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Heian Period Japan’s Golden Age
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Feudal System Definition: A system in which loyalty is exchanged for land Japan had a tiered system with the Shogun at the top and the merchants at the bottom The emperor had power in name only The merchants were at the bottom because it was believed they did not make an honest living through hard work.
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Social Structure Emperor Shogun Daimyo Samurai Peasants Merchants
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Heian Period Emperor moved his capital away from Nara in 784 because he felt he was too close to the Buddhist priests and wanted to build a bigger city. New capital was called Heian-kyo – today this is called Kyoto Wealthy families lived in mansions with beautiful gardens Inside rooms were divided by sliding screens Daily life was very formal with correct manners being extremely important
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Social Positions By the 800’s the emperor began losing power
The aristocrats were the political and cultural leaders Being born into high ranking families was more important that personal skill Each social rank came with certain requirements If you were guilty of a crime, how high your rank was determined how harsh the sentence would be
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Buddhism Amida – All people could reach paradise through the mercy of Amida Buddha Saying Amida’s name 70,000 times was one way to reach the paradise Also called Pure Land Buddhism Zen Appealed to samurai because it centered around discipline Enlightenment through meditation and logical thinking Created gardens to aid in meditation Simple and symbolized nature
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Beauty & Fashion Beauty, elegance and fashion very important
Ability to recognize beauty in nature, poetry and art Ability to see beauty was a more important trait than honesty and generosity
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Fashion - Men Small pointed beards
Blackened teeth – white teeth were considered unattractive Used dye from iron and tea Individualized perfume – perfume competitions were popular
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Fashion - Women Long hair – longer than she was tall White face powder
Red cheeks Small red mouth Eyebrows painted on her forehead Layered silk robes
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Entertainment Men enjoyed horse races, archery contests, and sumo wrestling Women played a game called go Many festivals and celebrations Dancing was an important skill
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Art Brush painting called Yamato-e Developed a style that would be different from China Painters first drew lines then filled them in with bright colors Used to decorate walls, screens, and sliding doors Calligraphy skills were as important as the poetry itself Women in the courts were selected for their intelligence Many took interest in writing and the arts
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Scenes from literature
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Tale of Genji Written by Murasaki Shikibu
Often called world’s first novel Divided into 54 episodes that were written one at a time then distributed Reveals information about life for the noble class during the Heian period Women in the courts were selected for their intelligence Many took interest in writing and the arts
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Story Tells the story of the life of a son of the emperor, Genji. His social status goes up and down throughout the story as it follows his love life with different ladies of the court. The book focuses on the thoughts and feelings of the characters (especially the women) One of the first models for the modern romance novel Illustrated with Yamato-e style with about 2 pictures per chapter
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Lets Review! Prince Shotoku encourages foreign influences
Cultural Diffusion Influences from China and Korea Literature, government, art, religion Examples? Social Structure – Feudalism Samurai and farmers work for a Daimyo lord Shogun at the top (most powerful Daimyo) Heian Period – Golden Age of Japan
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Formal life with strict rules for each social class
Emphasis on the appreciation of beauty and nature Literature and Art Samurai – types of armor/weapon code of honor & ritual suicide Role of women
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