NEW CPP Analytical Essay

Student’s Name Lecturer’s Name Course Name Due Date Japan before modernization compared to the West Susan Hanley's book examines the overlooked material culture and daily living conditions of the Japanese people before modernization. The book delves into areas like housing, healthy lifestyle, sanitation, culture, well-being, and others during the Tokugawa period (1600-1867), providing insight into the physical well-being of the population on the eve of industrialization. Hanley challenges the widely held notion that Japan was an impoverished, backward nation at this time. Instead, her research suggests that Japan's path to modernization differed substantially from the West. While sharing some preconditions for industrialization, like high agricultural productivity and a monetized economy, Japan diverged markedly in its material culture and the factors influencing the robustness of its labor force. The essay analyzes how areas such as housing, diet, health practices, and urban sanitation uniquely shaped Japan's readiness for economic development compared to Western nations. Housing Traditional Japanese housing underwent a major transformation during the Tokugawa period from the 17th to 19th centuries. Before this era, even elite residences were relatively simple dwellings with earthen floors and minimal amenities. However, innovations in construction methods and materials, combined with rising affluence, enabled the proliferation of larger, sturdier, and more comfortable Minka folk houses among commoners. These featured wooden floors, windows, built-in decorative alcoves, and precisely engineered woodwork and joinery derived from elite shoin architectural styles. In contrast to the open, outward-looking layout of Western houses of that time with specialized rooms, early minka retained an introverted design reflecting concerns like protection from the elements. Over time, Japanese housing diverged further from its Western counterparts by adhering to tatami mat flooring for sitting rather than adopting chairs and tables. While Western houses developed contained heating systems, Japanese residences maintained central open hearths, reflecting a unique modernization path. The rise of high-quality, permanent commoner housing demon...