1. Medieval Japan

2. Geography and Early Japan
The Big Idea
Japan’s early societies were both isolated from and influenced by China and Korea.
7.5.1
7.5.2

3. Geography of Japan
Main Idea 1:
Geography shaped life in Japan.

4. Geography of Japan
Japan is a large group of islands located off the Asian mainland.

5. Geography of Japan
The islands of Japan are really the tops of mountains.
The mountains were difficult to live on, so most people lived on flat coastal plains near the sea.

7. Geography of Japan The sea influenced Japan by: Providing food
Shark, seaweed, and eel
Separating it from other countries
Japan remained isolated until its rulers decided to visit other countries.
Providing easy access to other countries
China and Korea were only a short distance by sea from Japan.

8. Main Idea 2:
Early Japanese society was organized in clans which came to be ruled by emperors.

9. The Early Japanese
The early Japanese were organized into extended families called clans, that lived in small farming villages.
The head of the clan was called the chief, and he had religious and political power over the people of the villages.

10. The Early Japanese
Chiefs were believed to have gained their power through kami, which were nature spirits.

11. The Kami, named Inari, helps a Japanese blacksmith make a sword in the late 10th century

12. Amaterasu, one of the central kami in the Shinto faith

13. Shinto Rituals to honor the kami became the main part of Shinto.
Shinto is the traditional Japanese religion.

14. Shinto

15. Shinto Shinto believes that everything in nature has kami.
They built shrines to the kami and asked the spirits to bless them.

16. The First Emperors
Some clans became more powerful than others and built up armies.
The Yamato clan was one of the most powerful. The Yamatos extended their control over much of Honshu and began to call themselves the first emperors of Japan.

17. Main Idea 3:
Japan learned about language, society, and government from China and Korea.

18. The rulers of Japan sent representatives to China and Korea to gather information about their cultures and invited people from Korea and China to come to Japan.

19. Due to these visits, the Japanese learned …
how to write using Chinese characters
about the philosophy of Confucianism, which outlined how families should behave
about new religions, especially Buddhism, which they got from Korea

21. Prince Shotoku
Prince Shotoku ruled Japan as regent for his aunt, the empress.
Prince Shotoku admired Chinese culture and helped bring it to Japan

22. Prince Shotoku
Prince Shotoku influenced the spread of Buddhism by writing commentaries and building a beautiful temple.
The Shitennō-ji Temple
Prince Shotoku constructed this temple in 593 in Osaka, Japan.

23. 1. Farming was easy to do in Japan.
A. True
B. False
- Farming was difficult because Japan actually the top of undersea mountains.

24. 2.The early Japanese were organized into ____, which were extended families that lived in small villages.
A. kami
B. clans
yamatos
camps

25. 3. What was the traditional religion of Japan?
A. Christianity
Buddhism
Shinto
Hinduism

26. 4. What is the name the Japanese gave spirits?
A. shinto
yamatos
kami
heian

27. 5. What did Japan learn from China and Korea?
A. A written language.
Confucianism.
Buddhism
All of the above

28. 6. Which statement is not true?
A. Prince Shotoku admired Chinese culture.
Prince Shotoku tried change the government to
be more like Chinas, but was opposed.
Prince Shotoku was Chinese.
Prince Shotoku encouraged Confucianism.