Year 8 History
Japan under the Shoguns
Starter Sheet
Readings
10. What is feudalism?
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
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11. Name in order the four main ranks using their
Japanese names.
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_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_____________________________
12. . Give each rank a colour and colour the pyramid
according to these ranks.
Beneath the warriors came farmers or
no. Without food, no one could survive, so farmers
were viewed as essential members of society.
The artisans or ko came next in rank.
Although they used raw materials produced by others,
they made items like paper, fine swords, and reed mats
that people needed.
Near the bottom of the social structure
came merchants or sho. Their social status was low
because they did nor make anything at all. They lived
by trading rice, selling items that other people had
produced or by charging interest on money that they
loaned.
Feudalism in Japan.
The period of feudalism in Japan took place from the 12th through to the 19th century,
and it marked an important period in the country's history. Feudalism is a social system that
developed in Europe in the 8th century, where the people were protected by the lords who they had
to serve in war. These lords also owned all land.
In the early shogunate period, Japanese society had only two main groups. The 'good
citizens' included nobles, farmers and other free people. Slaves, servants and guards were 'low
citizens'. In the late sixteenth century. Japanese society established a class system based on the
Confucian idea of four main ranks.
The daimyo and samurai belonged to the warrior class or shi. They were at the top
because they protected the nation from invasion and were supposed to set moral standards for the
rest of society.
4. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
5. Highlight 5 nouns.
6. Highlight 5 verbs.
7. Highlight 5 adjectives
8. Highlight 3 adverbs
9. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
shi, sho
1. Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Circle the metalanguage words : Confucian, feudalism, ko, 'low citizens‘, no, owned, protected,
Year 8 Hist - Japan under the Shoguns 1 Reading Activity
10. Who was the most powerful person? ________________________________________
11. Who was the richest? ___________________________________________________
12. What are Daimyo? _____________________________________________________
The Shogunates (Shogun, or general, was a title granted to Japanese military leaders like
the European Barons)
In 1180 the Minamoto family revolted against the Taira and in the Gempei War
(1180-85) defeated them and established the Kamakura shogunate, the first of the military
governments that would rule Japan. The shogunate rested on an alliance with local military
leaders (shugo), who gradually became powerful regional rulers.
In 1274 and 1281 the shogunate system faced two Mongol invasions. The
Japanese warriors, helped by storms that came to be described as divine winds (kamikaze),
drove away the invaders. The great shugo, however, became increasingly involved in the
politics of the shogunate, and by the mid-15th century many had lost control of their
provincial bases (land areas which they controlled).
Their weakness became apparent in the Onin War of 1467-77. The great shugo
exhausted themselves fighting in and around Kyoto, while the provinces fell into the hands of
other shugo and eventually under the control of new lords called daimyo (another type of
Baron).
Throughout the Edo period/ Tokugawa era (1603-1868), the powerful Tokugawa
Shoguns lead Japan and controlled the daimyo, to ensure they did not try to rebel.
Daimyo Each daimyo had his own estate and armies. The daimyo would often challenge the
power of the Shogun and try to seize power.
Shogun The shogun was part of the warrior class, and considered to be a noble. The shogun
was the military leader of the most powerful of the Emperor's clans.
Emperor The chief of several clans or family groups called ubi became the Emperor when one
of his class took political power. The Emperor and the imperial family had the highest social
status. He was a figurehead, a leader in name only. He was the religious leader, but had little
political power, and in reality was under control of the shogun's clan. Economically, the people
of all other classes of society provided for the Emperor and his court.
1. Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Circle the metalanguage words : challenge, figurehead, Kamakura, Onin War, political,
Tokugawa era, ubi, warrior.
4. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
5. Highlight 5 nouns.
6. Highlight 5 verbs.
7. Highlight 5 adjectives
8. Highlight 3 adverbs
9. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
Year 8 Hist - Japan under the Shoguns 2. Reading Activity.
