Bellringer February 16, 2012  Grab your clicker  Take out something to write with

February 16, 2012

Objectives Today, we will learning about the geography of Japan, and Japan’s influence on China.

Japan’s Geography  Chain of islands Isolated from rest of Asia *4 Largest: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu  *Like CHINA, Japan is covered by mountains Earthquake prone

Japan’s Geography  *20% of land is farmable  *Made living on and from the sea  *Fiercely independent society

First Settlers  *30,000 – 10,000 BC – Japan’s earliest settlers arrive.  *Jomon – “cord marks”, earliest group, made living from fishing

First Settlers  *Yayoi – introduced Farming to Japan, prob. learned skills from CHINESE and Koreans  Yayoi: *Paddy – a rice field that is flooded when rice is planted & drained for the harvest.  Yayoi: *Clan – Yayoi were organized into clans.

First Settlers  Yayoi: *Warrior Chiefs – Protected the ppl in return for a share of the rice harvest each yr.  Yayoi: *Tombs – Kofun = Yayoi tombs

First Settlers  Creation Myth *Drops of Japan *Amaterasu ruled the Earth *Susanowo the storm god Symbols of leadership: *Mirror, Jewel, & a Great Sword

First Settlers  A.D. 500s – *Yamato, a family clan, b/c ruler of Japan  *Yamato believe to be Amaterasu of descendants  *Jimmu, a Yamato leader, b/c “emperor of heaven.”

First Settlers  *Jimmu, a Yamato leader, b/c “emperor of heaven.”  Claimed the right to rule  *Akihito, present day emperor, is one of Jimmu descendants.

First Settlers  Began promoting the adoption of CHINESE culture (sent officials to study in China) :  Confucianism.  Language (kanji characters).  Buddhist sects.  Chinese art & architecture.  Government structure.

Prince Shotoku’s Reforms  *Shotoku – a Yamato prince, wanted a strong gov’t  *Shotoku looked to China for an ex. of a strong country

Prince Shotoku’s Reforms  *Shotoku created a constitution to achieve a strong gov’t  Shotoku’s Cons: *Gave all power to the emperor *Created a bureaucracy *Contained Confucius ideas

Prince Shotoku’s Reforms  Shotoku sent students to China to learn.  *Buddhism – Shotoku built Buddhist temples & monasteries  *Horyuji – Japan’s oldest temple & the world’s oldest surviving wooden building

Prince Shotoku’s Reforms  *Taika – “Great Change” *Divided Japan into provinces with rulers reporting to the emperor *All land under the emperor’s control  *Tax – Gov’t officials could only collect taxes for the emperor (crops)

Shinto  *Shinto- “way of the spirits” *Animism- believe that all natural things (mountains, water, etc.) have spirits. *Kami- nature spirits *Shrines- holy places were spirits are worshiped.

Shinto  There are "Four Affirmations” in Shinto: Tradition and the family: Their main celebrations relate to birth and marriage. Love of nature: Nature is sacred; to be in contact with nature is to be close to the Gods. Physical cleanliness: Followers of Shinto take baths, wash their hands, and rinse out their mouth often. "Matsuri": The worship and honor given to the Kami and ancestral spirits.

Homework