{ Japan

 An archipelago of over 4,000 islands (4 biggest are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku)  Sea of Japan to the west, Pacific Ocean to the east, East China Sea to the south Geography

 Mountainous  Volcanoes  Earthquakes  Tidal waves (Tsunami)  Very little arable land

Japan is close enough to China and Korea for cultural diffusion, but far enough away to avoid being invaded. Chinese influence

 Beginning in the 600’s AD, Japanese sent diplomatic missions to China to learn about culture so they could imitate it Imitation of Chinese Culture

The oldest form of Japanese writing is based off Chinese writing from around the 400’s AD Kanji:

 They also imitated Chinese architecture Architecture

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 Buddhism spread to Japan through China and Korea.  Japanese adopted Chinese forms of Buddhism Buddhism

 Shinto is the ancient religion of Japan.  It emphasizes the worship of Kami, the spirits in all things: nature, ancestors, and the emperor  Buddhism and Shintoism coexist in Japan. Shinto

 The Japanese emperor is the highest figure in Shintoism and is considered to be a descendent of the gods  He rarely held much real political power though  Most power was controlled by powerful clans Japanese Emperor

 Japanese society was organized into clans along feudal lines  Those clans often fought each other for power and land  Japan experienced nearly constant warfare  Open your books to page 361  How are European and Japanese feudalism different? Feudalism

 Samurai were the Japanese equivalent of knights  They adhered to a very strict code of conduct similar to chivalry called bushido  Bushido emphasizes fairness, loyalty, and military prowess Samurai