Feudal Japan (AD 1192-1868)Unit Review

Mrs. Maimone

Japan is an archipelagoJapan is made up of more than 3,000 islands, including four large islands, and stretches from the Sea of Japan to the Western Pacific Ocean.

Japan is part of the Ring of Fire, a “huge ring of volcanic and seismic activity.” That makes it subject to typhoons and earthquakes.

The "Ring of Fire" (map) is an arc stretching from New Zealand, along the eastern edge of Asia, north across the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, and south along the coast of North and South America. The Ring of Fire is composed over 75% of the world's active and dormant volcanos. This huge ring of volcanic and seismic (earthquake) activity was noticed and described before the invention of the theory of plate tectonics theory. We now know that the Ring of Fire is located at the borders of the Pacific Plate and other major tectonic plates.http://geography.about.com/cs/earthquakes/a/ringoffire.htm

The four large islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku

Japan is a Pacific Rim country because it touches the Pacific Ocean.

The Legend of Amaterasu

About AD 400, the Yamato Clan became the strongest clan in Japan and, claiming they were descended from “the goddess, Amaterasu, declared their right to rule Japan.”(Pearson text, p.178)

Between 645 and 660, Jimmu, the head of the Yamato clan, or family, declared his right to be emperor and called himself “the son of heaven.”

He believed that he had a divine right to rule Japan, as did his descendents.

Local lords, or daimyos, fought over the country. The most powerful daimyo was called the shogun.

Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the Shogunate in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) in 1603.The Tokugawa Family ruled Japan until the end of feudalism in 1868.“He supervised the building of Edo Castle, the largest castle in Japan, on the site of today’s Imperial Palace. In 1613, he composed the Kuge Shohatto, a document intended to perpetuate Tokugawa supremacy by putting the court daimyo under strict supervision, requiring their attendance at the shogunal court and restricting the building of castles, leaving the daimyo as mere ceremonial figureheads .”http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Tokugawa_Ieyasu

During the Feudal, or Shogunate Period(12th c. through 1868), the

Japanese emperor became a figurehead, while the shogun

controlled the country.• Emperor and Shogun

The Emperor and the Shogun were the highest ranking nobles. During Japan's feudal period the Shogun held the most power while the Emperor was more of a puppet figure with little actual power. As the Shogun was a military leader his sword, or Nihonto in Japanese (katana came later in the Mid-Muromachi period), was an important part of his attire.

• http://www.facts-about-japan.com/feudal-japan.html

Yoritomo Comes to PowerYoritomo gathered an army and fought battle after battle, gaining followers and, eventually power over Japan as Shogun.

Shinto is the native religion of Japan.Followers of the Shinto religion believe kami, or spirits, exist throughout nature.

In Shinto, the people focus on the gentle, good, and helpful aspects of

nature. They do not focus on the destructive aspects of nature.

• "Shinto gods" are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami. The kami of extraordinary people are even enshrined at some shrines. The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered Shinto's most important kami.

• Some prominent rocks are worshiped as kami.In contrast to many monotheist religions, there are no absolutes in Shinto. There is no absolute right and wrong, and nobody is perfect. Shinto is an optimistic faith, as humans are thought to be fundamentally good, and evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits. Consequently, the purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away evil spirits by purification, prayers and offerings to the kami.

• http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2056.html• Shinto focuses on ceremonies, not doctrine.

How To Build A Japanese Gardenhttp://www.ehow.com/how_4501422_create-japanese-garden.html

Japan borrowed many things from Korea and China.

• During the 300s-400s AD, Korea acted as a conduit for the transfer of culture from China to Japan. Archaeological discoveries indicate that a continuous flow of new technologies, materials, and immigrants was arriving in Japan from the Korea Peninsula. The Japanese learned how to cast bronze spearheads and bells, and historical records indicate that, by the late 5th century, Korean artisans had brought in more advanced methods of working iron, making swords and armor, firing finer and more durable ceramics, and manufacturing stirrups, bridles, and saddles. The Chinese writing system was introduced to Japan at about the same time. Writing made it possible for a new specialized class of scribes to compile and keep records, and it opened Japan to the influence of Chinese literary, religious, and philosophical culture. Soon after, Korean scholars introduced Confucianism and Buddhism to Japan.

