MEDIEVAL JAPAN

1. MEDIEVAL JAPAN Early Japan

2. Geography • Japan is a chain of islands numbering more than 3,000 • The four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu • Many are volcanic islands that rose from the ocean floor • There are many earthquakes

3. The Islands of Japan

4. Only about 20% of the land can be farmed due to the many mountains • Many Japanese turned to the sea for a living • Made it easy to travel along the coast and from island to island by sea • Ocean kept the Japanese people isolated by setting Japan apart from rest of world • Developed its own independent society with its own religion, literature and government

5. The First Settlers • Hunter-gatherers arrived in Japan from northeast Asia about 30,000 years ago • Yayoi people appeared about 300 B.C. • Yayoi are ancestors of the Japanese people • Made pottery on potter’s wheel, grew rice in paddies

6. Made axes, knives, and hoes from iron • Made swords, spears, and bells from bronze • By A.D. 300, organized into clans led by small group of warriors • Warriors protected people in return for portion of rice harvest • Burried their chiefs with some possessions in large mounts called kofun

7. Yayoi Pottery

8. The Yamato • During the A.D. 500s, the Yamato clan ruled most of Japan • Chiefs claimed to be descendants of the sun goddess giving them the right to rule Japan • Legend claims that Jimmu was the first emperor of Japan • Akihito, today’s Japanese emperor, is a direct descendant of the Yamato

9. EMPEROR JIMMU

10. Prince Shotoku’s Reforms • A.D. 600 Yamato prince Shotoku took over in place of his aunt, empress Suiko • Created a constitution, or a plan of government • It gave all power to the emperor

11. Created a bureaucracy with the emperor appointing all officials • Sent officials and students to China to study • Learned about Buddhism, Chinese art, medicine, and philosophy through Korea • Shotoku ordered Buddhist temples and monasteries built in Japan • Horyuji is oldest of these and the world’s oldest wooden building

12. The Taika Reforms • A.D. 646, the Yamato began the Taika or Great Change • Divided Japan into provinces run by officials reporting to the emperor • All land came under the control of the emperor • Clan leaders could direct the farmers, but could not collect taxes • Together with Shotoku’s reforms, created Japan’s first strong central government

13. Shinto • Early Japanese believed all natural things are alive • Nature’s spirits were called kami • They worshipped at shrines, holy places • Early beliefs developed into the Japanese religion called shinto, meaning the “way of the spirits”

14. Nara • Early 700s, built new capital city of Nara • Center of government and religion • Called the Nara period • Looked much like China’s capital with broad streets, public squares, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines

15. Emperor’s Government • Emperors organized government officials into ranks • Emperors gave jobs to nobles from powerful families • Officials could pass on their jobs to a son or other relatives • Officials received large estates (farms) and farmers to work the land in return for their services

16. Government census counted all people in the country and a list of lands • All land owners had to pay taxes in rice or silk • Men counted in the census had to serve in the army

17. Spread of Buddhism • Came to Japan from Korea in the A.D. 500s • Government officials and nobles were first to accept Buddhism • Soon became a major religion

18. Some nobles who opposed Buddhism fought with Buddhist for control • 700s a Buddhist monk tried to take control of the throne • Emperor and his family briefly turned away from Buddhism

19. Rise of the Shogun • A.D. 794, Emperor Kammu moved the capital to Heian, which became known as Kyoto • Remained the official capital for more than 1,000 years

20. Government Weakens • A.D. 800s, there were a number of weak emperors • Many were still children, and court officials ruled as regents (a person who rules in place of a monarch) • The regents refused to give up power after the emperors reached maturity

21. Most regents were from the Fujiwara clan • Emperors spent time studying Buddhism or writing poetry • Other nobles gained control of much of land in provinces

22. Government gave provincial nobles land in return for their work • Nobles stopped paying taxes • Nobles began collecting more taxes from the peasants in order to govern their lands

23. The Samurai • Nobles formed private armies • Warriors were given land by nobles in return for services • These warriors became known as samurai

24. They fought on horseback with swords, daggers, and bows and arrows • Wore armor of leather or steel • Samurai means “one who serves” • Bushido-code of conduct meaning “the way of the warrior” • Samurai had to be devoted to his master, courageous, loyal, and honorable

25. Wealth was unimportant and looked down on merchants • Rather die in battle than betray his lord or be captured

26. Shogun • Early 1100s powerful Japanese families fought each other using samurai armies • Fought to get land and gain control of government • 1180-Gempei War between the two most powerful clans: The Taira and the Minamoto

