Chapter 12.4 Emergence of Japan and the Feudal Age

Focus Q Read “Witness History” on p What is the main idea of this reading? Give two details to support the main idea?

What you’ll learn…….Why…………. 1.How geography set Japan apart. 2.How China influenced Japan. 3.Understand the Japanese feudal system. 1.Is there competition btwn Japan, China, Korea to be the superior Asians? 2.How could small Japan defend itself from large China?

Nippon -- “Land of the Rising Sun”

Geography Set Japan Apart 1.Japan is located on an ***archipelago: a chain of islands*** 2.4 main islands, over 4000 small islands 3.Japan is about the size of Montana 4.80% is too mountainous to farm 5.Most settle in river valleys or coastal plains

Japan’s Population Density

Japan’s Topography

Japan’s Population Density million (2011), 343 people/km, 7 th in the world 1.United States—33.2/km, (2010) 2.Michigan—67.1/km, (2011)

Mt. Fuji: elevation 12,389 ft. Dormant since 1707

Very Mountainous: Little Arable Land

4 Main Islands 6852 total islands Hokkaido Honshu Shikuku Kyushu Okinawa

Cities Sapporo Hiroshima Kobe Tokyo Nagasaki Kyoto Yokohama Nagoya Osaka

Japan and the United States

Seas Protect Japan 1.***surrounding seas have protected and isolated Japan*** 2.They are close enough to learn from Korea and China 3.Too far away to be conquered by China 4.Seas also served as trade routes and a food supply

Forces of Nature are Nasty 1.Japan is in the region of the Ring of Fire 2.That’s a chain of volcanoes that circle the Pacific Ocean 3.Frequent volcanic activity and earthquakes can cause tsunamis ***Tsunamis are killer tidal waves*** 40 to 475 mph, 3 to 30 ft. high

Japan 2011

On the “Fire Rim of the Pacific”

Pacific “Rim of Fire”

Their Religion is Shinto 1.Early Japanese clans honored kami, or superior powers that were natural or divine 2.worshiping the forces of nature became Shinto 3.Shinto is a common religion in Japan today

Japanese Borrow Much From China 1.From about many Japanese visit China during the Tang Dynasty 2.They negotiate, trade, but above all study 3.They take many ideas from Chinese thought, govt, and art

Japanese Borrow Much From China 1.Japanese rulers adopt title “Heavenly Emperor” and claim absolute power 2.Adopt similar law system 3.Japanese nobles dress and speak Chinese 4.Tea drinking and elaborate ceremony imported from China 5.Pagoda architecture too

Selective Borrowing Preserves Culture 1.Over time some Chinese ideas are kept, others discarded 2.Do not adopt Chinese civil service system— officials are educated sons of nobles 3.Modify some Chinese ideas, for instance: ***Japanese revised the Chinese system of writing***, added phonetic symbols representing syllables

Warriors Establish Feudalism 1.Like medieval Europe under Feudalism, a warrior aristocracy dominated Japanese society 2.***In theory, the emperor was the ruler. He was really a powerless, revered figurehead.*** 3.Real power was held by the Shogun— supreme military commander

Feudal Society The emperor reigned, but did not always rule!

FeudalismFeudalism Japan: A political, economic, and social system based on loyalty, the holding of land, and military service. Japan: Shogun Daimyo Samurai Peasant Land - Shoen Protection Loyalty Food

Ways of the Warriors 1. Shogun controlled a small part of Japan – Gave land to vassal lords who agreed to give military support (armies) 2. Great warrior lords called daimyo – Daimyo gave land to lesser warriors—samurai ***samurai were fighting aristocracy of this war-torn land***

Samurai 1.Heavily armed and trained in fighting 2.Develop own code of values ***Bushido, “way of the warrior,”—honor, bravery, absolute loyalty to your lord*** integrity honorbraveryrespect compassion honestyloyalty

Seppuku: Ritual Suicide Kaishaku – his “seconds” It is honorable to die in this way.

Japanese Hold Off Mongols 1.When Japan refused to accept Mongol rule, Kublai Khan invaded in A fleet of 30,000 arrive, but a typhoon wrecks many ships—Mongols retreat to mainland —Mongols invade w/ a larger force— again a typhoon destroys much of their fleet 4.Japanese credit this to Kamikaze: divine winds

Tokagawas Unite Japan 1.Tokagawa shogunate rules from Create a unified, orderly society—very different than feudalism ***to control the daimyo (great warrior lords), they required them to live in Edo (Tokyo) every other year***

On a completely different topic… 1.Today, SE Asia includes Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos 2.b/c it is on your exam….remember the Chinese influence Japan?..... Well…. ***Indian culture 1 st spreads to SE Asia when Indian merchants settle in port cities***

SAYONARA