• http://regentsprep.org/regents/core/questions/questions.cfm?Course=glob&TopicCode=4a

Japanese Class System• Society was divided into two classes in Feudal Japan,

the nobility and the peasants. The noble class made up roughly twelve percent of the population with peasants making up the rest.

• Emperor and ShogunThe Emperor and the Shogun were the highest ranking nobles. During Japan's feudal period the Shogun held the most power while the Emperor was more of a puppet figure with little actual power. As the Shogun was a military leader his sword, or Nihonto in Japanese (katana came later in the Mid-Muromachi period), was an important part of his attire.

• http://www.facts-about-japan.com/feudal-japan.html

Emperor, Daimyo and Samurai• The Emperor inherited his position and was a member of the samurai class.

• DaimyoDaimyo were powerful warlords and the most powerful rulers under the Shogun from the 10th century to the early 19th century. Within their province the Daimyo had complete military and economic power. Daimyo had vast hereditary land holdings and armies to protect the land and its workers. The most powerful warlords sometimes achieved the status of Shogun.

SamuraiThe Daimyo armies were made up of Samurai warriors. Samurai worked under Daimyo, but they had additional privileges and held a higher social status than common people. These privileges included being able to have a surname, a family crest, and carry two swords. People with Samurai family names are still treated with great respect in Japan today. Although most samurai were not well educated, they had a strict code of honor or the "way of the warrior", known as bushido in Japanese. If a Samurai broke the bushido code and brought dishonor to him/herself they would be expected to commit seppuku, or ritual suicide. Women were allowed to serve as samurai but always served under a male leader.

• http://www.facts-about-japan.com/feudal-japan.html

Noh TheaterThis form of drama was considered more refined and suitable for the samurai class. Stage props were simple, often including little more than a screen with a painted background. Actors wore masks that depicted emotions.

The Peasant Class: Farmers, Craftsmen, and Merchants

• PeasantsPeasants were divided into several sub-classes. The highest ranking of the peasants were farmers. Farmers who owned their own land ranked higher than farmers who did not. Craftsmen, or artisans, were the second highest ranking after the farmers. They worked with wood and metal and some became well-known as expert Samurai sword makers. Merchants were the lowest ranking because it was felt they made their living off of other people's work. However, in later times when Japan began to use money more as currency merchants became more wealthy.

• http://www.facts-about-japan.com/feudal-japan.html

Kabuki Theater:These noisy, colorful, dramatic productions were considered more appropriate for the peasant class. Kabuki troupes of performers often traveled throughout the countryside. When women were banned from performing, men had to dress as women and play female roles.

There were two class systems in Feudal Japan. One must be born

into the samurai class, or adopted into it, to be a member of it.

Samurai Class• Emperor & Shogun• Daimyo• Samurai

Peasant Class• Farmers• Artisans• merchants

The Samurai class included:~the Emperor, who was just a figurehead, ~the Shogun, who controlled the military, ~the daimyo, lords who managed regions of the country, and ~samurai, who worked for individual daimyo.

Did you know?Samurai means “one who serves.”

The Peasant ClassFarmers were the most important members of the peasant class because they grow food.

Artisans were next in order of importance because they make things people need, enjoy, and that give them comfort.

Merchants were on the bottom of the peasant class system because they do not make or grow anything themselves. They simply sell things that others have made or grown.

Do you see any similarities between Feudal Japan and Feudal Europe?

Shoguns ruled the whole country of Japan.

Kings ruled their own countries in Europe.

Japanese Samurai and European Knights

Samurai swore to defend their lord and his honor.

Knights swore to defend their lords and their honor.

Samurai and Knights Followed Codes of Honor.

Samurai called their code of honor bushido.

Knights called their code of honor chivalry.

