History of Japan

Geography

• Consists of many islands

• 4 main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu

Geography, cont.

• ¾ of Japan is covered with mountains

• Weather is cool/cold in the north, warm/hot in the south

• Plenty of rain and sunshine

• Frequent earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons

VERY EARLY JAPAN

• About 10,000BC, people from Asia settled in Japan, and lived by hunting, gathering and fishing

• Ainu were among the early people of Japan; lived in Northern Japan; were ethnically different

VERY EARLY JAPAN, cont.

• 100BC-rice farming & metal working came to Japan from Korea

• Until about 300AD, there was no central government, and people lived in uji –clans which controlled their on territory

• In 300AD, the Yamato clan became dominant and the Yamato clan chief was the Emperor of Japan, said to be descended from Amaterasu, the sun goddess

SHINTO RELIGION

• Shinto means “Way of the Kami”• Kami – nature spirits that lived in natural

objects• Most clans had a special protective Kami• Shinto involves

– prayer & rituals to please the Kami– reverence for nature– cleanliness

ABOUT: 500AD-800AD

• About 552AD: Buddhism brought to Japan by Korean missionaries

• Buddhist missionaries also brought Chinese writing, which the Japanese called Kanji

• About 600AD: Prince Shotoku– Promoted Chinese ideas, Buddhism, Confucianism– Wrote the Constitution of 17 Articles for Japan– Started sending delegations of young Japanese

noblemen to study in China

About 500AD-800AD

• 710AD: Built the capital at Nara

• Japanese began to copy Chinese style in many aspects of life in every possible way: food, architecture, flower arranging, etc.

• They never adopted the idea of a Civil Service Exam. Government positions were limited to the nobility. They never adopted foot binding.

Changes about 800AD-Transition into the Heian Period

*Built a new capital at Heian-Kyo– Began to turn away from following the

Chinese model in culture– Stopped sending delegations of young

men to study in China– Developed “kana”, a simpler form of writing

in which symbols represented syllables of spoken Japanese. Actually, 2 separate forms of kana were developed:

• Hiragana-also called “women’s writing”• Katakana

– Men continued to write mostly in Kanji, women used kana, especially “hiragana”

Heian Period: about 800AD-1200AD

• Capital at Heian-Kyo

• Nobles had an elaborate court life at Heian –Kyo, where elaborate etiquette determined every action in life

• Noblemen continued to write in Kanji, but Noble women used Kana, especially the type called “hiragana”.

Heian Court DressHeian Court DressHeian Court DressHeian Court Dress

Heian period: about 800AD-1200AD: women writers

• Many noble women wrote “Court Diaries”

• Lady Sei Shonagon wrote the “Pillow Book”, a collection of anecdotes about court life

• Lady Murasaki wrote “Tale of Genji”, the world’s first novel

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

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

The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki

Heian Period: about 800AD-1200AD--political developments

• The Emperors gradually became more interested in luxury than in actually ruling

• The Fujiwara clan took over much of the real power and ruled in the Emperor’s name

• Usually, a daughter of the Fugiwara married the emperor

• The Emperors continued to be held in honor and performed important Shinto rituals

End of the Heian Period- Beginning the beginning of the Feudal Period

• Late 1100’s- The Fujiwara family dropped out of power, and there was a civil war between 2 powerful families, the Taira and the Minamoto.

• 1185: the Minamoto clan won the civil war

• 1192, the Emperor granted Minamoto Yoritomo (head of the clan) the title “Shogun”! This was a turning point!

JAPANESE FEUDALISM

• Emperor kept his throne, but the Shogun was the real ruler, in control of the military, finances, and laws

• The Emperor’s court continued in Heian-Kyo (Kyoto), and the Shogun set up a separate capital at Kamakura.

• 1192-1331: The Minamoto clan held the Shogunate

MONGOL INVASION ATTEMPTS• The Mongols under

Kublai Khan tried twice to invade

• 1274-Mongol fleet didn’t’ even land. It was blown away by a typhoon

• 1281-Mongols landed and fought the assembled Samurai for several weeks. Then their fleet was again blown away by a typhoon, called the “Kamikaze”, the sacred wind.

