Japan under the shogun

1. Chapter 13 Japan under the shogun

3. P. 283 • A shogun was a military leader in Japan • A ronin was a warrior who had no leader • Honour was the most important thing to a warrior – imp. enough to give your life for • This is best shown in the story of the “47 Ronin”

4. Power and Control • “to understand the story of the 47 ronin is to understand Japan” • This story takes place during the “Edo” or “Tokugawa” time period in Japan • “Edo” was present-day Tokyo

5. Before this time, the Japanese people were constantly fighting • The “nobles” were known as daimyo • “Tokugawa” is a title given to the leaders, just like the words “King” or “Lord”

6. Tokugawa Ieyasu

7. 1603: Ieyasu defeated a rival daimyo in a great battle • The Emperor made him a shogun, and gave him tremendous power • His goal was to keep his power by creating a stable gov’t • He spread the land and power to lords around Japan; this helped control the other daimyo

8. Change: • Hostages: Daimyo were forced to live in Edo every second year, without their family. They were held as a kind of “hostage” in case their family planned an uprising • Shared power: there was a federal gov’t called the “Shogunate,” and many local ones run by daimyo

9. Strict Laws: the daimyo’s clothes, marriages, and money was controlled; they were forced to pay for things like building roads -other laws: p. 286 *all of these laws were meant to take away some of the power from the daimyos, so that they could not revolt

10. Feudalism, again... • The feudal hierarchy was based on land: lords became rich from the work of peasants • The goal of a hierarchy is always control • Each class was hereditary – passed on through families by birth

11. The Samurai • Well-respected • Lived with their shogun (leader) • Only they were allowed to have swords • There were ranks of samurai – the lowest were “ronin” who had no masters • Weren’t allowed to trade or sell – lived simple lives

12. Page 290: The Way of the Warrior • Seppuku – a ritual suicide performed by samurai

13. Peasants • Mostly farmers • Were worked extremely hard • Laws controlled everything they did • No tobacco, no wine, needed permission to travel

14. Artisans • Artists and craftspeople • Son`s were forced to take after their fathers • Made paper, porcelains, containers, clocks, pans, etc. • Had a lower status than an peasant

15. Merchants • Bought and sold from artisans and farmers • Shipped food and materials • A lot like bankers • Bottom of the social order • Gov`t spies reported a merchant who showed off wealth, or criticized the gov`t

16. Women • Performed duties depending on what class they were born into • Women living in the country had more freedom • Worked in the home, and also did labour • Considered ``lower`` than men • Not allowed to own property

17. Outcasts • Shunned by most of society because of their work, which usually involved death Ex: Leather tanners, butchers, people who deal with dead bodies • Could not live in society, change jobs, enter homes, or be in the city after 8pm • Example: the Ainu people

18. Honour & Duty • Social control – rules and customs meant to control people’s behaviour; aims to maintain order • Teaching of Confucius taught society class distinctions

19. Confucius • Chinese scholar • Taught morals – how to live “right” • Teachings brought to Japan by Buddhist monks • Taught that everyone had a role in society • Everyone accepts this = peace people rebel = chaos

20. Encouraged people to be modest, and work/study hard • Rules for proper behaviour and compassion • Golden rule: “What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.” • Taught about 5 basic relationships (p.296)

21. Filial piety – faithfulness and devotion to parents • p. 297 – Social Uniformity • p. 298 – Edo values in modern Japan

22. Group responsibility & Shame • Samurai were masters of the lower classes • They divided the people up into “families” called goningumi • People were expected to help each other. • Each person is responsible for the group’s behaviour • If one person disobeyed, the group was punished

23. First Contact with the West • Portuguese were one of the first countries to travel far by ocean • 1543: a Portuguese trading ship was wrecked off the coast of Japan • They soon found out their cultures were very different • The Japanese called them the “Southern Barbarians”

24. New Beliefs • Francis Xavier (a priest) soon arrived to convert the Japanese to Christianity • More missionaries soon followed • Both religions were somewhat similar: • Both had ethical codes – rules about “right” and “wrong” behaviour Ex: stealing and murder are wrong

25. But they were also quite different: • The Christian idea of one god was quite different than the Japanese beliefs • Japanese = loyal to leaders Christian = loyal to God