Transcript Japan - ryanworldhistory

Section 4- The Emergence of
Japan and the Feudal Age
p. 387-395
Geography of Japan
• Islands situated on a archipelago (chain of
islands)
• 100 miles off the coast of Asia, east of Korea
• 4 main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and
Shikoku
• Seas have both protected and isolated Japan
• Islands lie on the Ring of Fire
– tsunamis
Early Traditions
• Japanese clans or uji
– Each had a chief and a special god or
goddess
– Some clan leaders were women
– Yamato clan dominate around 500 A.D.
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First and only dynasty of Japan
Claim descent from the sun goddess (Amaterasu)
Rising sun as symbol
Emperor seen as living god
Japanese Religion: Shinto
• Indigenous religion of Japan
• Means “way of the kami”
• Kami are superior powers that
are natural or divine
- Not an international religion
Statue of a Shinto god, from Kyoogokokuji Temple
in Kyoto, Japan. The piece dates from between the
eighth and 12th centuries.
Shinto Shrine
Japanese relations with China
• In the 600s, Prince Shotoku sent young nobles
to study China directly
• Japanese imported Chinese:
– Technology, arts, government, language, clothes,
food, tea, tea ceremony, music, dance, gardens,
Buddhism, Confucianism
– Japan exercised selective borrowing- kept some
Chinese ways but discarded or modified others
– Enthusiasm for all things Chinese eventually died
down
• Japan spent 400 years digesting all they had gained from
China and made it uniquely Japanese
• Added kana- phonetic symbols representing syllables
Heian Period
• How does style convey a message about a
person??
• Capital at Heian (Kyoto) during this period
• WOMEN shaped the culture and style of court
life
• Wealthy families like the Fujiwara had the real
power during this period
• Women also wrote the most important works of
literature
– Lady Murasaki wrote The Tale of Genji
Warriors Establish Feudalism
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Question From The Video
How did the samurai use military
technology to maintain and increase their
power?
Answer
• The samurai sword was hard enough to
hold a sharp edge and flexible enough to
absorb blows.
• Samurai made their armor from flexible
materials that helped cushion a sword’s
blow.
• The samurai adopted guns from
Europeans. They built large, strong
castles throughout Japan.
Warrior Period
• Shogun- supreme military commander
– He distributed land to his vassals or daimyo
– Daimyo granted land to lesser lords called
samurai meaning “those who serve”
– Samurai followed a code called bushido that
governed all aspects of their life
– The wife of a samurai were required to share
the same hardships as her husband
Tokugawas unite Japan
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Importance of samurai wanes (lessens)
Named after Tokugawa Ieyasu
They wanted to end feudal warfare
Build strong central government
Centralized feudalism
Capital moves to Edo (Tokyo)
Kept close watch on daimyo and their families
Economy flourishes during this period
Zen Buddhism
• Emphasized self-reliance, meditation, and
devotion to duty
• Importance of nature
• Uncluttered mind
• “not knowing”
Enso
New Drama Develops
• Noh Plays- all male cast, sparse scenery,
carved masks, very slow action, reflected
Zen Buddhist themes
• Kabuki- less refined then Noh plays,
some comedy, more scenery and color
Noh Play
Kabuki
Onnagata- males playing female roles