Feudal Japan

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Japan
From the Imperial Period to the Feudal Period
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• Early Japan
• Hundreds of Clans controlled territories
• The people worshipped their own Gods and
  Goddesses (Shinto)
• Yamato Clan claims to be relative of Amaterasu
  (sun Goddess)

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Yamato Period 300-710

• Began promoting the adoption of Chinese culture
• CULTURAL BORROWING
• Prince Shotoku studied and promoted Chinese ideas
• Confucianism
• Taoism
• Chinese writing system
• Chinese style art
• He even modeled his government after the Tang
  Dynasty

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Buddhism in Japan

• In the year 710, the first permanent Japanese
  capital was established in Nara, a city modeled
  after the Chinese capital.
• Large Buddhist monasteries were built in the new
  capital. The monasteries quickly gained such
  strong political influence that, in order to
  protect the position of the emperor and central
  government, the capital was moved to Nagaoka in
  784, and finally to Heian (Kyoto) in 794 where it
  would remain for over one thousand years.

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Heian Period 794-1156

• Characteristics
• Growth of large landed estates
• Arts literature of China flourished and
  then gradually declined to become Japanized
• Elaborate court life highly refined
• ETIQUETTE (way of behavior)
• Personal diaries
• The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon 10c
• Great novel
• The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Shikibu
  1000 pgs.

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Heian Court Dress
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The Pillow Bookby Sei Shonagon (diary)
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The Pillow Bookby Sei Shonagon (diary)
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Tale of Genji (first novel)
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Tale of Genji Scroll(first novel)
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Lady Murasaki Shikibu
She contributed much to the Japanese script known
as kana, while men wrote with Chinese characters,
kanji.
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Transition from Imperial to Feudal

• Land owners will challenge the power of the
  government
• Private armies were created
• The countryside was dangerous and people began to
  sell their land in exchange for protection

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Samurai

• Rivalry between landlords were common
• Each hired a bodyguard of warriors
• Samurai One who serves

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Code of Bushido
The way of the warrior

• Code of behavior that included
• Courage
• Fairness
• Generosity
• Honor

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Seppuku Ritual Suicide
It is honorable to die in this way.
Kaishaku his seconds
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Samurai Sword
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Kamakura Shogunate

• In the Late 1100s, Japans 2 most powerful clan
  went to war with Minamoto being victorious.
• The emperor gave a Minamoto leader the title
  SHOGUN. This means supreme general of the
  emperors army.
• The shogun had the powers of a military dictator.
• The headquarters of the Shogun was called
  Kamakura

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Feudalism
A political, economic, and social system based on
loyalty, the holding of land, and military
service. Japan
Shogun
Land - Shoen
Loyalty
Daimyo
Daimyo
Land - Shoen
Loyalty
Samurai
Samurai
Samurai
Food
Protection
Peasant
Peasant
Peasant
Peasant
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The emperor reigned, but did not always rule!
Feudal Society
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Medieval Warriors
vs.
European knight
Samurai Warrior
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Medieval Warriors
vs.
Knights Armor
Samurai Armor
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Feudalism
A political, economic, and social system based on
loyalty, the holding of land, and military
service. Europe
King
Land - Fief
Loyalty
Lord
Lord
Land - Fief
Loyalty
Knight
Knight
Knight
Food
Protection
Peasant
Peasant
Peasant
Peasant
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Ashikaga Age 1338-1573

• Shoguns fought for power.
• Laws are unclear.
• Less efficient than the Kamakura.
• Armies of samurai protected the country.

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The Age of the Warring States(1467 - 1568)

• Castles built on hills in different
  provinces.
• Power shifts from above to below.
• Europeans arrive in Japan bringing firearms
  Christianity.
• Christianity foreign trade flourish.

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Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582)

• Banishes the last Ashikaga shogun.
• Unifies a large part of Japan.

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Catholic Jesuits in Japan
St. Francis XavierFirst Catholic Missionaries
in Asia
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Toyotomi Hideyoshi(1536-1598)

• Becomes suspicious of European
  territorial ambitions.
• Orders all European missionaries expelled
  from Japan. ?
• Tries to invade Korea, but fails.

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Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616)

• Appointed shogun by the Emperor.
• Four-class system laid down with marriage
  restricted to members of the same class! ?
• Warriors.
• Farmers.
• Artisans.
• Merchants.

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Tokugawa Shogunate Period

• Japan closed off to all trade except to the
  Dutch and Chinese.
• Japanese Christians persecuted and
  Christianity is forbidden.
• The government is centralized with all power
  in the hands of the shogun.
• Towns, esp. castle towns, increase.
• Merchant class becomes rich!
• New art forms ? haiku poetry, kabuki theater.