JAPAN: LAND OF THE RISING SUN

Ch. 14

Japan: Geography Japan consists of a chain of islands off the

coast of China. It is composed of four main islands

Hokkaido Honshu Shikoku Kyushu

Japan: Geography Most of Japan is covered by mountains. About 188 of Japans mountains are volcanoes. Japan experiences a lot of seismic activity each

year. Because of the mountains, only about 20% of

Japan’s land can be farmed. Traditionally this land is the most fought over.

Japan: Geography Because of the geography of the islands,

many people have to live by the sea. This allowed Japanese people to easily

travel down the coast to see one another. However, it also kept them separated from other cultures for many years.

As a result, Japan developed its own society, art, economy, and culture.

Jomon The first people in the country of Japan

were called the Jomon. They came to the islands around 10000

B.C. Most of what we know about them comes

from artifacts and pottery. They were mostly nomadic hunters that

followed game onto the islands.

Yayoi Around 300 B.C., a new culture appeared in

Japan. They were called the Yayoi. These are the ancestors of the modern day

Japanese. They had may skills that they had learned over

time from the Chinese and the Koreans. They were skilled at many thing including

metalworking and the making of religious bells.

Yayoi cont. The Yayoi organized themselves into clans. This was very similar to the clan design that

many Japanese still have today. They buried their leaders in large mounds

known as kofun. These kofun were larger than the Egyptian

pyramids.

Beginning of time Just as every other culture has, the Japanese

has a myth about the beginning of time. They believe that at the beginning of time two

gods dipped their wooden spears into the ocean and as drops of seawater fell off of them the islands of Japan were formed.

These two gods then made the sun goddess Amaterasu, and the storm god Susanowo to rule over the earth.

Susanowo: Susanowo is supposedly

the father of the Japanese people.

Amaterasu sent her grandson to rule over them. She gave him a jewel and a sword to help him rule.

These are still symbols of leadership in Japan today.

Beginning of modern day Japan Around A.D. 500, the Yamato clan became

strong enough to rule Japan. The other clans still held their land, but had

to give their loyalty to the Yamato. Legend says that a Yamato leader named

Jimmu, took the name “emperor of heaven.” He founded a line of rulers in Japan that has not been broken to this day.

Shotoku He was a Yamato emperor who took charge of the

government from his aunt. He wanted to create a more powerful government

and he looked to China for guidance. He created a constitution. He also created a bureaucracy where the emperor

was able to appoint officials. He made Japan’s government similar to China. This was the first strong central government in

Japan.

Shinto Japanese believed that all things have their

own spirit. This idea is called animism. In order to worship these spirits, the

Japanese built shrines. These early Japanese beliefs developed

into the religion of Shinto. Shinto means “way of the spirits.”

                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                 

Nara Period In A.D. 700 the Japanese emperor moved

the capital of Japan to Nara. It stayed in this city for around 100 years. The city itself is molded after the then capital of China at Changan.

During this period Buddhist culture came into Japan and the emperors continued to improve and organize the government.

Heian Period This period began in 794 A.D. when the

capital was moved to Kyoto. This move came on the heels of an attempt

by Buddhist to take over the government. Kyoto would remain the capital of Japan

for over 1000 years.

Rulers During the Heian Period During this period the Japanese rulers became

much weaker. A number of weak emperors took the throne

during this period and many of the emperor were still children when they took the crown.

Regents had to stand in for these young rulers, and may of the rulers spent most of their time writing poetry and studying instead of ruling.

The rulers no longer had real power.

Power Shift As the emperor became less powerful,

noble and landowners became more powerful.