Welcome to the East Asian History Web Site. I am Gregory Smits, and my academic specialty is East Asian history, particularly early-modern Japan in its global context. My earliest research as a graduate student was in Japanese Confucianism, a suitably heavy topic for one's youthful years. After several years immersed in Confucian rhetoric, I moved on to examine the history of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, which today is Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. My book Visions of Ryukyu: Identity and Ideology in Early-Modern Thought and Politics (University of Hawai'i Press, 1999) is one of the products of these two areas of research. My current research is in the realm of social history, broadly defined. I have published preliminary findings on aspects of Japan's 1855 Ansei Edo Earthquake, and I am currently well underway on a book-length study of this event. The book examines the earthquake through the lenses of thought and religion, art and literature, politics, and responses to emergencies. I have many other academic interests, most of which make themselves manifest in the content of my courses and in the textbooks for those courses.
To read my articles and book chapters on Confucianism, Ryukyu, and earthquakes, go to my vita by using the menu on this page. Most of these items are available as PDF files. Contact information is also available from my vita. Other unpublished items are available in the appropriate sections of this site.
This site features a set of graphically-rich, unconventional textbooks for use by undergraduate students and anyone else with an interest in East Asian history. Other sections of this site bring together material for the academic study of the Ryukyu Kingdom and Okinawa Prefecture and the social history of earthquakes. Select the appropriate menu choice above.
The main URL for this site is www.east-asian-history.net. A backup copy of the site is located at http://s118842024.onlinehome.us. However, the search function and other advanced services may not work on the alternative site. Please use it only in the unlikely event that the main site is unavailable.
