1. Medieval Japan Focus Vocabulary 7 th Grade World History

2. Cultural Diffusion The spread of cultural elements from one society to another

3. Pagoda A tower-shaped structure with several stories and roofs

4. Zen Buddhism A form of Buddhism focusing on self- discipline, simplicity, and meditation.

5. Meditation A spiritual discipline that involves deep relaxation and an emptying of distracting thoughts from the mind

6. Shinto Means “way of the gods”, the traditional religion of Japan based on respect for nature and ancestors.

7. Regent A person who rules in place of an absent or underage emperor.

8. Prince Shotoku A powerful regent who ruled Japan from A.D. 593 to 622.

9. Embassy An office of a country’s government in another country.

10. Figurehead A ruler with no real authority.

11. Haiku A poem with 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables each.

12. Samurai A trained warrior who are vassals to lords called daimyos in Medieval Japanese society.

13. Bushido Code of honor OR warrior code of the samurai that stressed honor, loyalty, and bravery.

14. Feudalism System of local rule based on a lord-vassal relationship where a vassal received land from a lord in return for their loyalty.

15. Daimyo A Japanese lord with large landholdings and owned samurai(vassal) armies.

16. Shogun Supreme commander of the army who ruled Japan for the emperor.

17. Fujiwara Clan In the 800s, became the real rulers of Japan and remained Japan’s most powerful family for 300 years.

18. Tokugawa Shogunate A dynasty that held power in Japan from 1603 to 1868, established Tokyo as the capital, banned Christianity, and put Japan in a period of isolation.