1. Japan 5-3
Life in Medieval Japan

2. Japanese Religion & Culture
Great Cultural Exchange with China
Shinto- concerned with daily life
Buddhism- prepared people for the life to come- inspired paintings, poems, plays

3. Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism- happy life after death- followed Lord Amida- a Buddha of love and mercy- have faith and chant name- oldest sect
Zen Buddhism- find inner peace through self-control, martial arts, practiced meditation
Different sects

4. Art and Architecture Borrowed many ideas from China and Korea
Developed into their own- revealed beauty and simplicity
Made wood carvings, painted with lacquer
Created origami
Shinto shrines were built near a sacred rock or tree- people entered the one room shrine through a torii
Buddhists temples were massive in comparison, thick wooden pillars and tile roofs- gardens built around it to one find peace

5. Poems and Plays
Copied Chinese characters, but added own characters for their own sounds- pictures with sounds
Calligraphy- beautiful writing- showed your social status
Tanka- is Japan’s oldest form of poetry, five lines unrymed- beauty of nature, joys and sorrows of life
Murasaki Shikibu- woman author wrote The Tale of Genji- a the adventures of a Japanese prince- possible first novel
Noh- taught Buddhist ideas- simple bare stage with masks, elaborate robes- oldest play

6. Economy and Society
Under the shoguns, Japan gained in cultural achievements and wealth
Nobles, the emperor, and military officials
Peasants remained poor- AKA farmers

7. Farmers and Artisans
The growing of rice, millet, wheat, and barley brought most of the wealth
Better irrigation increased more crops
Artisans made more weapons armor and tools
New roads
Each region focused on its own goods
Kyoto became a major center of trade and production
Formed guilds and the local daimyo protected them from rivals
Increased trade with Korea, China, and Southeast Asia

8. The Role of Women Family included- grandparents, parents, and children
Men headed the family
Women were expected to obey- father, husband, and son
Arranged marriages brought wealth to the family
Farm women had more say in who they married, but worked long hours in the fields
Cooked, made cloth and helped with businesses
Upperclass women lost freedoms when a warrior society began

9. Women Despite lack of opportunities, they contributed despite equality
Fame as artists
Fame as writers
Fame as warriors- Tomoe- as describe in The Tale of Heike