The Japanese had a deep respect for
nature due to their geography
Tsunami Tsunami 2
• How do you think that played into
their early religion?
• How do you think that played into
their early religion?
• Polytheistic
• SHINTOISM
Yamato Period: 300-710
“Great Kings” era
Began promoting the adoption of Chinese culture: Confucianism. Language Buddhism Chinese art & architecture. Strong Government
Heian Period: 700’s-1100’s
Characteristics: Growth of large estates.(Nobles) Arts & literature of China flourished. Elaborate court life [highly refined] ETIQUETTE.
Great novel The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Shikibu [1000 pgs.+]
Heian Court Dress
Tale of Genji (first novel)
Tale of Genji Scroll (first novel)
Heian Period:
Selective Borrowing
1.Chinese writing.
2.Chinese artistic styles.
3.Buddhism [ZEN].
4.BUT, not the Chinese civil service system!
Feudalism A political, economic, and social system based on loyalty, the holding of land, and military service.
Europe:
King
Lord Lord
Knight Knight Knight
Peasant Peasant Peasant Peasant
Land - Fief
Land - Fief
Protection
Loyalty
Loyalty
Food
Feudalism A political, economic, and social system based on loyalty, the holding of land, and military service.
Japan:
Shogun
Daimyo Daimyo
Samurai Samurai Samurai
Peasant Peasant Peasant Peasant
Land - Shoen
Land - Shoen
Protection
Loyalty
Loyalty
Food
Feudal
Society
The emperor
reigned, but did
not always rule!
European knight Samurai Warrior
vs.
Medieval Warriors
Knight’s Armor Samurai Armor
vs.
Medieval Warriors
Code of Bushido
* Respect for opponent
* Politeness
* Loyalty
* Discipline
Seppuku: Ritual Suicide
Kaishaku – his “seconds”
It is honorable to die in this way.
Full Samurai Attire
Samurai Sword
Early Mounted
Samurai Warriors
Underpinnings: Basic Steps
in Self Defense
A COTTON BREECH CLOUT that extended up over the chest was the basic undergarment of a samurai’s costume
A SHORT SLEEVED KIMONO, or “armor robe,” was tied snugly at the waist with a special knot (lower right)
BILLOWING PANTALOONS,worn over the armor robe, fitted loosely in the legs to allow freedom of movement
STURDY SHINGUARDS of cloth or leather were reinforced with strips of iron to give protection from the front
AN EXQUISITE BROCADE, richly worked with a design of peonies, was one of the extravagant materials used in an armor robe that may have been made for a 14th Century imperial prince
Samurai Charging
Modern-Day “Samurai
Warriors”
Zen Buddhism
A Japanese variation of the Mahayana form of Buddhism, which came from India through China.
It reinforced the Bushido values of mental and self-discipline.
Zen Buddhism places an emphasis on mindful
acceptance of the present moment, spontaneous action,
and letting go of self-conscious and judgmental thinking.
Mongol
“Invasion”
of Japan
4,400 ships and 140,000 men, but kamikaze winds stopped them.
C
A
S
T
L
E
S
Osaka Castle
Main Gate of
Hiroshima Castle
Caernorfon Castle,
Wales
Warwick Castle, England
R
O
E
N
S
The Age of the Warring States:
(1467 - 1568)
Castles built on hills in different provinces. Power shifts from above to below. Europeans arrive in Japan
bringing firearms & Christianity. Christianity & foreign trade flourish.
• Made into a
video game
•The Three Unifiers of
Japan:
Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582)
Very influential to later rulers
Unifies a large part of Japan.
Oda Nobunaga
Dynasty Warriors
• Militarily, Nobunaga's revolutionary vision not only changed the way war was fought in Japan, but also in turn made one of the most modernized forces in the world at that time. He developed, implemented, and expanded the use of long pikes, firearms and castle fortifications in accordance with the expanded mass battles of the period.
• Nobunaga also instituted a specialized warrior class system and appointed his retainers and subjects to positions based on ability, not wholly based on name, rank, or family relationship as in prior periods. Retainers were also given land on the basis of rice output, not land size. Nobunaga's organizational system in particular was later used and extensively developed by his ally Tokugawa Ieyasu in the forming of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo.
Nobunaga is betrayed by one of his closest
generals (Akechi Mitsuhide) and forced to
commit SEPUKU.
Mitsuhide looks to take over the throne but his
rule is short-lived because …
• Hideyoshi defeated Akechi at the Battle of
Yamakazi 13 days later.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
(1536-1598)
A lowly servant in the
Oda Clan . He was one
of Nobunaga's sandal-
bearers but eventually
became one of his top
generals
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
(1536-1598)
Becomes suspicious of European territorial ambitions.
Orders all European missionaries expelled from Japan.
Tries to invade Korea, but fails.
•Though he actually intended to
conquer Ming China, Hideyoshi had
been communicating with the Koreans
since 1587 requesting safe passage
into China. As allies of Ming China, the
Koreans at first refused talks entirely,
and in April and July 1591 refused
demands that Japanese troops be
allowed to march through Korea. In
August, Hideyoshi ordered
preparations for invasion.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Dynasty Warriors
Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616)
One of Japan’s strongest shoguns
Rose to power after Toyotomi’s death
Stopped Japanese expeditions
Shogunate ruled from 1600-1868
• Don’t Write: Ieyasu
had shared his
childhood with
Nobunaga as a
hostage of the Oda
Clan.
• Though there were
a number of
battles between
Ieyasu and the
Oda clan, Ieyasu
eventually
switched sides and
became one of
Nobunaga's
strongest allies.
Edo Castle
Tokugawa Shogunate Period
Japan closed off to all trade [except to the Dutch and Chinese].
The Dutch were restricted to a small island in Nagasaki harbor.
Japanese Christians persecuted and Christianity is forbidden. The government is centralized with all power in the hands of the shogun. Domestic trade flourishes. Towns, esp. castle towns, increase. New art forms haiku poetry, kabuki theater.
Haiku Examples
Curving up, then down.
Meeting blue sky and green earth
Melding sun and rain.
The red blossom bends
and drips its dew to the ground.
Like a tear it falls
Fill in the 7 syllable line
• Green elms in the woods
•
• _______________________________
•
• Standing tall and proud
Fill in the two five syllable lines.
___________________________
The petals bend to the earth
___________________________