Blind in Early Modern Japan: Disability, Medicine, and Identity

Blind people in Tokugawa Japan could thrive due to a strong guild structure and contractual monopolies over certain trades, illustrating the breadth and depth of their occupations and the power and respect that accrued to guild members. Disability must be assessed within a particular societys social, political, and medical context, and a Euro-American-centric disability studies perspective that focuses on disability and oppression risks overlooking the unique situation in a non-Western society.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 06 September 2022
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

While the loss of sight, whether in early modern Japan or in the present, may be perceived as a disability, the blind individuals during the Tokugawa period (1600–1868) thrived due to their disability. The blind population of that era held prominent positions across various professions, and through a robust guild structure, they were able to establish contractual monopolies over specific trades.

Blind in Early Modern Japan provides a comprehensive exploration of the diverse range of occupations, the power and respect accorded to guild members, and the enduring impact of the Tokugawa guilds in the contemporary world. The book emphasizes the significance of considering disability within the specific social, political, and medical context of a particular society, as well as the importance of integrating medical history with cultural history. A disability studies perspective that predominantly focuses on disability and oppression, the author argues, risks overlooking the unique circumstances in a non-Western society like Japan, where disability was constructed to enhance the power of the blind population. He delves into the meaning of being blind in Japan during that time and what it reveals about current frameworks for understanding disability.

Weight: 426g
Dimension: 151 x 229 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472055487