Feudalism in Japan
E. Napp
Objective: To identify and explain Japan’s feudal system
Do Now: Multiple-choice questions from previous lessons
1. Which aspect of Chinese culture was
4. The term feudalism is best defined as a
never adopted by the Japanese?
(1) holy war between Christians and
(A) the Mandate of Heaven
Muslims
(B) chopsticks
(2) process in which goods are traded for
(C) ceramics
other goods
(D) Buddhist beliefs
(3) division of political power between three
separate branches
2. The traditional Japanese concept of the
(4) system in which land is exchanged for
role of the emperor and the Chinese belief in military service and loyalty
the Mandate of Heaven were both based on
(A) the democratic election of rulers
5. Which fact relating to early Japan was a
(B) a division of power between the
result of the other three?
nobility and the emperor
(1) Japan experienced earthquakes and
(C) the belief that political power comes
volcanic eruptions.
from a divine source
(2) The Japanese developed a nature-based
(D) a constitution that defines individual belief called Shinto.
rights
(3) Tsunamis and typhoons sometimes
destroyed coastal Japanese villages.
3. Korea greatly influenced the development (4) Mountains are found throughout the
of early Japan by
islands of Japan.
(A) acting as a bridge for ideas from
6. The feudal systems in both medieval
China
(B) providing Japan with the technology Europe and early Japan were characterized
for industrialization
by
(C) serving as a barrier against Chinese
(1) a decentralized political system
aggression
(2) religious diversity
(D) protecting Japan from early
(3) an increased emphasis on education
European exploration
(4) development of a wealthy middle class
Japan's feudal period lasted from the 12th
century until the 19th century. During this
period, society was divided in different classes.
At the top, was the Emperor, although he had
little real power. Japan was ruled by the
Shogun, who was a military leader with near
absolute control. In Japan, the real political and
military power was in the hands of the shogun.
Much like in Europe, the shogun distributed
lands to his loyal vassals, who were called
daimyo. The daimyo then granted lands to their
warriors, the samurai. Japanese warriors lived
according to a code of conduct known as
bushido, which was even stricter than that in
Europe. A disgraced samurai was expected to
perform seppuku (commit suicide) in order to
maintain his family's honor. ~ Regentsprep.org
Questions:
Which leader had little real power?
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Which leader had near absolute
control?
________________________________
What did the shogun distribute?
________________________________
Who were the daimyo?
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Define samurai.
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What was the Code of Bushido?
________________________________
How did a disgraced samurai regain
honor?
________________________________
Cornell Notes Outline: The Rise of Feudalism in Japan (Add Key Words and Summaries)
The Key
Words:
The Notes:
I.
Feudalism in Japan
A. By the 1100s, the Japanese emperor was weak
B.
Lords no longer obeyed the emperor
1- They did not pay taxes
C.
A system of feudalism developed
1- Land was exchanged for military service
D.
The most powerful lord became the Shogun
1- A Shogun was a military dictator
2- Lords had to obey the Shogun
E.
The lords of Japan were called Daimyo
1- Daimyo owned land and armies
2- Daimyo were loyal to the Shogun
F.
The warriors of feudal Japan were samurai
1- Samurai were skilled warriors
2- Samurai followed the Code of Bushido
a) The Code of Bushido was a set of rules for
samurai
1.
2.
3.
The
Summaries:
A samurai had to be loyal
A samurai had to show no emotion
The only way for a samurai to regain lost
honor was to commit suicide
Please read the passage below and answer the questions:
The emperor was an important political and religious figure in Japan. However, by the
1100s, the emperor’s power was so weakened that Japan collapsed into civil war. Unable
to control the lords of Japan, the emperor lost his political power. A system of feudalism
arose in Japan that was similar to feudalism in Western Europe. Lords and their private
armies became very powerful.
By 1192, Japan’s most powerful lord or noble had the emperor appoint him as Japan’s
“Supreme Military Governor” or Shogun. For the next 600 years, the Shoguns were the
real rulers of Japan, while the emperors acted as mere figureheads. The Shogun stood at
the top of the Japanese feudal system. He was the most powerful lord in Japan. The
Shogun was a military dictator.
Questions:
1- What happened to the emperor of Japan in the 1100s?
________________________________________________________________________
2- What arose in Japan in the 1100s?
________________________________________________________________________
3- Define Feudalism.
________________________________________________________________________
4- Who was the Shogun?
________________________________________________________________________
5- Why did the Shogun rule Japan?
________________________________________________________________________
The highest nobles next to the shogun were the daimyos. A daimyo was a noble
landowner or a lord. Daimyo controlled larges estates, or pieces of land. Daimyo also had
private armies or armies of warriors fought for the daimyo. The daimyo gave land to
warriors or samurai, which means “one who serves” in exchange for loyalty and
protection. Samurai were warriors on horseback and fearless soldiers who carried swords.
They believed that to die in battle was an honor. Samurai practiced the Code of Bushido.
The Code of Bushido was the samurai’s code of honor. The Code of Bushido demanded
that a samurai be loyal to his lord and brave. A samurai had to obey orders and practice
self-discipline, or control over one’s feelings and actions. Honor was the most important
thing in his life. If a samurai lost his honor, he had to commit seppuku or hari-kari. He
had to kill himself with his own sword. The Japanese believed that seppuku restored or
brought back honor.
6- Define daimyo.
________________________________________________________________________
7- Who were the samurai?
________________________________________________________________________
8- Describe the relationship between a samurai and his daimyo.
________________________________________________________________________
9- What was the Code of Bushido?
________________________________________________________________________
10- How could a samurai regain his honor?
________________________________________________________________________
11- Compare and contrast European and Japanese Feudalism.
________________________________________________________________________
Word Bank:
Archipelago
Daimyo
Emperor
Fixed
Knights
Spirits
Natural Resources
Irregular
Mountains
Seppuku
Kami
Samurai
Shogun
Shintoism
Caste
Bushido
Feudalism
The code of bushido of the Japanese samurai is most similar to
(A) belief in reincarnation and karma of Hindus
(B) practice of chivalry by European knights
(C) teachings of Judaism
(D) theory of natural rights of the Enlightenment writers
Which is a characteristic of a feudal society?
(A) rapid social change
(B) high literacy rate
(C) industrial-based economy
(D) rigid class structure