Japanese History for Foreign People

Name: Japanese History for Foreign People
Rating: 4.6 (5 reviews)

Ancient Period: From the Old Stone Age to the Nara Period in the 8th Century

Created byLearning Salon Smile

Last updated 1/2025

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

You will be able to understand the characteristics of Japan and the Japanese people in a historical perspective.
It can reduce cultural confusion when doing business with Japanese people.
This will allow tourists to have a more authentic experience when visiting Japan.
You will be able to understand media works produced in Japan based on cultural and religious knowledge.

Course content

1 section • 8 lectures • 2h 20m total length

Guidance; How to learn15:37
Learn Japanese history for foreign learners through guided lessons in English, exploring geography, culture, and historical periods to understand Japan's multinational past and key terms.
Lesson1; Old stone age/Before 10,000 years14:26
Explore how Homo sapiens prevailed over Neanderthals around 80,000 years ago due to cognitive breakthroughs and advanced handcraft, and how ice age Japan connected to Eurasia for hunter communities.
Lesson2; Jomo period/From 10,000 years ago to the 3rd century BC16:49
Explore the Jomon period, a Neolithic era in Japanese history from about 12,000 to 2,300 years ago, when communities hunted, fished, gathered nuts, and made cord-marked Jomon pottery.
Lesson3; Yayoi period/From the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century18:52
Explore the Yayoi period’s shift to rice farming, water management, and social change, including kingship, wars, and the rise of Himiko and Yamatai in early Japan.
Lesson4; Kofun period/From the 3rd century to the 6th century17:25
Investigate the kofun period from the 3rd to the 7th century, examining keyhole-shaped kofun, haniwa, magatama, and the Yamato polity’s rise amid Korean and Chinese influence.
Lesson5; Asuka period1/From the 6th century to the 7th century18:46
Explore the Asuka period as Buddhism arrives in Japan, shaping the Yamato polity through Soga no Umako and Prince Miyato, and the creation of the 17 article constitution.
Lesson6; Asuka period2/From the 6th century to the 7th century20:12
Explore how job position drives trust and status in early Japan, tracing the 12 level cap and lung system through Taika reforms and the Yamato polity.
Lesson7; Nara period/8th century18:47
Explore how the Nara period established Heijo kyo as Japan's capital and the Great Buddha, via ritsuryo governance, while Tenno and Fujiwara wielded power through the Grand Council of State.

Requirements

You can understand it even if you have no knowledge of Japan.

Description

I do this lesson in English so you don’t need Japanese language. And You don’t need to remember so much things for some test because you are not students in Japanese school. Our goal is not passing the entrance test for high school or university in Japan.

The important thing is to be able to use your knowledge of Japanese history to understand the historical background of Japan. So when you finished learning history, you can explain what you've learned simply.

By taking this course you will be able to explain:

Why do Japanese people eat raw fish and raw eggs without cooking them?

Why are Japanese people afraid of ghosts?

Which is the Japanese king, an Emperor or a Shogun?

Why are there polytheistic shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan, and why do the same people visit both?

Who was the great natto seller who opened the door to research into ancient Japanese history?

Why don't the honorary CEOs in Japanese companies make decisions themselves?

I make it a rule for students to learn about both the positive side and the negative side of Japan, Japanese people and Japanese culture based on academic knowledge historians figured out.

Let's enjoy lessons.

Who this course is for:

The person who works with Japanese people.
The person who majors in Japan or Japanese culture.
The person who wants to travel or study in Japan.
The person who loves Japanese movie or anime.