JAPAN
GeographyChain of mountainous
islandsFertile volcanic soilsGeographic isolation
led to development of unique culture, belief that destiny separate from other Asians
RISE OF THE JAPANESE STATE
• Early A.D.’s society developed Yamato Plain
• Small aristocratic clans• Large population of farmers• Ruler of Yamato clan unified
clans to resist Chinese• Sent representatives to China to
learn about government• Centralized government limited
power of aristocratic clans• 622 Yamato rule replaced by
Fujiwara family• Power became decentralized
HEIAN PERIOD
• Fujiwara clan ruled Japan• Local aristocrats had local
power• Used military force to
control areas, protect interests
• Military class called samurai
• Samurai lived by warrior code (bushido= way of the warrior)
KAMAKURA SHOGUNATE
• 12th century constant civil war between aristocratic families• Minamoto Yoritomo developed military state ruled
by shogun (general) allowed Japanese to defeat Mongol invasion• 1333 Shogunate overthrown by group of powerful
families
KAMAKURA SHOGUNATE AND THE COLLAPSE OF CENTRAL RULE
• 12th century constant civil war between aristocratic families
• Minamoto Yoritomo developed military state ruled by shogun (general) allowed Japanese to defeat Mongol invasion
• 1333 Shogunate overthrown by group of powerful families
• Noble families (daimyo) controlled land, collected taxes, tribute from farmers
• Relied on samurai for protection• 1500 Japan was ruled by aristocratic
families in constant state of civil war
JAPAN RETURNS TO ISOLATION
• By 1467 the country was separated into hundreds of separate domains
• 1467-1568 known as period of “warring states”
• Samurai took control of feudal states and offered peasants protection for their loyalty
• Warrior chieftains known as daimyo and used samurai as warriors
• Emperor in Kyoto was just a figurehead with no power
• Daimyo lived in fortresses and fought each other for control of land
JAPAN RETURNS TO ISOLATION
• Many daimyo tried to seize and control power• Oda Nobunga –was the first to use soldiers
with muskets to defeat rival samurai (1575)• Toyotomi Hideyoshi- took control and tried
to conquer Korea, when he died the troops returned to Japan (1590)
• 1600 Tonkugawa Ieyasu takes control of country by defeating his rivals and earning the loyalty of other daimyo
• He moved the capital to Edo (Tokyo)• Kept daimyo tamed and helped centralize
power in Japan• To keep daimyo in check he made them live in
the capital every other year and when they were gone they had to leave their families behind as hostages, had them help build his castle in Edo
• Founded Tokugawa Shogunate that held power until 1867
JAPAN RETURNS TO ISOLATION
• Japan enjoyed over 250 years of stability under Tokugawa shoguns
• Farmers produced more food and population rose, even though they lived lives of misery
Society was very structureda. Ruler was shogun and supreme military commanderb. Below him was the landholding daimyo who controlled
samurai warriorsc. Artisans and peasants were next with merchants at the
bottom• 80% of society were peasants• Merchants became more important as the economy expanded• Confucian ideas ruled society and the ideal citizen depended
on agriculture not commerce• However the farmers paid the most in taxes, many abandoned
land and moved to cities for economic opportunity• Mid 1700’s Japan shifted from a rural to an urban society • Edo was the largest city in the world
JAPAN RETURNS TO ISOLATION
• Contact Between Europe and Japan• Europeans began to arrive in the 1500’s• 1543 first Europeans were shipwrecked
Portuguese sailors and merchants soon followed with clocks, tobacco, firearms
• Japanese welcomed traders and missionaries1. Europeans introduced new technologies and
ideas2. Japanese merchants eager to expand their
markets welcomed Europeans3. Daimyo welcomed traders for their guns to gain
an advantage over their rivals• Guns changed the tradition of the Japanese
warrior whose principal weapon was the sword• Cannons changed the way castles were built• Fortified castles attracted merchants and
artisans and caused the growth of towns across Japan
JAPAN RETURNS TO ISOLATION
• 1549 first missionaries came to Japan• Catholic Jesuits, Franciscans and Dominican
missionaries came to convert the Japanese• By 1600 they had converted over 300,000 Japanese• Missionaries teachings went against traditional
Japanese beliefs and by 1612 Christianity was banned and Tokugawa Shoguns focused on ridding the country of them
• 1637 situation came to a head after rebellion led by Christians
• All Christian missionaries were kicked out of China and all Japanese had to demonstrate faithfulness to some branch of Buddhism
JAPAN RETURNS TO ISOLATION
• Persecution just one part of attempt to control foreign ideas• Shoguns did not like the introduction of European ways, but
they wanted European trade• 1639 Japan sealed the borders of the country except one port,
Nagasaki (a man made island in the harbor)• Only Dutch and Chinese were allowed to trade there• Tokugawa shogunate had a monopoly on all trade for over 200
years• During this time Japan remain basically closed to outsiders and
Japanese were forbidden to leave• During this time Japan developed a self-sufficient country free
from European intervention
DEJIMA
JAPANESE CULTURE AND SOCIETY
• Most people were farmers• Manufacturing, trade with China and Korea began
11th centuryRole of Women Some equality with menWomen were writers, poets (prose seen as
“vulgar gossip” by men)
JAPANESE CULTURE AND SOCIETY
• Most people were farmers• Manufacturing, trade with China and Korea
began 11th centuryRole of Women Some equality with menWomen were writers, poets (prose seen as
“vulgar gossip” by men)
ReligionEarly Japanese worshiped kami (spirits)
lived in trees, mountains, streamsAncestors were important Divinity of emperorSacredness of Japanese nation Beliefs evolved into state religion Shinto
(sacred way)
JAPANESE CULTURE AND SOCIETY
• Buddhism came from China 6th century
• Zen Buddhism became most popular sect
• Became part of Samurai code
Zen• Achieve enlightenment
through direct experience, mindfulness of daily activity
• Meditation (zazen)• Study of riddles to answer
life questions (koans)
JAPANESE CULTURE AND SOCIETY
• Art and Architecture reflects harmony with nature and natural surroundings• Landscape
important means of expression