Focus What was China known for exporting? What was the Middle East known for exporting? What is a lateen sail? How was trade completed in: The Silk Road Europe Africa SE Asia Who spread Buddhism into China?
Geography of Japan
The Geography of Japan Japan is an archipelago—a chain of islands Japan is made up of four main islands: Kyushu Shikoku Honshu Hokkaido Hokkaido Honshu Shikoku Kyushu
The Geography of Japan Japan is separated from continental Asia by the Sea of Japan (or East Sea) The islands of Japan are volcanic islands—which means Japan has a mountainous terrain Nearly 72% of Japan is considered mountainous While Japan was isolated for much of its early history, its close proximity to China and Korea allowed for cultural diffusion
Map of China, Japan, and Korea Key: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 4 7 6 5 3 2 1
Map of China, Japan, and Korea Key: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) Kyushu 4 7 Shikoku 6 Honshu 5 3 Hokkaido 2 Korea 1 Sea of Japan China
Chinese Influence on Japan
Chinese Influence on Japan Early on Japan isolated itself from China but gradually became sinicized* Sinification=adopting Chinese culture Buddhism spread from China and Korea to Japan The Japanese adopted the Chinese alphabet
Chinese Influence on Japan Chinese pavilions influenced the Japanese architectural design of the Pagoda Confucianism was adopted to help run the government Japan was originally organized into clans that often fought Chinese influence strengthened Japanese imperialism The Japanese emperor was seen as divine
Examples of Sinification: Chinese Alphabet Japanese Alphabet Chinese Pavilion Japanese Pagoda
Religion in Japan
Shinto (Shintoism) Shinto is the ethnic religion of Japan It is concerned with the creation of Japan and the Japanese people Shinto was also the state religion of Japan The emperor was divine and worshiped Shinto literally means “the way of the gods” and is both polytheistic and animistic* Animism is the belief in natural spirits (i.e. forests, mountains, rivers, animals, etc.)
Focus Email me your DBQ. What caused Japan to be isolated and protected from its surroundings (be specific)? With which other modern countries did Japan have relatively close contact? Give some examples of influences this country had on Japan. What is Shintoism? Describe its basic beliefs.
Map of China, Japan, and Korea Key: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 4 7 6 5 3 2 1
Map of China, Japan, and Korea Key: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) Kyushu 4 7 Shikoku 6 Honshu 5 3 Hokkaido 2 Korea 1 Sea of Japan China
Shinto (Shintoism) The spirits worshiped in Shinto are known as kami Kami= spirits in nature and ancestral spirits In Shinto the people and kami occupy the same realm There are shrines and sites were the natural and supernatural intersect and the kami are worshiped Torii’s are gates that mark the entrance to sacred sites (the symbol of Shinto)
Buddhism Buddhism was also practiced in Japan (after it spread from China and Korea) In Japan Buddhism and Shinto coexisted Meaning people practiced aspects of both and identified as both
Buddhism Today the most common form of Buddhism in Japan is Zen Buddhism (or Japanese Zen) Zen focuses on reaching enlightenment through regular meditation (known as zazen) Enlightenment does not come from religious doctrine or worship but through personal experience and a teacher (a bodhisattva)