JAPAN 500-1450

• JAPAN LIES TO THE EAST OF CHINA
• “LAND OF THE RISING SUN”
• 4,000 ISLANDS MAKE UP THE JAPANESE
ARCHIPELAGO BUT MOST JAPANESE LIVE ON
THE FOUR LARGEST ONES
• SPANS 1200 MILES
• LAND IS MOUNTAINOUS AND ONLY 15% IS
ARABLE
• NATURAL RESOURCES SCARCE

• JAPAN FIRST MENTIONED IN 300 AS A SET
OF CLANS THAT WERE NOT UNITED
• SHINTO- JAPANESE RELIGION- “WAY OF
THE GODS”
• NO RITUALS OR PHILOSOPHY
• RESPECT OF NATURE
• ANCESTOR WORSHIP
• BELIEVE IN KAMI, DIVINE SPIRITS THAT DWELL
IN NATURE

• 5 TH C YAMATO CLAN BECAME LEADING
CLAN
• 7 TH C CLAIMED TO BE EMPERORS OF JAPAN
• JAPAN HAD AN EMPEROR WHO WAS A
FIGURE HEAD AND A POWER BEHIND THE
THRONE THAT ACTUALLY RULED

• KOREANS TRAVEL TO JAPAN DURING 6 TH C
AND BRING CHINESE IDEAS WITH THEM
• MID-700S JAPANESE COURT ADOPTED
BUDDHISM
• JAPANESE DID NOT GIVE UP SHINTO EVEN
THOUGH MOST JAPANESE BECAME BUDDHIST
• INSTEAD BUDDHIST RITUALS BECAME SHINTO
RITUALS AND SOME SHINTO GODS WERE
WORSHIPPED IN BUDDHIST TEMPLES

• 607 PRINCE SHOTOKU SENT MISSIONS TO TANG
CHINA TO LEARN ABOUT CHINESE WAYS
• JAPANESE ADOPT CHINESE SYSTEM OF WRITING
• ARTISTS PAINTED LANDSCAPES SIMILAR TO CHINESE
ARTISTS
• COOKING, TEA DRINKING
• GOVERNMENT- STRONG CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
• ATTEMPTED TO INTRODUCE EXAM SYSTEM FOR
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BUT IT FAILED AND NOBLE
FAMILIES REMAINED IN CONTROL
• LATE 9 TH CENTURY MISSIONS ENDED ALONG WITH THE
HEAVY BORROWING

• 794 MEMBERS OF IMPERIAL COURT MOVE CAPITAL
TO HEIAN (MODERN DAY KYOTO)
• HIGHLY REFINED PERIOD
• RITUALS AND ART FILLED THE DAYS OF THE NOBILITY
• ETIQUETTE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
• EVERYONE AT THE COURT WAS EXPECTED TO WRITE
POETRY AND PAINT
• LADY MURASAKI- WROTE THE TALE OF THE GENGI,
AN ACCOUNT OF IMPERIAL LIFE
• FIRST NOVEL IN ANY LANGUAGE

• FOR MOST OF HEIAN PERIOD THE RICH
FUJIWARA FAMILY HELD POWER IN JAPAN BUT
BY THE 11 TH C MOST OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS
WERE INTERESTED IN LUXURY AND OTHER
PURSUITS, RATHER THAN GOVERNANCE
• LARGE LANDOWNERS BEGAN SETTING UP
PRIVATE ARMIES
• LIFE BECAME DANGEROUS SO MANY FARMERS
TRADED PARTS OF THEIR LAND TO STRONG
WARLORDS FOR PROTECTION
• LORDS BEGAN TO ACQUIRE MORE POWER
AND THE FEUDAL PERIOD BEGAN

• SAMURAI = ONE WHO SERVES
• LORDS SURROUNDED THEMSELVES WITH
SAMURAI
• LIVED ACCORDING TO BUSHIDO- CODE OF
CONDUCT “THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR”
• COURAGE, FAIRNESS, GENEROSITY TO THOSE
WEAKER
• DYING AN HONORABLE DEATH MORE
IMPORTANT THAN LIVING A LONG LIFE

• LATE 1100S TWO POWERFUL CLANS FOUGHT FOR POWER
• MINAMOTO CLAN EMERGED VICTORIOUS
• EMPEROR GAVE MINAMOTO LEADER THE TILE OF SHOGUN,
WHICH WAS BASICALLY A MILITARY DICTATOR WITH EVERYONE
UNDER HIS POWER
• EMPEROR WAS STILL IN KYOTO BUT HAD NO REAL POWER
• MILITARY HEADQUARTERS WERE AT KAMAKURA AND THE
1200S ARE CALLED THE KAMAKURA SHOGUNATE
• UNDER EARLY SHOGUNS LOCAL LORDS STILL HAD POWER
• SHOGUNS STRENGTHENED MILITARY CONTROL BY ASSIGNING
A MILITARY GOVERNOR TO EACH PROVINCE- THESE WERE
CALLED DAIMYO