1. What is seppuku? _____________________________________________________
2. Why was it done? _____________________________________________________
3. Why did the Samurai have two swords?
_____________________________________________________________
4. Why did the Samurai prefer to commit suicide? Does this make sense to you? Why/Why
not? _______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
An Honorable Samurai
A Samurai’s life was based around honour at all cost. When a Samurai completed their training they
were given to swords and according to a Portuguese monk living in Japan, “the long sword was for
battle and the short sword was so he could cut his belly if his master demanded it”. Samurai believed
it was more honourable to kill yourself than face defeat or disgrace. This act of suicide was known as
seppuku.
1. What skills were the Samurai’s trained in?
___________________________________________________________________
2. What were the two roles a Samurai had to fulfil for his masters?
___________________________________________________________________
Making A Samurai
Samurai begun their training very early in life, they were taught horse riding, archery, sword fighting
and unarmed combat. A Samurai was a fierce warrior how sole thing in life was the protection of his
diamyo. However, they also had to be very educated so they could help their master rule his domain.
1. What is Bushido? ______________________________________________________
2. What does it mean to have a ‘carelessness for life’? ____________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Samurais and Bushido
Because there were so many diamyo they needed protection, so they recruited vast armies of
Samurais. These men had to follow a strict warrior code called Bushido. This meant that Samurai had
to be extremely disciplined, honorable and be prepared to die for their diamyo and their family. As
part of Bushido Samurais have a “carelessness for life”.
1. Which powerful warrior group emerged in Japan in the 16th century? _______________
2. What was a diamyo? ___________________________________________________
3. Why did the emperor create diamyos?_______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
The Rise of the Samurai
Japan had always had warriors but in the 16th century they became a very powerful group in society,
called the Samurai.
How did this happen??
Simply the Emperor had too MANY wives. Japanese emperors were allowed to have more than one
wife. Because the emperor had a lot of wives he had too many children. This is a problem when only
one can succeed the Emperor. So he gave his children small areas of land to be in charge of. These
children became the diamyo.
Year 8 Hist - Japan under the Shoguns 3. Reading Activity.
1. Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
4. Highlight 5 nouns.
5. Highlight 5 verbs.
6. Highlight 5 adjectives
7. Highlight 3 adverbs
8. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
1. What was grown in wet fields?
__________________________________________________________________
2. What was grown in dry fields?
__________________________________________________________________
3. What food was found in the forest?
__________________________________________________________________
4. What food do you think would be gained from the ocean?
__________________________________________________________________
Draw a scene from a rural village?
Life on the Shoen
Like Europeans at the same time, most Japanese villagers made their living through
agriculture. In Japan there were two main types of fields: wet and dry.
The wealthier villagers worked wet fields. These required more investment to establish
and were regularly flooded.
They produced rice, which was the most valued crop. Rice was the basis of the economy,
as the daimyo collected taxes in the form of rice. Taxes were very high, often as much as 40 per cent
of the harvest.
Only some of the villagers would eat rice on a regular basis and most would have it only
three or four times a year on special occasions.
Most of the other villagers would work in the dry fields that would produce barley,
millet, soybeans, vegetables and hemp.
Other sources of income, and crucial sources of food, were the oceans and forests.
After the taxes were paid, there was not always enough food and by spring, many villagers were forced
to hunt in the forest for small animals, ferns and plants until the summer harvest.
For those Japanese who lived near the ocean, all of its products became a vital source of
food.
In a successful village, not everyone was always needed to work in the fields. Women
especially were able to develop a wide range of crafts, including ceramics, embroidery and jewellerymaking.
Year 8 Hist - Japan under the Shoguns 4 Reading Activity
1. 1Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Circle the metalanguage words : agriculture, crafts, taxes, valued, vital, wealthier, 40 per
cent
4. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
5. Highlight 5 nouns.
6. Highlight 5 verbs.
7. Highlight 5 adjectives
8. Highlight 3 adverbs
9. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
Black-clad figures with muffled faces skitter through a courtyard, swarming over walls
like spiders and running lightly across rooftops, quick as cats.
