Japan Under the Shogun
CHAPTER 13
The 47 Ronin
 Lord Asano
 Lord Kira
 Ronin
 Seppuku
Samurai code and Japanese society
 Attack on Lord Kira
 Honourable behaviour has always been an important
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value in Japanese society
How are the actions of the people in this story
affected by ideas of honour?
What other values are demonstrated?
“to understand the story of the 47 ronin is to
understand Japan”
What do you think this means?
Tokugawa or Edo Period
 Tokugawa/Edo period took place from 1600 to 1868
 This was a time of almost complete isolation
 Prior to 1600 was a time of constant war
 Powerful land owners (daimyo) competed with
eachother for money and power
 In 1600 this ended
 How do think peace and stability was brought to
Japan?
 Answer: A strong leader
Unifying the land
 Tokugawa Ieyasu became the first Shogun (ruler of
Japan)
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How?
 There was a still and Emperor, but the Shogun had
ALL the power
 Shogun created a strong and stable government that
would be ruled by his descendants for over 250 years
How did he do this?
Control the Daimyo (many of whom were his enemies)
2. Alternate Attendance: Every two years the Daimyo
were forced to live in Edo. Their family members lived
in Edo permanently.
3. Sharing power: Bakuhan System: two levels of
government. Shogun had control over national issues,
and the daimyo controlled local affairs
4. Strict Laws: Shogun controlled people’s lives, from
marriage to dress
All done to keep the Daimyo spending money so they
could not rise up and challenge the shogun
1.
In your journals
 Read the Chart on the top page 286 and answer the
question underneath it in your journals
 Talk about with a partner
Feudal Society
 During Tokugawa era Japan was a Feudal society
 There were strict social classes
 Membership in each class was hereditary
 You could NOT move up classes
 Strict rules governed each class
 Example: rules of dress applied to everyone from the
emperor to the peasants
 Punishments were harsh
The Samurai
The Samurai
 Respected warrior class
 Only samurai could have swords
 Were many classes within the Samurai, Ronin being the
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lowest
Collected taxes, acted as police
They lived simple and thrifty lives
But had great social privilege
Example: they could cut off the head of a commoner who
insulted them!
7 principles: Justice, Bravery, Compassion, Courtesy,
Honesty, Loyalty, Honor.
Peasants
 Were considered important because of all the food
they produced
 Very strict laws ruled how they lived every aspect of
their life
 Many were never allowed to leave their village
Artisans
 Lived in cities and towns
 Son of a painter had to be a painter, could not
practice another type of art
 They were seen as less important than peasants,
because they didn’t produce anything
Merchants
 Bought items from artisans and peasants to trade
and sell
 Merchants acted as bankers (using rice as money)
 Were the lowest class
Outcasts: Not even in the heirarchy
 Were ignored or shunned by all the classes because
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of their work
Butchers, leather tanners, those with leprosy
Very strict rules applied to these people
The Ainu were also separate from the social
hierarchy
Japan’s indigenous population, were completed
excluded from Japanese society, and still are in many
ways
Women in Feudal Japan
 The class women were born in to determined their
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role
Women in the samurai class had to prepare their
sons to be samurai
Women in the peasant class had to work on the farm
and raise the children
Overall, women were always seen as lower than men
Read page 293 and answer the questions
Harmonious Society
 The social controls from the feudal society had a
lasting affect on Japan
 Control and Obedience are still the foundation for
Japanese society
Confucius
 Was a Chinese scholar who taught about morality
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and the right way to live
His teachings had a huge effect on Japan and China
Everyone had a proper place in society
If everyone accepted their place (duties) there would
be peace and order
People should be modest and study hard
Lets look at page 296
First Contact With The West
 1500’s the Portugese arrived in southern Japan
 Portuguese society: competition, the individual, flexible
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social structure
Japanese society: honour, respect, the group, strict social
structure
Portuguese wanted to convert the Japanese to Christians
Japanese: Shinto (kami), Confucian code of correct
behaviour and Buddhist self discipline
Christianity: One God
Page 302: answer the questions
Videos
 Confucius