6th Grade UBD - Unit 7 – Japanese Society

Essential Question What effects did power and social class have on Japanese feudal society?

Reach Into Your Background Create a list of five facts of what you think culture is. (5 minutes)

Key Ideas- Under the Shogun The emperor was considered to be descended from the gods but had no political power. The shogun, or supreme military dictator, was the real ruler of the country. Large landowners, or daimyo, controlled local people through samurai warriors who were loyal to them. Peasants made up most of the population and worked the land for the daimyo.

Japanese Society The Japanese people believed their emperor was descended from the gods

Emperor, Shogun, and Daimyo In Japan, real power was in the hands of the noble families, who often fought each other to gain political control.

Emperor, Shogun, and Daimyo In 1185, Yoritomo of the Minamoto clan gained power against his rivals and claimed the title : shogun- supreme military dictator.

Emperor, Shogun, and Daimyo The noble families and the shogun relied on the military support of armed warriors called samurai. Samurai were loyal to the shogun or the family they served.

The End of Feudalism By the mid-1300s, when the shogun had lost much of his power, Japan developed a feudal system with no central power. Regional lords called daimyo controlled local territories and had their own groups of loyal samurai.

The End of Feudalism The period of 1467–1603 was one of civil war, as daimyo fought each other for wealth and power.

The End of Feudalism A samurai named Toyotomi Hideyoshi defeated his rivals and united all of Japan under his rule. However, because he was of peasant birth, he could not become shogun. 

The End of Feudalism Hideyoshi issued a law that made the classes of Japanese society permanent: Samurai were at the top peasants, who were farmers, were below the samurai artisans came next merchants were the lowest class of society.

Japanese Feudal Society

The End of Feudalism After Hideyoshi’s death, Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun and won control of Japan. He began the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan for 265 years. 

The End of Feudalism Powerful landowners and samurai were required to live in Edo, the capital city, every other year. In this way, the shogun ensured that the landowners would not gain regional power and become rivals of the Tokugawa family.

The Way of the Warrior Samurai had to live their lives according to a strict code called Bushido, or the way of the warrior.

The Way of the Warrior Bushido required the samurai to: Be brave, skilled in battle, loyal, honest, and willing to sacrifice themselves in service of their lord.

The Way of the Warrior The samurai owed loyalty to the emperor, his parents, his master, his teachers, and his friends. By showing such obedience and loyalty, the samurai set an example of ideal citizenship for the lower orders.

Social Rank Families arranged marriages, and women had few rights in marriage. The samurai practiced cultural activities, such as painting, flower arranging, calligraphy, and writing poetry.

Social Rank Women who were related to samurai had their own strict rules to follow. A woman of the samurai class was obligated to obey her parents as a child, her husband as a wife, and her sons when they were grown.

Social Rank Peasants made up the great majority of the population. They had very little power in society. For example, they were not free to leave their daimyo’s land and seek other work in the towns.

Rice in Japan’s Economy Because the peasants produced food, they were essential to the foundation of the state in feudal Japan. As a result, the shogun and daimyo needed to keep the peasants happy but not allow them to gain too much power.

Rice in Japan’s Economy Although merchants occupied the bottom of the social structure, many of them became rich by wisely buying and selling rice. For all classes, the economy of Japan was based on a rice standard.

Merchants As Japanese society became more urban, a money economy began to develop. Because daimyo and their samurai needed cash to pay for goods, services, and their luxurious lifestyles, they often found themselves in debt to merchants.

Zen Buddhism The preferred religion of the samurai was Zen Buddhism, which was a branch of Buddhism. Zen teachers guided their students in meditation through the use of stories, dialogues, and metaphors.

17 Syllables Japanese writers also developed new form of poetry called a haiku. Haikus are traditionally written about nature. A haiku is a poem in 17 syllables, divided into three lines of five, seven, and five syllables.

The Floating World In Edo and other cities, wealthy merchants developed an art form called ukiyo-e, or “the floating world.” In this form of art, the natural world is shown in brief moments of unreal beauty, such as a snowfall or the blossoming of cherry trees.

Haiku The years of the Tokugawa shogunate were the “golden age” of haiku, but the form is still popular in Japan today.