An unsuspecting samurai sleeps peacefully as these shadows permanently silence his body guards. The
bedroom door slides open without a sound, an up-raised blade glints in the moonlight, and...
This is the ninja of the movies and comic books, the stealthy assassin in black robes with magical
abilities in the arts of concealment and murder. This wraith-like being is very compelling, to be sure.
But what is the historical reality behind the popular culture icon of the Ninja.
Origins of the Ninja:
It is difficult to pin down the emergence of the first ninja, more properly called shinobi.
After all, people around the world have always used spies and assassins. Japanese folklore states that
the ninja descended from a demon that was half man and half crow. However, it seems more likely that
the ninja slowly evolved as an opposing force to the samurai, in early feudal Japan. Most sources
indicate that the skills that became ninjutsu, the ninja's art of stealth, began to develop between
600-900 A.D. Prince Shotoku, (574-622), is said to have employed Otomono Sahito as a shinobi spy.
Who Were the Ninja?:
Some of the ninja leaders, or jonin, were disgraced samurai like Daisuke Togakure. They
had lost in battle or had been renounced by their daimyo, but fled rather than committing seppuku.
Most ordinary ninja were not from the nobility, though. They were villagers and farmers, who learned
to fight by any means necessary for their own self-preservation. The most famous ninja strongholds
were the Iga and Koga Provinces.
However, it was not until the 15th century that spies were specially trained for their
purpose, and not until the 17th century that the word shinobi appeared to define and clearly identify
ninjas as a secretive group of agents. In their history, ninja groups were small and structured around
families and villages, later developing a more martial hierarchy that was able to mesh more closely with
samurai and the daimyo.
Mainland Influences on the Early Ninja:
By the year 850, the Tang Dynasty in China was in decline. It would fall in 907, plunging
China into 50 years of chaos; the collapse prompted some Tang generals to escape over the sea to
Japan. These commanders brought new battle tactics and philosophies of war with them. Chinese
monks also began to arrive in Japan in the 1020s, bringing new medicines and fighting philosophies of
their own. Many of the ideas originated in India, and made their way across Tibet and China before
turning up in Japan. The monks taught their methods to Japan's warrior-monks, or yamabushi, as well
as to members of the first ninja clans.
The First Known Ninja School:
For a century or more, the blend of Chinese and native tactics that would become
ninjutsu developed as a counter-culture, without rules. It was first formalized by Daisuke Togakure
and Kain Doshi. Daisuke had been a samurai, but he was on the losing side in a regional battle. He lost
his lands and his samurai title. In 1162, Daisuke was wandering the mountains of southwest Honshu
when he met Kain Doshi, a Chinese warrior-monk. Daisuke renounced his bushido code, and together
the two developed a new theory of guerrilla warfare called ninjutsu. Daisuke's descendants created
the first ninja ryu, or school, the Togakureryu.
THE NINJA
Year 8 Hist - Japan under the Shoguns 5 Reading Activity.
1. Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Circle the metalanguage words : assassin, concealment, demon, guerrilla, historical, jonin,
ninjutsu, nobility, philosophies, seppuku, strongholds
4. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
5. Highlight 5 nouns. Highlight 5 verbs. Highlight 5 adjectives
6. Highlight 3 adverbs
7. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
Shinto -'way of the gods'
Long before Buddhism's arrival in Japan, the people had their own system of spiritual
beliefs and
ritual practices. Nature had a special place in the lives of the first inhabitants of Japan. Inspired by
magnificent rivers, snow-covered mountains and mysterious forests, people began to believe in the
kami (spirit beings) of these places. At first there was little need for any special building; a waterfall,
a mysterious set of trees or a set of distinctive rocks could be a site for worship.
However, later kami might be worshipped in a chieftain's palace or in a shrine built over
a sacred site. The shrine became the place where village communities celebrated the change of
seasons, prayed for good harvests or participated in the rite of purification: a ceremony to purify
themselves and wash away physical and moral pollution. The ideal of purity is symbolised by a mirror,
which is often found in Shinto signs. One meaning of the mirror is that, since it reflects exactly what
it sees, it stands for honesty and purity The mirror was also seen as a way for the kami worshipped in
the shrine to enter.
