Time in Medieval Japan

Time in Medieval Japan breaks with the assumption that premodern cultures based their understanding of time primarily on an intuitive perception of natural phenomena. The book illustrates how a premodern, non-society negotiated this essential factor of human life through a multitude of approaches—not unlike modern societies in its variety, but with markedly different emphases. It elucidates the methods of time reckoning, the time regimes, and the pertinent modes of expression in the major domains of Japanese society between the 11th and 16th centuries CE.The introductory part of the volume gives basic information on the topic and the essentials of medieval history and society. The ensuing chapters, written by leading experts from Europe, Japan, and North America, start with an overview of medieval time reckoning and calendars and go on to discuss aspects of time in the main areas of society and culture: from administration to literature, from the economy to religion, from female body time to war and sleep.This book is the first overview of this kind and forms a thought-provoking contribution to both Japanese cultural history and the history of time in human societies.