to Edo. Taking part in the popular poetry writing and debate competitions, Basho excelled in haikai (now known as haiku) a three-line segment poem of five, seven and five syllables which used simple language and every day occurrences to create images that evoked emotion. Basho became the most famous poet of his generation, and when he traveled, locals would gather to match their wits against him.
On this site you are provided with more than enough information and resources to create a historical paper or write a piece of fiction set in that time. However, you may simply be inspired to write Haikai.
