JAPAN -

Age of the Samurai Through World War II

Political/Feudal/Social Class Systems:

• “Shogun” actually means, “Barbarian subduing general” in Japanese.

• The Feudal System was like a “flat” pyramid:EMPEROR

SHOGUN

DAIMYO

SAMURAI

PEASANTS/MERCHANTS/ARTISANS

RELIGIOUS LEADER

THE MOST IMPORTANT POLITICAL/MILITARY LEADER

HIGH-RANKING SAMURAI LORDS WHO PROVIDED THE SHOGUN W/ WARRIORS IN EXCHANGE FOR LAND

LOWER-RANKING WARRIORS WHO SERVED THEIR DAIMYO IN EXCHANGE FOR SMALL MANORS

MOST PEOPLE IN JAPAN (THE MAJORITY) WHO WORKED FOR A LIVING

SHOGUN:

• If a shogun was weak or unpopular, a daimyo could try and defeat him and claim the shogun title

• This led to many civil wars in Japan: Japanese killing Japanese JUST TO HAVE A LEADER!

TOKUGAWA

• Is now Shogun (1603 AD/CE)

• Brought peace to Japan, after all the previous civil wars.

• He ruled from EDO (present-day Tokyo)& made the daimyos’ families live in Edo as well.

• This way, if a daimyo rebelled, their families remained hostages to the shogun. They needed permission to get married.

• Tokugawa used spies to monitor “untrustworthy” daimyos

Christianity in Japan

• Tokugawa thought Christianity was a serious threat, so it was banned. No more Japanese were allowed to leave, and no more foreigners were allowed in.

• By 1610, 700,000 Japanese were converted to Christianity by Spanish/Portugese priests

• All ships were destroyed, but the shogun allowed two Dutch and 30 Chinese ships into the one harbor – that’s it.

• Japan was now isolated, as the rest of the world was coming up with new inventions and technology.

A Bit More About the Samurai…

• Samurai, as you know, means “those who serve.” They followed an oath to serve their leaders and followed a code of conduct (BUSHIDO).

• They obeyed rules WITHOUT question. Honor meant more to Samurai than money or life – they’d rather lose their lives than lose their honor or shame themselves.

• Samurai proved themselves by beheading their enemies, but it was only acceptable if they used a sword on a live enemy warrior, rather than “sawing” a deceased enemy.

Seven Principles of the Samurai

• HONOR

• DUTY

• JUSTICE/MORALITY

• POLITE COURTESY

• HEROIC COURTESY

• COMPLETE SINCERITY

• COMPASSION

SAMURAI cont’d

• Samurai who lost their master, or their honor, would become RONNIN (or “mercenaries). In English, they were called NINJAS.

RELIGION IN JAPAN –SHINTO

• Shinto was practiced in Japan in the 1600s and 1700s

• Shinto means “the way of the gods.”

• It teaches that supernatural beings, called KAMI (“kah-may”), live in all objects and forces of nature.

• After World War II, Japan abolished shinto as a religion.

SCHOOL IN JAPAN (CURRENT)

• Students go to school 240 days per year, not 180. The school year begins in April, at the same time as the cherry blossom trees bloom (these are almost sacred in Japan).

• “Sensei” = teacher/master

• The Japanese do not take a lot of time off – a three-week break is the LONGEST vacation they have.

• SHITSUKE = DISCIPLINE = behaving properly (school are REQUIRED to teach this)

Japanese Education (cont’d)

• Schools began in Japan in the 7th century, where samurai’s sons were taught to appreciate art and poetry.

• Today in Japan, schooling is mandatory only through 9th grade, but to get into high school, they must pass a test.

• Kids are taught to behave – main goal is to become good citizens.

MODERN JAPAN (1930s – WWII)

• 1930s: The world was going through a Depression (mostly in the US). Millions were unemployed and barely able to survive.

• Germany “embraced” Hitler and the Nazi movement.

• The Americans ignored other countries.

• Russia was a Communist country, and Japan hung on to the mindset of the Samurai…

Modern Japan (cont’d)

• Japan invaded China. They were in control of Korea.

• They were allies with Italy and Nazi Germany (AXIS POWERS). They spoke of kicking all Europeans out of Asia, however.

• The Japanese treated the Chinese and Koreans like slaves.

