1. Chapter 15: Japan Section 1: Geography and Early Japan
Section 2: Art and Culture in Heian
Section 3: Growth of a Military Society

2. Section 1 Geography and Early Japan
Islands
Largest is Honshu
Mountain and Volcanoes
Seafood
Islands separated from other Asian people
Korea (100 mi) and China (200 mi) are very close to Japan, but not attached

3. Early Japan
There were two cultures: Ainu (EYE-noo) in the North and who became Japanese in the South
Lived in Clans
Yamato rulers were the most powerful and called themselves emperors
Believed in kami (KAH-mee)
Traditional religion was Shinto
Rulers of Japans sent missionaries to Korea and China to learn about other cultures
Japanese wrote in Chinese first
Prince Shotoku (shoh-toh-koo) served as a regent, loved Chinese culture
Built Buddhist temples
Confucianism spread throughout Japan
Koreans had introduced Buddhism to Japan, but Shotoku helped spread it

7. Section 2 Art and Culture in Heian
A court was built in Heian (Kyoto) by the nobles and became a center of culture and learning.
Nobles lived apart from poorer citizens and called themselves “dwellers among the clouds.”
Nobles:
Beauty and elegance
Valued their appearances (silk robes/gowns, gold jewelry, and decorative fans)
Great care in how they spoke and wrote (men in Chinese and women in Japanese)

8. Literature and Arts
Lady Murasaki Shikibu (moohr-ah-sahk-ee shee-kee-boo) wrote The Tale of Genji
Considered the world’s 1st full-length novel (Japan’s greatest)
Paintings (bright, bold color and nature)
Calligraphy (decorative writing)
Architecture (copied Chinese buildings
Noh plays (music, speaking and dance)

10. Zen Buddhism Religion became an art form in Japan
Pure Land Buddhism (no rituals)
Zen Buddhism came from China and wisdom comes from self-discipline and meditation. This became popular in Japan, especially among the warriors.

11. Section 3 Growth of a Military Society
Nobles and rebel were fighting for land and power in Japan.
Japan’s rulers were too focused on courtly life to notice other problems in their country.
So…Japan’s large landowners decided they needed to protect their lands and a new social class is created.

12. This system and social class is similar to what system in Europe?
Samurai comes from the Japanese word servant
Though two major clans fought for almost 30 years, the Minamoto clan won. The Minamoto leader established the shogun title.

13. The Samurai Lived honorably Respected No Entertainment
Could be killed if you disrespect a Samurai
No Entertainment
No trade or Commerce
Must follow Bushido “the way of the warrior”
Live simple, but disciplined
Bushido influenced much of Japanese society
Values: Loyalty, Bravery, and Honor
A samurai’s entire family, men and women learned how fight to protect

15. Mongols attack Japan
Mongolian invasion helped Japanese nobles put aside their differences to fight the enemy.
The weather help Japanese warrior combat the Mongols and the Mongols never invaded again.
The grateful Japanese called the storms “kamikaze” or divine wind.
After the war, nobles began to resent the shogun’s power over them.

17. Samurai Order Changes Emperor fights shogun for control.
Daimyo fought to break free from shogun.
Shoguns lost power by 1400s and daimyo ruled much of Japan.
Japan unifies
1st leader was Oda Nobunaga (ohd-ah noh-booh-nah-gah)
Solders had guns
Tokugawa leyasu (toh-koohg-ah-wuh ee-e-yahs-ooh) became shogun after fighting off enemies
Ruled all of Japan
Opened up Japan to the rest of the world
Became known as Tokugawa Shogunate

18. Isolation
Some shoguns feared that Japan would become too much like Europe and shoguns could lose their power.
Japanese rulers banned guns with fear peasants would revolt.
Isolation with limited technology allowed samurai period in Japan to last until the 1800s.