• Japan's isolation as an island nation • Instrumental in its

development as a culture

• By 500 BCE it was still an undeveloped agrarianagrarian (farm based) culture without cities

• Outside influences which led to cultural advancement included...

Background of Japan

Background• Japan comes from “ri-ben” – land of the rising sun

• Borrowed ideas, institutions, & culture from China

• 4,000 islands make up the archipelago– 4 large islands

• 1 B.C. = hundred of clans– Worshiped local gods– Shinto “way of the gods”– Respect nature (kami) & worship ancestors

Draw a Castle… Compare it to the ones in

Feudal Japan

Warwick Castle, England

Feudal Japan

Japanese Traditional Castle

Japanese Culture• Buddhism:

– Brought by Korean travelers– Mixed with Shinto

• Some Buddhist rituals became Shinto rituals

• Chinese culture:– 607, Prince Shotoku sent 1/3 missions to China

– Adopted Chinese system of writing– Painting styles– Simple arts: cooking, gardening, tea, hairdressing

– Strong central government

• Civil Service System failed

Prince Shotoku: Prince Shotoku: 573-621573-621

• Adopted Chinese culture and Confucianism

• Buddhist sects allowed to develop

• Created a new government structure:

• 17 Article Constitution in 604

Heian Period: 794-Heian Period: 794-11561156CharacteristicsCharacteristics::

• Growth of large landed estatesGrowth of large landed estates• Arts & literature of China Arts & literature of China flourishedflourished• Elaborate court lifeElaborate court life• Etiquette Etiquette

• Personal diaries Personal diaries • The Pillow BookThe Pillow Book by Sei by Sei

ShonagonShonagon•Great novelGreat novel• The Tale of GenjiThe Tale of Genji by Lady by Lady

Murasaki Shikibu Murasaki Shikibu • Moving away from Chinese models Moving away from Chinese models

inin religion, the arts, and religion, the arts, and governmentgovernment

Heian Court DressHeian Court Dress

The Pillow BookThe Pillow Bookby Sei Shonagon (diary)by Sei Shonagon (diary)

The Pillow BookThe Pillow Bookby Sei Shonagon (diary)by Sei Shonagon (diary)

Tale of GenjiTale of Genji ( (first novel)first novel)

• Account of the life of a prince in the imperial court – considered the world’s first novel

Feudalism Erodes Imperial Authority

• Rich Fujiwara family in power

• Strong central gov’t challenged by great landowners & clan chiefs– Private armies; countryside became lawless

– Farmers & small landowners traded land for protection – warlords

Samurai Warriors!!!• Wars between rival lords

bodyguard warriors of each lord

• Samurai = one who serves• Code of behavior: Bushido– The way of the warrior* Reckless courage

* Reverence for the gods

* Fairness

* Generosity towards the weaker

* Honorable death > long life

Samurai Warrior Attire

Samurai SwordSamurai Sword

Early Mounted Early Mounted Samurai WarriorsSamurai Warriors

Samurai ChargingSamurai Charging

• Seppuku ("stomach-cutting") is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment.

• Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai– Part of the samurai honor code

• Used:– Voluntarily to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies

– Form of capital punishment after serious offenses

– For reasons that shamed them

• Seppuku is performed by plunging a sword into the abdomen and moving the sword left to right in a slicing motion

Minamoto YoritomoMinamoto Yoritomo

Founded the Kamakura Shogunate: 1185-1333

• 2 most powerful clans fight for power

• 30 years of war• Minamoto

family wins• Leader: Yoritomo• Deemed

“Shogun”• Supreme

general of the emperor’s army

• Powers of a military dictator

Kamakura Shogunate• Emperor still ruled in Kyoto• Real power = Shogun’s military headquarters at Kamakura

• Shoguns ruled through puppet emperors until 1868!

• Kamakura Shoguns defeated 2 invasions by the great Mongol ruler Kublai Khan– Drained shogun’s funds– Samurais did not get paid

• Aligned more closely with lords– Shoguns lost power

Japanese Feudal System

Feudal Hierarchy

• Emperor – Japanese political ruler• Shogun – Had the powers of a military dictator; Ruled Japan through

puppet emperors• Samurai – loyal warriors of local lords• Merchant - Facilitated trade, earliest beginnings of the Japanese economic system

• Peasant – Worked the land which belonged to the local lords

Seppuku: Seppuku: Ritual SuicideRitual Suicide

Kaishaku – his “seconds”

It is honorable to die in this

way.