1. Japan
Periods 3-6

2. Period 3-Isolation Geography- rocky, island- isolated from mainland
Language separate from Chinese
Religion- Shintoism-animistic that emphasized nature/spirits (kami) that inhabit objects in nature
Developed aristocratic clans
Some trade with Tang (China)
Yamato Clan took over introduced Buddhism

3. Period 3-Fujiwara Rule/Heian Age
Culture
Melding of Shintoism, Confucianism & Buddhism
Mastered Chinese building styles
Aristocracy appreciated poetry
Tale of Genji- (c1000 CE)
written by a noblewoman (Murasaki Shikibu)
First book written in Japanese
Described court life
Ironic that women were not encouraged to be educated!
Japanese dynasties rarely changed (unlike China) since emperor had little power
Government- entrusted to warriors
Shogun- military governor who ruled in place of emperor

4. Period 3-Minamoto Clan est Bakufu –military government
Like Europe-developed feudalism
Regional lords controlled land and economic powers
Unlike Fujiwara aristocracy-valued military skills rather than poetic skills
Local Lords supported by warriors-Samurais
Samurais provided military services in exchange for food, clothing and housing
Lived by Bushido code (code of the warrior)-complete loyalty to lord
If violated code, committed seppuku (suicide by knife to the guts)
Political instability-period characterized by much fighting among lords

5. Feudalism in Japan vs Europe
Both decentralized, lack of bureaucracy, strong ties between lords and vassals, peasants provide labor
Honor Code- no written codes
Lasting effects today in the loyalty codes of Japanese businesses
Based on written agreements or contracts (think Magna Carta or Cannon Law and a history of written agreements in Europe)
Led to development of Parliaments
Samurai granted USE of land not ownership
Effect—Samurai always below their landowning lord- clear social distinction
Knight/Vassals GIVEN land so could change in status and rival their lord

6. Period 4 Government decentralized-
Daimyos
held local power
even though pledged allegiance to emperor, they acted independently
late1500s civil war leads to Toyotomi Hideyoshi taking power
Attacked Korea—Korean ironclad “turtle boats” defeat Japanese navy—stopped Hideyoshi from attacking Chinese Ming Dynasty

7. Period 4-Isolation Tokugawa Shogunate (aka bakufu)-1603-1867
Government centralized
To control daimyo- created alternate attendance requiring daimyo to spend every other year at court-weakened daimyo
economically by requiring them to keep two houses
politically because could not plot revolts while at court
Similar system to Louis XIV in France of having his nobles live at Versailles with him
Economics- increased agricultural production (like China)—led to problems in population control (Japan had limited space)
Limited trade with west and China—limited to one entry (similar to Canton System)
Culture-
Faith-rooted in combination of Shintoism, Buddhism & Confucianism –based on hierarchies
Christian missionaries expelled 1580s
Theatre-Kabuki, poetry
Social Structure- strict hierarchy but agricultural production sees rise in merchant wealth and status—Samurai became idle elites who fell in to debt

8. Period 5 Tokugawa Shogunate still in power
USA (Matthew Perry/black ships) demands Japan open trade – like the Chinese had just done for Great Britain
Shogun agreed to Unequal Treaty-treaty of Kanagawa-similar to Chinese treating granting trading privileges
As a result of unequal treaties, Daimyos (local lords) rebel and start a new government

9. Period 5-Meiji Restoration Japan becomes equal to west
Oligarchy (rule by a few) takes power but had a figurehead emperor
Oligarchy wants to make TOTAL reforms (unlike China where no consensus)
Culture/Education-
Increase literacy with primary schools for all
Increase science and technology training home and abroad
Keep Japanese moral codes/censor texts ( based on Shintoism)
Government
Westernize military based on draft (conscription) new technology-defeat Russia in Russo-Japanese War 1904
Broader taxes, eliminate money to Samurai, fill bureaucracy by merit
Economics (one of last to industrial but very successful)
Industrialize- government banks, railroads, mines, shipyards, steel factories, textiles-promote private enterprise and social mobility!

10. Period 6-World War II Invaded Manchuria then China
1940 Signed Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy
War in Pacific
Took European colonies in SE Asia-GB and US cut off shipments of oil and steel to Japan
Dec 7, 1941 attach Pearl Harbor (Hawaii) and bring US into WWII
Japan takes Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Malaya by 1942
Lost to US at Battles of Coral Sea and Midway-US began “island hopping” capturing key islands in Pacific
US drops atomic bomb on Japanese ports Hiroshima & Nagasaki-Japan surrenders

11. Atomic Bomb
Pros
Cons
Immediate surrender of Japan- saved lives of military invading Japan
Total War- hundreds of thousands of civilians dead or burned to suffer effects of radiation
Use of technology can save military lives
US starts Atomic Age/Arms race that continues through Cold War
Definitive end to WWII unlike ending of WWII
Changes environment of Japan