Chapter 12 Section 4
Deonique Cooke & Myron Williams!
Geography sets Japan Apart
- Japan is located on a(n) archipelago or chain of islands.
- The Inland sea offered the Japanese many food sources such as fish.
- The Japanese came to fear and respect the dramatic forces of nature, such as tsunamis or killer tidal waves.
- Japan lies in a region known as " The Ring of Fire", which is made up of a chain of volcanoes.
Early Traditions
- Early Japanese society was divided into uji or clans.
- By about A.D. 500 , the Yamato clan came to dominate a corner of Honshu, the largest Japanese island.
- Early Japanese clans honored kami or superior powers that were natural and divine.
- The worship of the forces of nature became known as " Shinto", meaning " the way of kami."
Japan looks to China
- In the early 600's, Prince Shotoku of the Yamato clan decided to learn about china directly instead of through Korean sources.
- Each visitor to China spent a year or more there.
- Japanese rulers adopted the title " Heavenly Ruler", The strengthened the central government , set up bureaucracy , and adopted a law code similar to that of China.
- The Japanese kept some Chinese ways but discarded and/or modified others. This process was know as selective borrowing.
The Heian Period
- The blending of cultures took place during 794 to 1185.
- During this time period , the imperial capital was in Heian or present day Kyoto.
- Noblewomen and Noblemen lived in a fairy-tale atmosphere that consisted of beautiful pavilions, gardens, and lotus pools.
- The best-known Heian writer was Muraski Shikibu, Her work consisted of: The tale of Genji.
Warriors Establish Fuedalism
- Feudal warfare swept Japan in the 1400's.
- Minamoto Yoritomo was appointed shogun in 1192.
- The first three military dynasties would rule for almost 700 years.
- Land was granted to lesser warriors or samuari's.
- The developed their own code of values known as bushido.
The Tokugawas Unite Japan
- The Kamakura shogunate crumbled in the aftermath of the mongol invasion.
- The Tokugawa were determined to end Feudal warfare.
- The Tokugawa created a unified, orderly society.
- Trade flourished in Japan.