Early Japan Chapter 8.1

The Ainu (eye-noo) The Ainu are one of Japan’s oldest cultures. They may have crossed over the ocean from Russia, but historians are unsure. Their language was unique and unlike any other in Asia. Over time, the Ainu lost their land and were pushed onto the island of Hokkaido. There are still a small number of Ainu descendants living on Hokkaido.

The First Japanese The people who lived south of the Ainu eventually became the Japanese. They lived in villages controlled by clans. The clans were ruled by chiefs. It was believed that these chiefs were descended from nature spirits called kami. Chiefs led their clans in rituals that honored their kami ancestors.

Shinto The kami rituals performed by the clan chiefs eventually grew into Japan’s first religion, Shinto. Followers of Shinto believe that all elements of nature have kami. Shinto followers believe that some kami can protect them. Shintoists built shrines to honor the kami.

Itsukushima shrine

The First Emperors The most powerful clan came from Yamato, in the Western part of Honshu. The chiefs of the Yamato claimed to have an illustrious family history and be descendants of the most powerful of all kami, Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun. Eventually, by the early 500’s, the Yamato rulers controlled most of Honshu and called themselves the emperors of Japan.

Japan Learns from Korea and China Occasionally, officials from China and Korea would visit Japan, but these visits had very little impact on Japanese society. By the mid 500’s, leaders in Japan thought that they should learn more about culture from China and Korea. Japanese rulers sent representatives to China and Korea to gather information and to encourage people to move to Japan. Leaders believed that these people could teach the Japanese new ways of working and thinking.

Language in Japan The early Japanese did not have any written language. Many people began to learn to write in Chinese but continued to speak their own language. Eventually the Japanese invented an alphabet that used Chinese characters to represent the sounds used in the Japanese language. Some members of the aristocracy wrote exclusively in Chinese. Chinese eventually became the official language of Japan’s government.

Prince Shotoku Prince Shotoku was a regent who ruled for his aunt. A regent someone who rules in the place of another. He was fascinated with Chinese culture his entire life. He promoted many Chinese beliefs to Japan, such as Confucianism and Buddhism. Buddhism came to Japan from Korea about 50 years before prince Shotoku’s reign. The Japanese did not want to follow Buddhism at first, but eventually it became very popular, especially among Japanese nobles.

Changes in Government Prince Shotoku also wanted Japan’s government to be more like China’s. He believed that like the Chinese emperors, the Japanese emperors should have more power. But, many clan leaders disagreed with Shotoku’s ideas and the emperors gained little power.