Ancientjapan

By: Josh & Henry

Ancient Japan-Map10,000 BCE- the Jomon period made pottery before agriculture.

300 BCE – The Yayoi brought the beginning of the Shinto religion.

57 CE – They did not have a writing or a political system.

300 CE – The Kofun were illiterate and were ruled by females.

552 CE – Forms alliance with Koreans which imported craftsmen with a Japanese adaption of the Chinese Script for writing.

597 CE – Alliance with Koreans begin to crumble.

710 CE – Empress Koken was the last female ruler in Japan.

Ancient Japan-Background

Even though most of the Japanese culture is mostly , it has a strong relationship with the Chinese culture. Japan avoided all contact with the outside world, a policy which isolated the Japanese Society. This as a result developed in unique ways.

Ancient Japan-Social Structure

Before the 200’s BCE the Japanese wasn't populated with many people. They were still using stone tools and living by hunting, fishing and gathering food that grew in the wild. A new culture called the Yayoi grew against the native people. Around the time of Augustus Caesar, they have reached the Kanto plain where Tokyo would soon be. They raised horses and cows, fished and hunted, and grew rice where ever they could. They acquired the potters wheel using their contacts with the Asian Mainland. This improved their kiln techniques. From China and Korea they imported coins bronze mirrors, bracelets and beads, iron and bronze knives and swords. The population of the Yayoi culture increased rapidly. They were probably healthier than other people in Japan and continued to spread and displace native people.

Ancient Japan-Housing~in ancient Japan there were two

basic types of houses, they were the pit dwelling house. the other was a house with the floor raised above the ground.

~the pit dwelling houses had a big whole dug in the ground and columns were placed in the hole and then surrounded by grass.

~the other house came from the southeast part of japan. this type of house was meant to store grain and other foods so they wouldn't spoil from the heat and humidity.

Ancient Japan-Wealthy Living

In Ancient Japan, like many other ancient countries in Asia, there was an emperor. The Emperor would always be the son of first emperor. When they were young, inheritors were trained specially. They were taught about politics, the military, and other basic skills of a emperor. Emperors of ancient Japan lived in their palace, ate the best foods in the country, and wore clothes made of the finest silk and of the colors of dark purple, black, and sometimes pink. But in another way, Emperors in ancient Japan were different to Emperors in other ancient countries, because they didn’t have that much power like other emperors had. The most powerful man in ancient Japan is a military general, the shogun.

Ancient Japan-Food~Japan is surrounded by the

ocean so there was a lot of fresh sea food to eat. also there were a lot of mountains so they could eat edible wild plants. there was also some seasons of harvesting.

~each season has some vegetables and seafood available that are not available other times of the year. so because of that the people of japan cook those vegetables and stuff that are in time.

Ancient Japan-Family LifeFamilies in ancient Japan

survived by working together in the family business or on the family land. Japanese people believed that the family group was more important than any single person. Family members were supposed to think about their whole family first, before worrying about their own plans and needs. In an ancient Japanese family, all the family members lived in one huge house, usually they had 7 of more family members live together.

Ancient Japan-Marriage ~the main marriage system

durung the age of aristocracy was Muki-iri. a bridegroom would visit his bride at her home, only after the birth of a child or the loss of his parents was she allowed in his house.

~another system was called Yome-iri, this was when the women were married into mens families.

Ancient Japan-ChildbirthA month before birth, a woman would leave her husband, return to her parents home and give birth top the child. Her family would take care of her for one month then she'd return to her husband

with the child. A woman wears a cotton abdomen band called a Iwata-obi, after the fifth month of pregnancy. It is given by her family for protection, good luck and an easy birth. After birth, a “seventh night” is held or the celebration of naming. On this day the child is named and introduced to the world, even though the baby does not leave the house for one month. On the baby's first birthday, various tools are placed in the path of the crawling child.. Items like a sickle, an abacus or a writing brush can tell the future profession of the infant by which one it chooses to play with.

Ancient Japan-ChildhoodThe Childhood in ancient Japan

is simple and busy. They had to help in the farmyard, fields, and households. They didn’t have much time for education like we do. Instead of school, many of them would just learn stuff at home from their mom and dad. For boys, they might have chance to be trained to become a samurai when they were still at a young age. For girls, their mother and older sisters taught them how to do households and how to be a good bride.

Ancient Japan-Comparing Childhood

The Childhood in ancient Japan is simple and busy, it is also similar in Canada. In Ancient Japan, they had to help in the farmyard, fields, and households. In Canada, different parents will give their children chores to do. They didn’t have much time for education like we do. Instead of school, many of them would just learn stuff at home from their mom and dad. For boys, they might have chance to be trained to become a samurai when they were still at a young age. For girls, their mother and older sisters taught them how to do households and how to be a good bride. There is nothing like this in Canada kids choose what they want to be and study to reach their goal.