From earliest times, special entry gates called torii marked the shrines. In their early
form, torii consisted of two upright trees, joined by a crosspiece. A third piece of timber below this
held the structure steady. This was seen as a way to bring the kami down to earth, as well as
separating the 'real‘ world from the spiritual world beyond.
Shinto in practice
After the coming of Buddhism, these beliefs were given a formal structure. Worship of
kami was given the name Shinto, meaning‘ way of the gods'. Up to the time of World War II, the
emperors used Shinto beliefs to support their position, claiming that the royal family descended from
the sun goddess. The basic beliefs of Shinto and the ways they are put into practice are as follows:
• Tradition and the family. Birth, marriage and other ceremonies related to family life are especially
significant.
• Love of nature. Being in contact with nature means being in contact with the gods.
• Physical cleanliness. Taking baths, washing the hands often and rinsing out the mouth are part of
daily life and are particularly observed in visits to Shinto shrines or sanctuaries.
• Religious festivals. Honouring the spirits is an opportunity for people to come together to enjoy
Life and each other's company.
Year 8 Hist - Japan under the Shoguns 6. Reading Activity.
1. Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Circle the metalanguage words : goddess, kami, purification, sacred, shrine, spiritual,
worship
4. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
5. Highlight 5 nouns.
6. Highlight 5 verbs.
7. Highlight 5 adjectives
8. Highlight 3 adverbs
9. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
10. What are some of the different locations in which a follower of Shinto might expect
kami to be present?____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
11. What was the religious purpose of a mirror in a Shinto shrine?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Summary of Japan under the Shoguns
• The Nara period is known as the classical period. It saw the establishment of a centralised government
and the building of the capital at Nara. Buddhism was powerful and firmly established.
• ln the Heian period, a golden age of culture when Kyoto was the imperial capital, influences from
Chinese and Korean culture were adapted to become distinctively Japanese. Later, a class of warriors
began to emerge.
• The Kamakura period saw the beginning of rule by a shogun and of a system that historians call
feudalism. Kamakura, a rival capital to Kyoto was built in eastern Japan. New influences from China
included Zen Buddhism .
• ln 1281, a Mongol invasion was repulsed, Central political power, again based in Kyoto, weakened during
the Muromachi period as agriculture intensified. Despite civil warfare, poetry and drama flourished. ln
the 1540s, Europeans introduced Christianity and gunpowder,
• Three warriors reunited the country in the late 1500s and set up a system of central control.
• Under Tokugawa shoguns, Japan had 250 years of peace, but was isolated from the rest of the world.
The Japanese economy grew quickly at first, but stabilised to do less harm to the environment from the
mid 1700s A system of centralised feudalism continued until the arrival of an American fleet in 1853.
• After I853 Japan changed quickly from an agricultural to an industrial society and a military power.
Ancient Japan
About twelve thousand years ago, Japan was joined to the Asian mainland by several land
bridges. The nomadic hunters and fishermen who walked across them on expeditions became Japan's first
inhabitants. However, at the end of the last ice age, the Earth's climate warmed and rising oceans covered
the land bridges.
The islands that formed became the Japanese archipelago we know today. Later, attracted
by the islands' natural beauty and rich resources, sea-faring peoples from various parts of Asia reached
Japan by boat. As their settlements spread, the original inhabitants were gradually driven into the far
north wildernesses.
Modern knowledge about the first peoples to inhabit the Japanese archipelago has been
pieced together from the findings of archaeologists and anthropologists and from the myths of ancient
Japan. Although the date of the first human habitation is not known, anthropologists have identified one
of the earliest settlers in Japan as the Jomon culture, which dates from about 8000 BC.
