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Early Japan Prehistory to 794CE

Early Japan Prehistory to 794CE. Main Idea of Lecture:. Interaction between local and imported elements of culture How much of Japan is Japanese?. Geography. Four Main Islands Hokkaido Honshu Shikoku Kyushu. Part I - Paleolithic Culture. Paleolithic (Old Stone Age)

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Early Japan Prehistory to 794CE

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  1. Early Japan Prehistory to 794CE

  2. Main Idea of Lecture: • Interaction between local and imported elements of culture • How much of Japan is Japanese?

  3. Geography • Four Main Islands • Hokkaido • Honshu • Shikoku • Kyushu

  4. Part I - Paleolithic Culture • Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) • 35,000 years ago, no human presence • Hunter/gatherer societies – simple stone tools • Peopling of Japan • Land bridges linked to continent • Jomon Culture - Ainu • Yayoi Culture – Horse Rider Theory

  5. Ainu • “Ainu” means human

  6. Jōmon (Neolithic) Culture • New Stone Age • Bows, arrows, and traps • Growing reliance on seafood • Agriculture • Villages grow in population • Distinctive Pottery • Jomon means “rope pattern” – characteristic markings on pottery

  7. Jomon Pottery

  8. Jomon Statues

  9. Jomon Living Patterns • Agriculture appears 5000 BC • hunting and gathering sustenance • Larger villages • Pit-dwellings with roofs of wood or thatch • Larger buildings - communal storehouses

  10. Yayoi Culture • Around 500 BCE • Distinctive pottery • named after part of Tokyo where it was first discovered. • New Technologies • Iron and bronze • Glassmaking • Weaving • Woodworking • Intensive agriculture

  11. Horse-rider Theory • Yayoi and Early Tomb Periods was agricultural • Late Tomb Period was realist and warlike • Change was facilitated by increased use of/proliferation of the horse

  12. Political and Social Developments • Rise of Japanese Civilization (Complex Society) • Division of Labor • Class stratification • Agrarian, militaristic, hierarchical • Small political units headed by chiefs • Invested as “kings of wa” by Chinese • Queen Himiko of Yamatai

  13. The Tomb Period • Kofun – ancient burial mounds • Korean Connection • Keyhole shape • increasingly powerful kings • Haniwa - clay figures made for ritual use, buried with the dead

  14. Haniwa

  15. The Yamato Kings • Relationship between wealth and power • Agricultural production increased due to imported technologies - China • Creation of surplus allowed for trade and class divisions • Huge tombs indicate political differentiation and allegiances

  16. II. The Emergence of the Japanese State and Elite Culture Kofun Period 300-710 C.E.

  17. Korean Backgrounds • Japan & Three Kingdoms • Writing and use of Chinese Characters • Buddhism

  18. Late Tomb Period • Yamato kings and local chiefs • Complex web of allegiance/fealty • Loosely centralized political order • Korean Connection • transmitters of ideas/material culture • military in Korea • 7th century wars in Korea stimulated immigration to Japan.

  19. The Seventh-Century Transition (the Asuka Period) • Soga clan seize power at Court • Maintain power by marrying daughters to kings • Increased symbolic power of Yamato court • Queen Suiko and Prince Shotoku • Transformation of court and society • Assumed title of emperor

  20. Coup d’etat • Non-Soga prince ascends the Throne (Tenji) • Conspires with Nakatomi no Kamatari (Fujiwara) • Assassinates Soga clan leaders • Begin State Building • Strengthen throne • Structures of taxation/administration • Build palace/capital

  21. Unification of Korea • Sui defeated three times by Koguryo; contributes to Sui downfall • Tang/Silla alliance • Yamato court sends troops to defend Paekche; defeated at Battle of Paekchon River • 668 a.d. Peninsula unified under Silla

  22. Taika (Great Change) Reforms “Japan” is created - 645 C.E. • Foreign threat inspiring domestic reforms • Fortified potential invasion routes • Program of institution building • Bureaucracy based on written documents • Formal taxation • Extend control over outlying areas • Compilation of legal codes & histories • Creation of political title of emperor (tenno) and the country (Nihon)

  23. Documents Structures and Literature • Taiho codes • Military campaigns to bring many regions into fold • Histories • Kojiki • Nihon shoki • Poetry • Man’yoshu

  24. End of the Nara Period • Marriage Politics backfires • Shomu had no male heir • Daughter ascends as Empress Koken/Shotoku • Attempted to abdicate in favor of Buddhist Priest • Dual Threat • Fujiwara • Buddhism • Kanmu moves capital from Nara to Kyoto 784 C.E.

  25. Nara as a Center and Symbol • Permanent capital • Modeled on Chang’an • Religious Center • Massive state sponsorship of Buddhism and Shinto • Legitimized new state • Todaiji

  26. Inside Todaiji

  27. Heian Period (794-1192) • Period of peace and security under the Heian Dynasty • Floursihing of culture • Included with Nara Japan (710-794) as “Classical Japan”

  28. Heian Period (794-1192) • Nara Period marked by struggles over the throne • Capital was moved to Kyoto in 795 • Heian-kyō(平安京 "tranquility and peace capital") • Kyoto(京都 "capital city") • Struggles for throne ceased but Japan was still not united under one government

  29. Heian Period (794-1192) • Power began to accumulate under the Fujiwara clan due to ties with government and money • 300 years of influence • Court thrived with stability

  30. Heian Period (794-1192) • Began to develop: • culture independent of Chinese influence • Own system of writing (hiragana) • Court culture that was unique to Japan with outlined values: • Miyabi – courtliness • Makoto – simplicity • Aware – sensitivity/sorrow • Mainly practiced/forged among wealthy women’s communities

  31. Heian Period (794-1192) • Greatest classic of Japanese literature written during this time • Genji Monogatari – Tales of Genji • by Murasaki Shikibu • "purple wisteria blossom“ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_Genji

  32. Heian Period (794-1192) • Government solidified reforms of Nara Period • Tenno – Divine Emperor • Ruled by Mandate of Heaven and direct decendant of Shinto Sun Goddess, Amaterasu • Imperial line unbroken

  33. Heian Period (794-1192) • Government still based on T’ang Chinese model of hierarchy • Allowed clans in power to ultimately control the emperor • Problems: • China was urban populations of 65 million • Japan was mostly rural with a population of 5 million

  34. Heian Period (794-1192) • Result: • emperor ruled only in name • Court government was manly concerned with court life • Outlying 66 provinces were not greatly influenced by the government • Rural and isolated regions still followed local leaders • Government tried to fix this by replacing regional chiefs with court appointed governors (which usually did as they pleased.)

  35. Heian Period (794-1192) • Emergence of the Samurai

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