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| Lecture by Mr.Tsunenari
Tokugawa, June 2007 |
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Mr Tsunenari Tokugawa's lecture took place in International House,
following the AGM on
June 27. Tokugawa-san, who would be the 18th Shogun had the Edo Period not ended, started
by enumerating the various social systems and Japanese spirit that were fostered during
the long continuous peace of 260 years in the Edo Period, beginning with an outline of the
historical flow preceding it. From 1540 the Portuguese began to arrive in Japan with guns,
and the nature of war changed. From 1601-1868 there was a period of what foreign scholars
might call "Pax Tokugawa" which could also be referred to as a kind of "Pax
Romana". Tokugawa-san explained what those 260 years of peace gave to Japan: the
chance to develop a long-range plan on all-country scale, large-scale riaprian
construction, flowering culture and expansion of education, etc. It could be
concluded that there is much to be learned from the Edo Period. With humor sprinkled here
and there, Tokugawa-san's lecture gave the audience much food for thought. |
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