27. MinamotoYoritomo was head of the clan • Yoritomo won war • Emperor decided to reward Yoritomo to keep him loyal • 1192, emperor gave him title of shogun, military ruler of Japan

28. Emperor remained in his palace in Heian, but had no power • Shogun set up his government in Kamakura • This military government is called a shogunate • Shogunates ruled Japan for next 700 years

29. The Mongols Attack • In 1274 and 1281, Kublai Khan sent ships and warriors to attack Japan • Mongols were defeated when fierce Pacific storms smashed their ships

30. Mongol troops that made it ashore were defeated by the Japanese • Japanese named the typhoons kamikaze or “divine wind” • In World War II, Japanese pilots who crashed their planes into enemy ships were named kamikaze pilots after the typhoons of the 1200s

31. Daimyo divide Japan • By 1333, many samurai had become resentful • As the samurai divided land among their sons, they became poor • Samurai felt they no longer owed loyalty to shogun • 1331-emperor rebelled and many samurai came to his aid

32. Emperor refused to give more land to the samurai and could not gain control • General Ashikaga Takauji made himself shogun in 1333 • Ashikaga were weak rulers

33. Country divided into small territories ruled by military lords called daimyo • Daimyo pledged loyalty to emperor or shogun but ruled independently with samurai armies

34. Daimyo gave samurai land in return for loyalty and help in time of war making samurai vassals • Bond of loyalty between lord and vassal is known as feudalism • 1467-1477, the Onin War ravaged Japan destroying the capital of Kyoto (Heian) • Series of weak shogun tried to reunite Japan for 100 years after the Onin war • Only a few powerful daimyo remained • 1567-Ashikaga shogunate fell

35. Japanese Religion and Culture • Chinese influenced Japan in areas of government, philosophy, literature, science, and religion • Japanese came to believe in both Buddhism and Shinto • Shinto concerned with daily life and Buddhism with preparation for life to come

36. Pure Land Buddhism • Buddhism had developed into sects before reaching Japan • Pure Land Buddhism believed in a happy life after death in paradise above the clouds • Faith in Amida Buddha and chanting led to paradise

37. Zen Buddhism • Zen taught that people could find inner peace through self-control and simple way of life • Learned to control their bodies through martial arts • Appealed to samurai • They would meditate motionless, cross-legged for hours with minds clear to find inner peace

38. Poems and Plays • A.D. 500s, the Japanese borrowed China’s writing system • A.D. 800s, the Japanese added symbols that stood for sounds rather than whole words • Calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing, was practiced by the well-educated people

39. Japan’s oldest form of poetry is called tanka • Tanka is an unrhymed poem of five lines • By the 1600s, haiku was developed • Haiku consists of 3 lines with a total of 17 syllables

40. Around A.D. 1000, women in Heian wrote first great stories • MurasakiShikibu wrote Tale of Gengi, possibly the world’s first novel

41. 1300s: Noh is oldest form of plays • Used to teach Buddhist ideas • Simple bare stage, masked actors, elaborate robes, slow deliberate dances, music of drums and flute

42. Farmers and Artisans • Much of Japan’s wealth came from Japanese farmers • 1100s, life improved for farmers with better irrigation methods and more crops • Could send more food to markets in towns

43. Artisans in daimyo estates began making weapons, armor, and tools • Merchants sold these in town markets • New roads made travel easier and trade easier • Regions focused on making goods that they could best produce

44. Capital of Kyoto became major center of production and trade • Artisans and merchants settled there and formed guilds to protect and increase profits • Guilds relied on wealthy daimyo for protection

45. Merchants sold daimyo goods he could not get from his estates • Increase trade with Korea, China, and Southeast Asia

46. Role of Women • Family included grandparents, parents, and children in same household • Headed by a man • Woman expected to obey her father, husband, and son

47. Wealthy families arranged marriages to increase wealth • During time of Shotoku, women had high positions • Several female rulers, and could own property • During warrior era of samurai and daimyo, women lost these freedoms

48. Farm women had say in marriage, but worked long hours in fields, cooked, spun, wove cloth, and cared for children • Wives of artisans and merchants helped with business and took care of homes • Some talented women gained fame as artists, writers, and even warriors

49. The Tale of the Heike tells of the life of a female samurai

50. THE END SAYONARA