Japanese video games are a popular cultural phenomenon both inside and outside of Japan. This success can be attributed to Japanese companies’ ability to successfully market and invest in their products whether they arise from a manga, anime, or popular icon. Mia Consalvo, Associate Professor at Ohio University, attributes the Japanese video game industry’s success to Japan’s “historical tendencies [of a self-sufficient economy], Japanese game companies have found a ready market at home, with little fear of outside competition.” Video games offer a diverse array of themes and concepts for developers to consider in their design; on the other side of the industry are its consumers, who have many different experiences to gain from playing the plethora of games available to them. Of course anything goes when developing games as long as it is rated justly, however one of the most recurrent ideas in developing games are those based on interesting periods in history. Although a commendable venture, many video game companies find it difficult to maintain historical accuracy while making the game entertaining and enjoyable for the audience. Sengoku Basara and Okami are examples of such games that are based on some aspect of Japanese history; both have been successful in localizing in the US, however both have accomplished this differently.
Sengoku Basara, a series developed by Capcom, is a loosely based historical fantasy game about the Sengoku era in feudal Japan. Sengoku Basara 3: Samurai Heroes is the third game of the series; it was released in 2010 in Japan, North America, and Europe. In order to understand the historical basis of the game one must first know some background information on the era of the Shogunate Empire in Japan...
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...."Cinema Journal 48.3 (2009): 135-41. Moodle Library Reserves. Web. 8 Nov. 2011. p. 139
"Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 08 Nov. 2011. .
Jansen, Marius B. "Sekigahara." The Making of Modern Japan. Cambridge, MA: Belknap of Harvard UP, 2000. 1-31. Moodle Library Reserves and Google Books. Web. 8 Nov. 2011. p. 31
Ibid p. 9-10
Ibid p. 31
Ibid p. 24
"Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 08 Nov. 2011. .
Ibid
Philippi, Donald L. Kojiki. [Princeton, N.J.]: Princeton UP, 1969. Moodle Library Reserves. Web. 8 Nov.
2011.
Nylander, Kelly. Handout. Japanese Popular Culture Seminar, Gettysburg College. Print. 8 Nov. 2011
Ibid.
Ibid.
Junko Habu, Ancient Jomon of Japan: Case Studies in Early Societies (Cambridge University Press. 2004)
Musui’s Story is the exciting tale of a low class samurai’s life towards the end of the Tokugawa era. Although one would normally imagine a samurai to be a noble illustrious figure, Musui’s Story portrays the rather ignominious life of an unemployed samurai. Nonetheless, this primary account demonstrates the tenacity of samurai values and privileges present at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate. The social status of samurai had been elevated to such a state that even someone like Musui was easily able to gain influence in everyday affairs with his privileges. Not only that, but he had retained his values as a warrior and still kept great pride for his arts in weaponry.
Reischauer, Edwin O., and Albert M. Craig. Japan, Tradition & Transformation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1978. Print.
When the American Commodore Perry arrived and forced the Japanese to open up trading with the Americans in 1853 it caused a massive shift in the way Japan was run. The shogun could not deal with the looming threat and began a campaign of anti-foreignism “’Toi!’ (Expel the Barbarians!)” . The shogun eventually capitulated and began to allow foreign ships into Japan; this sparked the anti-foreign element, created by the shogun, to remove the shogun and reinstate the Emperor into power: “’Sonno’ (Revere the Emperor) was added to their mantra of ‘Toi’ to represent the old system where the Emperor was like a god. The Emperor took power back into his hands and renamed himself Meiji meaning “Enlightened Rule.” However, the Emperor did not expel the ‘barbarians’, instead he saw them as a method of creating a better Japan and began a campaign known as the ‘Meiji Restoration’ to modernize the nation. Japan needed to modernize because the western countries had forced the Tokugawa shogunate to sign unfair treaties that greatly favoured the western countries, notably the United States of America, Russia, Great Britain and France . One of the key events of the Meiji Restoration was the decline and fall of the samurai class in Japan. This essay intends to show the reasons for the decline of the samurai at the beginning of the Empire of Japan through the policies enacted during the Meiji Restoration. This will be shown through the military, cultural, political and social reforms enacted by the Japanese government.
Riichi, Yokomitsu. Shanghai. Michigan: The Center for Japanese Studies, The University of Michigan , 2001.
Ogawa, D. (1993) The Japanese of Los Angeles. Journal of Asian and African Studies, v19, pp.142-3.
Masatsusu, Mitsuyuki. 1982. The Modern Samurai Society: Duty and Dependence in Contemporary Japan. New York: AMACOM.
Greene, Carol. Enchantment of the World Japan, p. 97. 28 Pitts, Forrest R., Japan. p. 78. -. 29. Davidson, Judith.
The Japanese warrior, known as the samurai, has played a significant role in Japan's history and culture throughout the centuries. Their ancestors can be traced back to as far as can be remembered. Some stories have become mysterious legends handed down over the centuries. In this report you will learn who the samurai were, their origins as we know them, how they lived and fought and their evolution to today. It will be clear why the samurai stand out as one of the most famous group of warriors of all times.
Munsterberg, H. (1985) The Arts of Japan An Illustrated History Charles E. Tuttle, Tokyo, Japan.
Shirane Haruo. et al. Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology 1600-1900. New York: Colombia University Press, 2002. Print.
To understand how video gaming relates to Japanese culture we need to understand more about the country of Japan. We will explore some important facts about Japan’s cultural society and environment.
Brownlee, John S. 1997. Japanese Historians and the National Myths, 1600-1945: The Age of the Gods and Emperor Jinmu. Vancouver: UBC Press.
3. “Video Games” by Chris Jozefowics. Published by Gareth Stevens Publishing 2010. Pleasantville, NY 10570-70000 USA. Produced by Editorials Directions Inc.