Transcript ANCIENT_JAPAN

ANCIENT
JAPAN:
SAVAGE BEAUTY
When you think of Japan, you think
of…
Or…
Maybe…
Or…
Possibly…
• Japan began as a violent, mostly lawless
country
• Despite the violent chaos, there was
always time to enjoy the beauty of their
surroundings
Early People
• Where did they come from??
• 1st Japanese people did not look like what
we would call “Japanese”
• Ainu- mostly Animists
• Animist- believe in spirits in nature…”God
of the river,” “God of the wind,” etc.
• 2nd and 1st Centuries B.C. “Asian-looking”
people crossed the Korea Strait to Japan
• Taught natives to grow rice in “paddies”
• Weave cloth
• “Smelt” iron to make weapons and tools
• Chinese travelers arrive 200’s AD
• 250 AD fierce horsemen come from the
mainland and take over
• “odd” sort of Monarchy:
• Emperor didn’t have total power
• “Prime Minister-type figure had the most
power…
• Prime Minister chose next in line (not
necessarily the oldest)
Chaos
• Outlaws
• Barbarians
• No written language/ only a few knew how
to read Chinese
Chinese Influence
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550s AD Japan notices Chinese customs:
Writing
Politics
Structure
They embraced everything that was
Chinese
Religion: Animism vs. Shinto vs.
Buddhism
• Always had a strong bond with nature
(Animism)
• Wanted to maintain their warrior past
(Shinto)
• Became interested in the afterlife, higher
beings (Buddhism)
• Many different versions of Buddhism by
this time…some focused on morality,
some on gods and heaven, some in magic
“Create your own religion”
• “The Japanese Way” Take ideas from
multiple places and tinker with them until
they suit your needs
• You will see this common idea throughout
Japanese history
• The Japanese are not known for many
inventions, yet they ARE known for
producing some of the BEST products.
The First City
• There had been no cities until the 8th
Century
• Shinto beliefs said that when the emperor
died, the place he lived was “unclean”
• New emperor lived in a new place
Nara
• The first city
• Built using the model of Chang’an
Kyoto
• Capital in the late 700s
• Means “the capital”
• Was the capital for 1000 years
Heian Age
• Time where Japan tried to model
themselves after the Chinese in
government, language, customs, etc.
Feudal Japan
Shoguns
• Emperor system was not working after the
Heian Age
• New system with multiple landlords in
different areas
• Landlords were called “Shoguns”
• 1st shogun was Minamoto Yoritomo
Samurai Warriors
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Special forces= “Samurai”
Samurai were sent in to do the “dirty work”
Collect taxes, eliminate enemies, etc
Code of the warrior= Bushido
“The way of the warrior” or “Warrior spirit”
Complete loyalty to the Shogun and their
job
“The Best”
• How could you tell if a Samurai was “The
Best” at what he did??
• Could slice a person in half in one swipe
from the collarbone to the groin
• AND the person would take one step
before falling apart
The Samurai Sword
• Only specialized “masters” could make
them
• About 6 remain in Japan today
• “laser” sharp
• Extra-long handle so you could use two
hands
• Almost like a baseball bat…except hands
apart
Savages???
• Violent in battle, yet very sophisticated
when not at work.
• The Tea Ceremony
Tea Ceremony
• Very precise set up and procedure
• Very serious
• calming
“Honor”
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Honor meant everything.
Loss of honor meant no reason to go on.
Loss in battle
Shogun losing his position
Being captured by an enemy
Disclaimer
• The information you are about to read/
hear is factual, and in no way does it
represent any sort of encouragement
toward the idea of suicide.
Hiri Kiri
• Pronounced Har-ee Kar-ee
• Hiri= abdomen
• Kiri= cut
Seppuku
• Same as Hiri kiri (abdominal cut)
• Chinese adaptation of a 2nd person to cut
off head*
• *depended on certain factors
• **2nd person would actually be a luxury
Ritual Suicide
Thought of suicide not originally present in
Japanese culture
More concerned about “living life”
Idea came from Buddhist beliefs of an
afterlife
European contact
• Portuguese show up in the mid-1500s
• Introduce guns and Christianity
• Does not go well
Isolation
• Japan closes its doors to the outside world
in the mid 1600s
JAPANESE ART FORMS
• Noh drama
• Kabuki theatre
• Bunraku theatre
Noh drama
Kabuki theatre
Bunraku theatre