Transcript JAPAN AND KOREA

JAPAN AND KOREA
Geography of Japan
• 4,000 Islands form an
archipelago
▫ Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku,
Kyushu
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Mild climate, plenty of rain
Mountainous
Scarce resources
Only 12% of land is suitable
for farming
Japanese Religion
• Shinto -- “the way of the gods”
▫ Respect for forces of nature
▫ Worship of ancestors
▫ Kami – spirits that dwelled in nature
• Buddhism
▫ Spread to Japan by Korean travelers
▫ Emperor adopts Buddhism in mid 700’s
▫ By 800’s – 900’s Buddhism and Shinto religions
combine with each other
Japanese Culture
• Buddhism led to interest in Chinese culture
• Japanese adopted Chinese
▫ Writing style
▫ Painting
▫ Cooking and drinking
• Japanese tried civil-service system---FAIL
• Japan still created their own culture
Heian Period
• Capital moves to Heian (currently known as Kyoto)
• Rules dictated every day life
• Focus on etiquette and the arts
Japanese Government
• Emperor
▫ Clans fought for power
▫ Emperor was only a figurehead—very little power
▫ Ruling clan was power behind the emperor
Feudalism in Japan
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After the Heian period, Fujiwara family lost power
Central government collapsed
Large landowners built private armies
Lawlessness on seas and in countryside
People traded land for protection
Local land owners rule small areas, most people
are poor and must work for land owners as
peasants.
Samurai Warriors
• Warriors loyal to the land owners
• Bushido Code
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The way of the warrior
Reckless courage
Reverence for the gods
Fairness and generosity
Honor
Dying in battle more
Important than long life
Shogun
• Major civil war ends with Yoritomo
becoming Shogun— “Supreme
general of the emperor’s army”
• Emperor still a figurehead
• Real power resides in military
dictator
Effect of Mongol Attack
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Mongols attack twice
Kamikaze destroys 2nd fleet
Shogun’s go broke defending against Mongols
Samurai don’t get paid, shift loyalties back to
local lords
• Fought against each other
KOREA
• Geography
▫ Located on a peninsula
▫ Surrounded by mountains
▫ Little farmable land
• Religion
▫ Buddhist
• Culture
▫ Borrowed from Chinese
▫ Civil Service system – little social mobility
Dominated by the Mongols
• Mongols exact tribute from Korea
▫ 20,000 horses
▫ Clothing for 1 million soldiers
▫ Slaves – children and artisans
• Mongols lose power
▫ China dominates Korea over time