It used stone and bone tools and made pottery of distinctive design. In the 3rd century BC,
Jomon culture was disrupted by a new people, known as Yayoi, who probably emigrated from continental
Asia. They introduced rice cultivation, primitive weaving, wheel-made pottery, domesticated horses and
cows, and simple iron tools. Yayoi culture overlaid and fused with the earlier Jomon culture.
Year 8 Hist - Japan under the Shoguns 7. Reading Activity
1. Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Circle the metalanguage words : archipelago, centralised, distinctive, emigrated,
feudalism, habitation, inhabitants, isolated, knowledge, nomadic, resources,
4. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
5. Highlight 5 nouns. Highlight 5 verbs. Highlight 5 adjectives
6. Highlight 3 adverbs
7. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
10. How did first settlers get to Japan from the mainland of Asia?
____________________
11. What two cultures fused to become Japanese culture?
__________________________
12. What two mainland cultures heavily influenced the emerging Japanese culture?
_____________________________________________________________________
13. Underline the five main eras.
A woman has no particular lord. She must look to her husband as her lord, and must serve him with all
worship and reverence, nor despising or thinking lightly of him. The great lifelong duty of a woman is
obedience. In her dealings with her husband, both the expression of her countenance facial
expression] and style of her address should be courteous, humble, and conciliatory [peace-making],
never peevish [easily irritated] and intractable [difficult to deal with], never rude and
arrogant...When the husband issues his instruction, the wife must never disobey [him] ...Let her never
even dream of jealousy If her husband be dissolute [immoral], she must expostulate [strongly
disapprove] with him, bur never either nurse nor vent her anger. If her jealousy be extreme, it will
render her countenance frightful and her accent repulsive and can only result in completely alienating
her husband from her, and making her intolerable to his eyes ...
10. How was a Japanese wife expected to behave towards her husband?
____________________________________________________________________________
11. When was it acceptable for a wife to disapprove of her husband? ________________________
12. Briefly outline what would happen to a woman if she became angry or jealous?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Japanese Confucian scholar and writer Kaibara Ekiken (1 630-1 71 4 ce) wrote a book
called ‘Onna daigaku’ (Greater Learning for Women), which outlined the role of women in society
according to Confucian beliefs.
This is his understanding of the role of wives.
9. What does this passage tell you about how girls were expected to act?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
The moon turned the deepest recesses of the garden a gleaming white. The flower beds were wasted,
the brook seemed to send up a strangled cry, and the lake was frozen and somehow terrible. into this
scene Genji sent little maidservants, telling them that they must make snowmen. Their dress was
bright and their hair shone in the moonlight. The older ones were especially pretty, their jackets and
trousers and ribbons trailing off in many colours, and the fresh sheen of their hair black against the
snow. The smaller ones quite lost themselves in the sport. They let their fans fail most immodestly
from their faces. It was all very charming. Rather outdoing themselves, several of them found that
they had a snowball which they could not budge. Some of their fellows jeered at them.
In 1005, Murasaki Shikibu wrote ‘The Tale of Genji’, which is one of the world's first
novels. The book shows the importance of rules about dress, manners (correct conduct) and cultural
taste which in many ways remain strong in Japan today.
Murasaki Shikibu was a widow with one daughter when she became a lady in-waiting to the empress.
While at court, Murasaki wrote a diary, which was also published. Her life shows that, in Heian
society, aristocratic women had some equality in marriage, education and property rights, as well as an
influential role in literature.
Year 8 Hist - Japan under the Shoguns 8 Reading Activity
1. Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
4. Highlight 5 nouns.Highlight 5 verbs.
5. Highlight 5 adjectives
6. Highlight 3 adverbs
7. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
Women and writing
The Kamakura shogunate
In 1160, the Taira clan killed most of the family of a 13 year old boy of the Minamoto clan named
Yoritomo, but spared the boy's life and sent him to a distant province. Later, Yoritomo raised an army, gained control
of his province and captured Kyoto.
Warfare between the Taira and Minamoto clans ended in a sea battle won by Yoritomo in 1185.
