Japan 1000YEARS
Feb 23, 2016
Japan1000YEARS
JapanGeography
Made up of mountains and volcanoes rising out of the Pacific OceanOnly 20% is flat land
Eat seafood because of their close proximity to the sea/ocean
Separated from other people in Asia and developed their own culture
Japan
JapanLocated 100 miles from Korea and 400
from ChinaFour Main Islands
Hokkaido in the northHonshu, the biggestShikoku, south of HonshuKyushu, southern most main island
JapanEarly Japanese Society
Two CulturesThe Ainu
From Siberia (eastern Russia)When they invaded they were driven to the
northern island of HokkaidoTheir culture has disappeared
JapanThe Japanese
Lived south of the AinuVillages were ruled by powerful extended families
called clansClans are ruled by a chief
Political and religious leaders believed to be descended from nature spirits called kamiLed rituals to honor ancestorsThese rituals became the Japanese traditional
religion of Shinto
JapanNot all clans were equal with some larger
and more powerful with armies that battled each other for control
The Yamato clan on Honshu claimed to be descended from the most powerful kami, the goddess of the sunBy the 500s, the Yamato expanded their
rule all over HonshuStarted to call themselves the emperors of
all Japan
JapanShinto
Everything in nature has kamiSun, moon, trees, waterfalls, and animals
Kami help people live and keep them from harm
Build shrines to kami and hold ceremonies to ask kami to bless them
Japan
JapanThe Japanese Renaissance500s brought a temporary end to the isolation of Japanese culture
Sent representatives to Korea and China to learn about the outside world
JapanWritten LanguageJapanese learned how to write from the Koreans and Chinese
Used Chinese symbols and language for decades before the Japanese written language was created
JapanReligion and Philosophy
Prince ShotokuRuled Japan for his
aunt as regentSent scholars to learn about Chinese societyJapan adopted ConfucianismAs a Buddhist, Shotoku also worked to
expand Buddhism’s popularity including building a massive Buddhist temple
JapanGovernment
Shotoku also wanted to copy the Chinese government with a powerful emperor
Clan leaders did not allow this as it would take away their power
Japan1. What types of landforms cover most of
Japan?2. How did emperors take power in Japan?3. What aspects of Chinese society did
Shotoku bring to Japan?4. What do you think was the most
important idea the Japanese borrowed from China or Korea? Why?
JapanJapanese Heian Era
Emperors moved the imperial court, nobles who live and serve near or advise a ruler, to Heian (modern day Kyoto) in southern Honshu
The rich nobles surrounded themselves with art and supported many artists
Heian became a center for learning and arts in the golden age from 794 to 1185AD
JapanFashion
Women wore multi-layered silk robes and gold jewelry
Usually elaborate decorative fans were a part of their attire
JapanLiterature
Women contributed much to early Japanese literature because men wrote in Chinese
Lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote The Tale of Genji, considered to be the world’s first full-length novelThe story describes a prince in
search of love meeting women from different social classes along the way
JapanPoetry reading parties were held for men and
womenPoetry usually only had
five lines, or less, and was about love and nature
A popular poetry structure from Japan is HaikuContains three lines, the
first and last line containing only 5 syllables and the middle containing 7
Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)
Autumn moonlight –a worm digs silently
into the chestnut.Old pond
a frog jumpsthe sound of water
JapanVisual Art
PaintingsLiked bright, bold colors that illustrated
stories, such as from The Tales of Genji, and from Buddhism, nature, and court life
CalligraphyDecorated poetry and stories with ornate
calligraphy
JapanArchitecture
Modeled Heian after Chang’an with temples and palaces
The wooden structures’ frames were slightly curved upward on the endsWood was left unpainted for a more natural
feelLike large open spaces inside their buildings,
and gardens and ponds outside
JapanBuddhism Changes
Rich nobles in Japan had elaborate rituals while poor commoners could not afford such ritualsPure Land Buddhism
Chanted the name of Buddha over and over to reach enlightenment
JapanZen Buddhism
Neither faith nor good behavior led to wisdom
Practiced self-discipline and meditation
Japan1. Where did Japan’s court move in the late
700s?2. How was religion among Japan’s nobles
different from religion among the common people?
3. Why is Lady Murasaki important?4. What forms of art were popular in the
Heian period?
JapanRead an excerpt from The Tale of Genji on
pages 452-3.1. According to the passage, what specific
arts did Japanese nobles enjoy?2. What details suggest that Japanese
nobles lived lives of luxury?3. After reading this passage, what is your
overall impression of Japanese court life?
JapanOutside of Heian life was different for
the rest of JapanNobles fought each other and rebelsThe fighting destroyed farm landPoor became bandits or thieves
JapanSamurai
The daimyo, wealthy landowners, decided they needed to protect their own land since the emperor was distracted by courtly lifeHired samurai, trained professional warriors, to
defend them and their propertyWore light armor and fought with swords and
bowsSome samurai positions were inherited
JapanSamurai means servantThey were to serve the daimyos, or lords,
and be loyal to the emperorSamurai armies were expensive so many
lords paid them with food, and land for the greatest samuraiUsually paid in rice
JapanShoguns
Two clans frustrated with the government fought for 30 years with Minamoto clan winningThey decided to rule the country, but keep the
emperor as a figurehead, controlling Japan in the emperor’s place
The Minamoto leader became known as the Shogun, ruling for the next 700 years
JapanBushido
Means “the way of the warrior”Samurai code of rules (similar to the
chivalry codes of European knights)Must be respectedCannot go to the theaterCould not take part in a businessBe brave and honorable fighters
JapanMust live simple, disciplined livesMost important: must be loyal to their lord and
obey without hesitation even if it harmed his familyObedience was their sense of honorIf honor was lost, suicide was expected instead
of living in dishonorShameful acts might even include losing a
fight, disobeying an order, or failing to protect his lord
JapanModern-day Japanese Bushido
Today Japanese still respect the code of BushidoValues of loyalty and honor are still at the core
of Japanese culture
JapanMongol Invasion
Samurai were sent to fight the small group of Mongol soldiers that made it to KyushuThe “divine wind” (kamikaze) storm saved
Japan twice from invasionAfter the invasion attempt, the emperor started
to want his power backShogun wanted more power, and the nobles
wanted to get rid of the shogun
JapanSmall wars broke out all over JapanBy the 1400s, each daimyo controlled his own
land independently with no central powerOda Nobunaga began to unify Japan using guns
for the first timeLater Tokugawa Ieyasu was made shogun by
the emperorThe Tokugawa Shogunate moved the capital to
Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and allowed trade with Europe
JapanIsolation
Later shoguns did not want European influence and closed off Japan from the rest of the world
Also banned guns as they feared peasants with guns rebelling
This extended the samurai period until the 1800s
Japan1. What was the relationship between
the samurai and the daimyo?2. What was bushido?3. What strong leaders worked to unify
Japan in the late 1500s?4. Why did later shoguns not allow
guns?