Ancient Japan-Education The academic achievement of Japanese students is extremely high by international standards. Japanese children consistently rank at or near the top in successive international tests of mathematics. The system is characterized by high enrolment and retention rates throughout. The structure does not consist exclusively of government-sponsored, formal official education institutions. Private education also forms an important part of the educational landscape, and the role of schools outside the official school system can not be ignored. Japanese children are taught and trained in the traditional arts both within the school system and outside. Instruction in music, calligraphy, flower arrangement, and the tea ritual may begin at home, but soon the child studies with a skilled teacher. Only the martial arts, such as judo or Japanese fencing (kendo), are generally limited to men. Men often practice the other arts as well. An early introduction to different expressions in Japanese heritage lead to lead to support for traditional cultural values and the appreciation throughout society of artistic qualities.

Ancient Japan-Religion The 2 most common relions in Japan are

Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto is Japan's natural religion, and is practiced by about 51% of the population. Shinto originated in prehistoric times, as a religion with respect for nature and in particular certain sacred sites. These sites may have originally been used to worship the sun, rock formations, trees and even sounds. Each of these developed in the course of time. Shinto means "the way of the gods". Especially important is the act of purification before visiting shrines. Buddhism first arrived to Japan in the sixth century, from the Southern part of the Korean peninsula kingdom of Baekje. The Baekje king sent the Japanese emperor a picture of the Buddha and some sutras. Japanese aristocrats built many Buddhist statues and temples in the capital at Nara, and then at the later capital of Heian (now Kyoto).

Ancient Japan- Common God

~bishamon is the god of war. he protects people from people and diseases.

~he is always seen with his amour and spear.

~bishamon was apart of the shichi fukujin, the 7 gods of luck that brought longevity, popularity, amiability, fortune, magnanimity, dignity.

~his powers were superhuman strength knowledge of the mystical arts.

Ancient Japan-Clothing Japan wore many clothes

that looked the same as the Chinese. Japanese Yoro Clothing Code had brought clothing restrictions that are believed to have been completely influenced by the Chinese Tang codes. According to the experts this is not a surprising finding, as the Japanese are known to have established large scale trade relations with the nations surrounding them. During this time this is when Kimono came to be worn as left over right wrapping.

Ancient Japan-Art/Music ~Japanese art consisted of

pottery, sculptures, ink paintings, and watercolour and many more.

~sometimes other art has been introduced to japan, while other times it shut itself out from the rest of the world.

~within time japanese artists took foreign ideas and put it with their stuff too.

Ancient Japan-FestivalsOne of the festivals the that Japanese celebrate is Japanese New Year. It isnt the same as the New Year’s here in North America. It is the complete oppositeTV is dull, dull, dull. Shops are closed. Videos rental shelves (for those that are open) are raped and empty. Streets are deserted. Until recently up to 10% of the whole population of Japan would celebrate the Japanese New Year by running like crazy to the airport to get out of the country. Millions still do though, since Japanese are given extremely few chances to go abroad in the year, the Japanese festivals are quiet and dull, and escaping the bitter cold of the season is a nice idea.

Ancient Japan-Conclusion~So in all the ancient japanese had a very

interesting culture because they were an island nation and had mostly their own ideas on things. there were lots of different interesting things from the art, to the gods, and food that grew.

Info Bibliography http://www.angelfire.com/games5/platinumalchemist/earl

yheian.html , http://www.fsmitha.com/h1/ch28ja.htm, http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/culture/marriage_history.html, http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/japan/food-h/food_history.html, http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/house/house02.html, http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/article/Japan/Ancient-Japanese-Art/1401, http://www.buzzle.com/articles/ancient-japanese-gods.html, Rex Shelly/Teo Chuu Yong/Russel Mok, Cultures of Japan, Tarry Town, NY, 1990, Marshall Cavendish Corporation

Picture Bibliography http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Child_birth_in_Japan_(di

splay).jpg - Slide 10, http://flickr.com/photos/st3f4n/2750434633/ - Slide 16, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kanagawa_highschool_class.jpg – Slide 13, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Japanese_family_01.jpg – Slide 8, http://flickr.com/photos/79511840@N00/17314910 - Slide 11, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emperor_Taisho_of_Japan.jpg – Slide 6, http://flickr.com/photos/bigberto/2036504600/ - Slide 14, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_altar_of_the_Japanese_Buddhism-style_funeral,saidan,japan.jpg – Slide 14, http://flickr.com/photos/79511840@N00/17314959 - Slide 12, http://flickr.com/photos/tobreatheasone/3691652840/ - Slide 12,

Picture Bibliography 2http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/house/house02.html -

Slide 5, http://www.flickr.com/photos/8363028@N08/3433981774/ - Slide 7, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_japanese_Wedding-J._M._W._Silver.jpg – Slide 9, http://www.flickr.com/photos/howcheng/3303103850/ - Slide 15, http://www.flickr.com/photos/bellatrix6/167727020/ - Slide 17, http://www.flickr.com/photos/13884016@N08/2663460714 - Slide 19, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ancient_Japan_provinces_map_japanese.gif – Slide 2, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Musashi_ts_pic.jpg – Slide 1