1. Feudal
Japan

2. Japan's isolation as an island nation has been instrumental in its development as a culture. By 500 BC it was still an undeveloped agrarian culture without cities. Outside influences which led to cultural advancement included (1) contacts with and importing of Chinese culture, especially in the areas of weaving, metals, art and government
Background of Japan
Japan's isolation as an island nation
Instrumental in its development as a culture
By 500 BCE it was still an undeveloped agrarian (farm based) culture without cities
Outside influences which led to cultural advancement included...

3. Background Japan comes from “ri-ben” – land of the rising sun
Borrowed ideas, institutions, & culture from China
4,000 islands make up the archipelago
4 large islands
1 B.C. = hundred of clans
Worshiped local gods
Shinto “way of the gods”
Respect nature (kami) & worship ancestors

4. Draw a Castle… Compare it to the ones in Feudal Japan

5. Warwick Castle, England

6. Feudal Japan

7. Japanese Traditional Castle

9. Japanese Culture Buddhism: Chinese culture:
Brought by Korean travelers
Mixed with Shinto
Some Buddhist rituals became Shinto rituals
Chinese culture:
607, Prince Shotoku sent 1/3 missions to China
Adopted Chinese system of writing
Painting styles
Simple arts: cooking, gardening, tea, hairdressing
Strong central government
Civil Service System failed

10. Prince Shotoku: 573-621 Adopted Chinese culture and Confucianism
Buddhist sects allowed to develop
Created a new government structure:
17 Article Constitution in 604 

11. Heian Period: 794-1156 Characteristics: Growth of large landed estates
Arts & literature of China flourished
Elaborate court life
Etiquette
Personal diaries
The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon
Great novel
The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Shikibu
Moving away from Chinese models in religion, the arts, and government

12. Heian Court Dress

13. The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon (diary)

14. The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon (diary)

15. Tale of Genji (first novel)
Account of the life of a prince in the imperial court – considered the world’s first novel

16. Feudalism Erodes Imperial Authority
Rich Fujiwara family in power
Strong central gov’t challenged by great landowners & clan chiefs
Private armies; countryside became lawless
Farmers & small landowners traded land for protection – warlords

17. Samurai Warriors!!!
Wars between rival lords  bodyguard warriors of each lord
Samurai = one who serves
Code of behavior: Bushido
The way of the warrior
Reckless courage
Reverence for the gods
Fairness
Generosity towards the weaker
Honorable death > long life

18. Samurai Warrior Attire

19. Samurai Sword

20. Early Mounted Samurai Warriors

21. Samurai Charging

22. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai
Seppuku ("stomach-cutting") is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment.
Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai
Part of the samurai honor code
Used:
Voluntarily to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies
Form of capital punishment after serious offenses
For reasons that shamed them
Seppuku is performed by plunging a sword into the abdomen and moving the sword left to right in a slicing motion

23. Founded the Kamakura Shogunate: 1185-1333
Minamoto Yoritomo
2 most powerful clans fight for power
30 years of war
Minamoto family wins
Leader: Yoritomo
Deemed “Shogun”
Supreme general of the emperor’s army
Powers of a military dictator
Founded the Kamakura Shogunate:

24. Kamakura Shogunate Emperor still ruled in Kyoto
Real power = Shogun’s military headquarters at Kamakura
Shoguns ruled through puppet emperors until 1868!
Kamakura Shoguns defeated 2 invasions by the great Mongol ruler Kublai Khan
Drained shogun’s funds
Samurais did not get paid
Aligned more closely with lords
Shoguns lost power

25. Japanese Feudal System
Emperor
Shogun
Samauri
Merchants
Peasants

26. Feudal Hierarchy Emperor – Japanese political ruler
Shogun – Had the powers of a military
dictator; Ruled Japan through
puppet emperors
Samurai – loyal warriors of local lords
Merchant - Facilitated trade, earliest beginnings of the Japanese economic system
Peasant – Worked the land which belonged to the local lords

27. Seppuku: Ritual Suicide
It is honorable to die in this way.
Kaishaku – his “seconds”