So I was wondering, what are some good books that compare and contrast Japanese with European Feudalism? Yes I know the issues, does what we call feudalism ever exist at all, if it did, did it in Japan. However I also know that many articles and books have been published on the subject and since I have access to Jstor I would love whatever sources you can turn out.

While not a comparison, the content of W. W. Farris, Heavenly Warriors will give a very good comparison when alongside a book on the development of European feudalism.

There are also the books by Karl Friday, Hired Swords and Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan.

For the intersection between Farris and Friday, you might be interested in Friday's reply to Farris's review of Hired Swords, available on JSTOR.

Jansen's Warrior Rule in Japan might be good too, but I've not even looked at this book.

You may want to explore Dr. Brown on the simplistic and outmoded political concept of feudalism...

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/205583/feudalism

Enjoy!

Cole

That question seems to come up on a regular basis in more than one forum. Is it part of a textbook or a standardized curriculum somewhere?

bastard feudalism by michael hicks

Susan Reynolds's Fiefs and Vassals is another book worth checking out with regards to the European side of the question.

Sounds like I will have to read fiefs and vassals then, but I already know about european feudalism, I was looking more for info on japanese. Also, I read the hired swords book, and while very good, for some reason Japanese history only holds my interest for so long, kinda weird. But I do recommend the book, especially its new look on the cause of feudalism there, since it is the opposite of europe's.

Towards the end of Feudal Society Marc Bloch briefly touches on the similarities of medieval society in Europe and Japan. Doesn't go into very much detail at all about Japanese feudalism (if we wish to call it that), the book being on the whole about European feudalism, but Bloch does mention various similarities between the two.