By: Zack Davis and Tyler Jones 14-3 By: Zack Davis and Tyler Jones

Buddhism/Shinto Most Japanese started to believe in both Buddhism and Shinto, but each religion had different beliefs or customs Shinto believed in the concern of daily life Buddhism believed in the life after death During the Middle Ages, Buddhism affected Japanese architecture, paintings, poems, and plays

Different Sects of Buddhism Sect- smaller religious groups Pure Land Buddhism- a type of Mahayana Buddhism, this sects message was of a great life after death. It also believed in Amida, the Buddha of love and mercy. They say that he found a paradise above the clouds and to get there, you had to have faith in Amida.

Different Sects of Buddhism (Cont.) 2. Zen Buddhism- This sect taught that you could find inner peace through self-control and a simple life. Zen Buddhists learned martial arts, or sports that involve combat and self-defense. They also practiced meditation, or sitting cross-legged for hours, with a mind clear of all thoughts and desires.

Martial Arts / Meditation

Art and Architecture Artisans made statues, furniture, and household items. They would put a shiny black and red coating, or lacquer. Japanese artists learned to make landscape pictures. These pictures were painted using ink or watercolor and were painted on paper scrolls or silk. Japanese also made origami. This was a way of folding paper into decorations.

Art and Architecture (Cont.) Buddhist monks and samurai made a ceremony for drinking tea. Shinto shrines were built by a natural feature that was beautiful. The shrines usually only had a single room. The entrance of the shrine was through a sacred gate, or torii.

Art and Architecture (Cont.) Buddhist temples were decorated with massive statues, paintings, and altars. Around these shrines there were gardens to represent nature in miniature form.

Poems and Plays During the middle ages the Japanese wrote many stories, poems, and plays. Calligraphy was used in these. This is the art of writing beautifully. Tanka was the oldest form of poetry. It was a five-lined poem that did not rhyme. Murasaki Shikibu wrote The Tale of Genji. The Tale of Heike was another story. Noh was a type of play that used masks.

Farmers and Artisans Feudal Japan – 1:44 Most wealth came from farming in Japan. In the 1100s, they used better irrigation. This made their job easier. Artisans started making weapons, armor, and tools. New roads made trade easier. Kyoto became a major center of trade in Japan. There, merchants/artisans made guilds.

Role of Women During the Middle Ages, Japan had extended families. The man was the head of the household. The mother even had to obey her son!! During Prince Shotoku’s rule rich women had many rights. In farming families, women worked for a long time. They also cooked and cared for the children. Women lost much of there freedoms when Japan became a warrior society (samurai & daimyo)