Samurai and Knights Both Valued Honor, Bravery, and Loyalty, But They

Had Different Ideas About Honor• Japanese Code of Bushido:• Justice / Rectitude / Right Decision• Also means: honor loyalty morality righteousness• Bravery / Courage• Single Character for Courage• Benevolence• Respect (Japanese / Simplified version)• Can also be a sign of gratitude• Honesty• Honor (Japanese / Simplified version)• Loyalty / Faithful / Devoted• Filial Piety• Honesty / Fidelity• Wisdom• (single character)• http://www.orientaloutpost.com/bushido-code-of-

the-samurai.php

• Christian Code of Chivalry:• To fear God and maintain His Church• To serve the liege lord in valour and faith• To protect the weak and defenceless• To give succour to widows and orphans• To refrain from the wanton giving of offence• To live by honour and for glory• To despise pecuniary reward• To fight for the welfare of all• To obey those placed in authority• To guard the honour of fellow knights• To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit• To keep faith• At all times to speak the truth• To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun• To respect the honour of women• Never to refuse a challenge from an equal• Never to turn the back upon a foe• http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/knights-code-of-

chivalry.htm

Did You Know?The wealth of a samurai in feudal Japan was measured in terms of

koku; one koku, supposed to be the amount of rice it took to feed one man for a year, was equivalent to

around 180 liters.

Siddhartha Gautama founded Buddhism in India.Buddhism spread from India, into China, to Korea, and then to Japan.

Four Noble Truths of Buddha

1) Suffering exists2) Suffering arises from attachment to desires (craving)3) Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases4) Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path, a practical guideline to ethical and mental development with the goal of freeing the individual from attachments and delusions leading to an understanding about the truth of all things.http://buddhistblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/hello-world/

Religious Practice in JapanMany people practice the Shinto religion while following Buddha’s philosophy on how to gain wisdom and peace. Above is an image of a Shinto shrine next to a Buddhist temple.

In 1542, Portuguese missionaries bring Christianity to Japan.

• Christianity in Japan

• Nagasaki is best known throughout the world as the city where the second atomic bomb felt on August 1945, but it’s also a city with a fascinating early history of contact with Europeans, much of it tied up with the dramatic events of the ‘Christian Century’. The first contact with Europeans was made by the accidental arrival of an off-course Portuguese ship in 1542. The Jesuit missionary St Francis Xavier landed in Kagoshima in 1549 and arrived in Nagasaki in 1560. “The best people yet discovered,” said Xavier of the Japanese. “… a people who prize honor above all else.” The introduction of Christianity to Japan marked the first important meeting of Japan with the West. Indeed, it was a head-on collision between Western culture--the core of which is Christianity--and Japanese culture with its ancient mix of Shinto, Buddhism and folk religion.

In the year 1542, the first Europeans from Portugal landed on Kyushu in Western Japan. The two historically most important things they imported to Japan were gunpowder and Christianity. The Japanese barons on Kyushu welcomed foreign trade especially because of the new weapons, and, therefore, tolerated the Jesuit missionaries. The missionaries were successful in converting quite large numbers of people in Western Japan including members of the ruling class. In 1550, Francis Xavier also undertook a mission to the capital Kyoto.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2298.html

During the 17th century, Christianity is outlawed by Ieyasu Tokugawa and Christians were forbidden from practicing their religion. Many Christians worshipped in secret. If they were caught, they would be punished and/or killed.

Ieyasu at first encouraged foreign trade with Spain and the Dutch, but in 1609 he began to restrict Japan’s relations with Europe, and in 1614, he signed the Christian Expulsion Edict which banned Christianity, expelled all Christians and foreigners, and banned Christians from practicing their religion in Japan.

In 1868, the feudal period ends. The emperor is restored to power.

1868: The Emperor Meiji and Shinto Return to Power. The feudal period is over. Edo is renamed Tokyo and becomes Japan’s capital. Emperor Meiji begins modernizing the military, and reforms the government and educational system.Shinto becomes the official religion of post-feudal Japan.