HIST 87 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Edo Period, Kabuki, Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Document Summary
Politics of pop culture: castle towns and urban culture, brothels, theatre, porn and noodles. Culture as method of political control: censorship of woodblock prints, ehon taikoki incident, illustrated records of the regent. I. e. only samurai should be the ones to wear swords, but the law requires them to wear swords anyways. Mass produced goods were the most censored, small batch goods were able to pass some censorship. Translated: illustrated chronicle of the great regent, 1797. Was published, but violates nearly every code of censorship. Picture of toyotomi hideyoshi, a famous lord that unified domains. Hideyoshi was a peasant before he became a general under oda nobunaga. Hideyoshi cannot become a shogun based on his status. Becomes a regent and appoints another friend as the shogun. Passed through censorship because the government wanted to glorify this lineage and have everyone know about this heroic tale. Turned into kabuki play, and the face of hideyoshi is accessible to everyone for satire.
