A Case Study of Heian Japan through Art: Japan's Four Great Emaki

This module focuses on the Heian period, 794-1185.

Heian Japan materials:

• “Heian Japan: An Introductory Essay,” by Ethan Segal, Michigan State University

• “A Case Study of Heian Japan Through Art: Japan’s Four Great Emaki” (lesson plan), by Jaye Zola, retired teacher and librarian, Boulder Valley Schools

• Print the Entire Lesson Module (pdf)

To use “A Case Study of Heian Japan Through Art,” you will need to print the scroll selections for analysis by students. Links to these prints are provided in the Heian Japan Online Image List.

You will need enough copies of the selections from each scroll for one-fourth of the class. Alternatively, if you have enough computers for every two students to have a computer, you could download the visuals and make them available at the classroom computers or allow students to access the visuals directly from the Internet, using the Heian Japan Online Image List as their starting point.