Japan-Middle Ages – Feudal Period, cont.

• 1192-1331, the Minamoto clan held the Shogunate

• In 1331,the Emperor briefly tried and failed to regain control

• 1333-1568, the Ashikaga clan held the Shogunate

• Increasingly throughout this period, the nobles became more independent, and warfare between Daimyo became frequent.

Japan-Middle Ages- Feudal Period

Daimyo

• Feudal lords of Japan

• Fought frequent wars against each other

• Hired Samurai to fight

• Taxed the peasants

• Had Japanese-styled castles

SAMURAI* Similar (in some ways) to European Knights* Samurai – refers to the warriors themselves, and to the social class of the warriors. Means “those who serve”. * Followed a code of ethics – Bushido (similar to Chivalry)* Extreme loyalty to lord (Daimyo) & Clan* Brave & fearless of death* Most important weapon was a sword called a katana, that was regarded as the “soul” of a Samurai. He also carried a smaller sword or dagger (called a wakizashi or tanto) with which to commit seppuku, if necessary.

SAMURAI, cont

I If defeated or dishonored, he committed seppuku-ritual suicide by cutting his abdomen and disemboweling himself

* Also expected to be able to write poetry & perform tea ceremony

* Often practiced Zen Buddhism, which emphasized self-discipline through meditation and fighting by instinct, rather than by thought

SEPPUKU-ritual suicide of a Samurai

Minamoto Tametomo-1st Seppuku

• Minamoto Tametomo was a member of the Minamoto clan who lived in the 1100sAD. He fought in the Civil War between the Minamoto and the Taira clan.

Minamoto Tametomo-1st Seppuku

• Tametomo is known in the epic chronicles as a powerful archer and it is said that he once sunk an entire Taira ship with a single arrow by puncturing its hull below the waterline. It is also added in many legends that his left arm was about 6 in. longer than his right, enabling a longer draw of the arrow, and more powerful shots.

Minamoto Tametomo-1st Seppuku

• In 1170, as the conflict between the Minamoto and Taira continued, Tametomo became surrounded by enemy Taira warriors on a small island. In some legends, it is said that Taira cut the tendons of Tametomo's left arm. Thinking that he wouldn't be able to fight anymore, he killed himself by slicing his abdomen, or committing seppuku. He is quite possibly the first warrior to commit seppuku in the chronicles.

Samurai attire

Samurai Charging

European Armor Samurai Armor

Modern Day Samurai

JAPANESE RELIGION• Sects of Buddhism came

from China– Pure Land Buddhism

stressed salvation through faith in Buddha

– Zen stressed salvation through enlightenment gained through meditation

• Most people followed Shinto, Buddhism & Confucianism. Every home had a shrine which combined these religious practices

PEASANTS• Most people farmed

or fished• Rice and fish were

the most important foods

• Lived simple lives and worked very hard

• Farming required extremely hard work because land was very limited

Family and Women

• Family was the center of life, and was more important than the individual; a disgrace to one was a disgrace to all.

• Oldest male was the head of the family & made all important decisions & was obeyed by all

• When a woman married, she became part of her husband’s family and obeyed her husband and his parents

• Women were regarded as objects of beauty, but were expected to endure hardships and peasant women were expected to work very hard

• They sometimes committed seppuku along with their husbands by opening the veins on their necks.

• Japanese never adopted the Chinese custom of footbinding

OTHER FORMS OF CULTURE

• Landscape gardening featured gardens which looked natural but took great care. Usually had rocks & running water.

• Zen gardens had a few rocks and sand raked in patterns• Tea ceremony-very complex, elaborate ceremony

– Goal-to produce spiritual calm– Every move was set; took several hours;– Involving looking at nature and preparing and drinking tea.

• Noh drama in which men performed in a highly stylized dance-drama, often with a historical theme

Noh Theatre

Zen Garden

Tea Ceremony