Chapter 13 Section 5 Japanese Feudal Age Mr. Schoff Global History I

OA What is Kabuki? Kabuki Theater Answer the caption question on page 321

Feudal Japan In Japan during the 1100s, local warlords fought one another While armies battled for power, feudalism developed The emperor had no real power Military rulers called shoguns set up dynasties called shogunates The shoguns gave land to vassal lords called daimyo The daimyo, in turn, gave land to lesser warriors called samurai Fighting aristocracy Heavily armed, trained fighters Developed own code of values known as bushido Bushido emphasized honor, bravery, loyalty Betray the code and expect to commit seppuku (ritual suicide), rather than live without honor/respect

Shogunate In 1603, the Tokugawa shogunate came to power The Tokugawa ended wars between feudal lords However, they continued the feudal system They imposed restrictions on society by taking control of the daimyo and forcing the peasants to remain on the land Only the samurai could serve in the army or hold government jobs Under the Tokugawa shogunate, agriculture improved Farmers used new seeds and tools to grow more food The population of Japan grew Towns were linked by roads trade increased

Zen Buddhism and more During this time, a form of Buddhism called Zen spread through Japan Zen Buddhists valued peace, simple living, nature, and beauty Many Japanese learned Zen practices, such as the tea ceremony and landscape gardening Zen was contradictory Zen monks were great scholars yet emphasized importance of “non-knowing” Emphasized compassion for everyone, yet samurai fought to kill At the same time, the Japanese made advances in the arts and theater In kabuki theater, actors wore colorful costumes and acted out stories about families or events in history In literature, Japanese poets created a form of poetry called haiku

SHOGUN Actual ruler Daimyo Large landowners Samurai Warriors loyal EMPEROR Held highest rank in society but had no political power SHOGUN Actual ruler Daimyo Large landowners Samurai Warriors loyal to daimyo Peasants Three fourths of population Artisans Merchants Low status but gradually gained influence