Modern Japan (cont’d)

• Japan needed raw materials like oil and rubber.

• They invaded both China and Korea to get these materials, so…

• America quit selling Japan supplies and go other countries to stop as well. They knew about the poor treatment of Koreans and Chinese in Japan.

• This put Japan in a tough spot. They would need to use force. What force? PEARL HARBOR.

JAPAN IN WORLD WAR II

• By late 1944, Japan was losing the war and became desperate. They began to use TWO (2) types of kamikaze pilots:• Regular pilots who flew fighter planes

and• “Thunder Gods” – specially-trained

pilots who flew bomber planes filled with bombs.

*Within one week, nine (9) American ships were sunk, and 78 had been injured

Japan in WWII (cont’d)

• The word “kamikaze” was never used by the Japanese. They called it “Special Attack Force.”

• The men who joined were not “brain-washed,” but rather felt a deep loyalty and sense of duty to their country.

• They were young – some even 16! They were hastily trained in OLD planes. The first thing taught to soldiers was LOYALTY.

PEARL HARBOR

• Japan attacked Pearl Harbor for two (2) reasons: 1) to knock out America’s Navy and to 2) get oil from SE Asia (which America was protecting). HOWEVER…

• The Japanese didn’t knock out the U.S. Aircraft carriers, so the U.S. military was able to retaliate.

• After 3-1/2 years of fighting, Japan lost most of the land it had conquered, but it would be dishonorable to surrender, so they didn’t. SO…

Japan in WWII (cont’d)

• America used its newest (at the time) weapon, the atom bomb, and dropped one on Hiroshima and then on Nagasaki.

• By the end of June, 1945, the previous U.S. attacks had destroyed 2.5 million houses and left 13 million Japanese homeless.

• No supplies were being sent to Japan – they were slowly starving – yet they wouldn’t surrender!

WWII (cont’d)

• The U.S. military estimated one million soldiers would be killed or wounded if they invaded Japan, so that’s when the decision was made to drop the first bomb.

• The first bomb was called, “S-1” by the Americans. It was dropped on Hiroshima, then the second was on Nagasaki.

HIROSHIMA/NAGASAKI

• HIROSHIMA: 90,000 people died instantly, another 50,000 would die of injuries or radiation poisoning. The heat reached 7000 degrees Fahrenheit and created 624 mph winds.

• NAGASAKI: killed 74,000 people.

• JAPAN WAS FORCED TO SURRENDER FOLLOWING THE BOMB IN NAGASAKI.

MORE JAPAN…

• Japan was occupied by the U.S. Army until 1953.

• U.S. treated them “fairly” and gave them money to rebuild.

• Japan became a democracy and adopted many U.S. customs. They also kept their army and navy relatively small.

EVEN MORE JAPAN…

• The biggest change was that Japan went from rural fishing towns to urban factory cities.

• The “old traditions” of being respectful to the elders, family honor, working together, and being respectful in general are still being taught.

And…MORE JAPAN…

• RESPECT: Remember, in schools, the main goal is to produce GOOD CITIZENS who focus on the Good of Society – not just themselves. (VERY different than the U.S.)

• By the 1980s, Japan was the leading manufacturer of televisions and stereos.

• Today, some of this continues and Japanese cars are sold EVERYWHERE.

JAPAN TIMELINE

• 1853: American commodore Matthew Perry forces Japan to open up to trading with other countries

• 1867: The last shogun resigned and the emperor was made leader of Japan.

• 1868: Japan began dismantling the samurai class

• 1894 – 1905: Sino – Japanese War – Japan vs. China. Most people think China would win, but Japan beats them establishing themselves as a world power

Timeline cont’d

• 1904 – 05: Ruso – Japanese War: Again Japan shocks the world and beats a larger country. This makes Japan an overly confident country.

• 1918: End of WWI, Japan told they can’t have as many warships as England or America. Japan sees this as racist. Remember, America took over the Philippines in 1898 (Spanish-American War)

• 1931: Japan invades Manchuria, killing civilians.

Timeline, cont’d (slide 3)

• 1937: Japan attacks China. When capturing the city of Nanjing, they slaughter up to 300,000 civilians.

• 1940: Japan joins Germany and Italy to form the AXIS Powers.

• 1941: On December 7, Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, bringing America into World War II.