Yoritomo took the title of shogun in 1192, from this time, the title came to mean military ruler. The emperor remained
as a figurehead in Kyoto but had little income or power. As Yoritomo's strength lay in the east, on the Kanto plain, he
made a town there, Kamakura, his capital. It remained the shogun's headquarters for 150 years, period known as the
Kamakura shogunate or bakufu.
Yoritomo rewarded his military supporters by giving them land previously held by enemies, and
appointing them as his official representatives and protectors of provinces. These officials administered their regions
and collected taxes to be sent to the shogun, keeping some for themselves. This was an important change in society,
because peasants were no longer tax-paying subjects of a central government, as was the case under the system
administered by the imperial court. Instead, they were now serfs (a kind of slave required to serve their lords) under a
new class of local leaders, or warlords. In some ways this was a drop in status for the peasants, but they were safer
since they received protection from strong warriors. In centuries to come, this system developed even further in Japan
and today is known as feudalism.
When Yoritomo died suddenly in 1199, his widow Hojo Masako (1157-7225), known as the 'nun
shogun', became an important political figure. The eldest child of a warlord, Masako married Yoritomo in about 1180.
After he died, Masako became a Buddhist nun, but was influential when her two sons were shoguns. Roth sons were
assassinated, but Masako remained a dominant figure in politics until her death, helping her own family, rather than
her husband's, to hold power. In later years, when women's importance was downgraded in Japan, she was portrayed
as heartless and ambitious.
Masako's family ruled from Kamakura as regents, allowing young noblemen to retain the title of
shogun. Now both emperors and shoguns were puppets while the Hojo family had political power. During the Hojo
rule, Zen Buddhism, in which a teacher or master plays an important role, became popular in Japan. Zen's emphasis on
simplicity, restraint and meditation led to traditional arts like bonsai, ikebana and Japan's dry-landscape gardens of
raked gravel and boulders.
A weakness of Kamakura as a headquarters was its distance from Kyoto, where the imperial family
plotted to regain power. In the other provinces, powerful lords of the new warrior class became more and more
independent. In this unstable situation, Japan was faced with a dangerous external threat. In 1274, troops of the
Mongol emperor of China, Kublai Khan, landed in Japan, armed with weapons that used gunpowder. When a storm
damaged part of the fleet, the invaders retreated to Korea. A second attack in 1281, with larger forces, was defeated
when a typhoon wrecked the Mongol fleet. The Japanese attributed the victory to divine intervention, calling the
typhoon the ‘Wind of the Gods‘ or kamikaze.
Hojo dictators feared a third Chinese invasion, and spent much effort ‘ and expense preparing for it.
But because the political rulers had not conquered new territory they did not have enough money or land to reward
supporters. As a result, provincial warrior chiefs became even more rebellious. The warrior general Ashikaga Takauji
helped the emperor to wipe out the Hojo family and other rivals, and to flatten Kamakura. but then turned on the
emperor and forced him to flee from Kyoto in 1336.
1. Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Circle the metalanguage words : bakufu., Hojo, Kamakura , Kublai Khan, Masako, Minamoto,
Taira , Yoritomo, Zen Buddhism,
4. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
5. Highlight 5 nouns.
6. Highlight 5 verbs.
7. Highlight 5 adjectives
8. Highlight 3 adverbs
9. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
Year 8 Hist - Japan under the Shoguns 9 Reading Activity
10. Why did a warrior commit seppuku?
__________________________________________________________________
11. Why did he cut his stomach?
___________________________________________________________________
12. What weapon did the warriors on horseback use?
___________________________________________________________________
13. Why did a warrior ‘name announce’ before fighting?
___________________________________________________________________
14. Make your own name announcement.
___________________________________________________________________
Excerpted from Hōgen Monogatari: Tale of the Disorder in Hōgeni, translated by William Wilson
At the time of the storming of the Kanazawa Stockade by Lord Hachiman (Yoshiie) in the Later Three
Years War, Kagemasa, who is now revered as a god, was only a youth of sixteen. When shot in the
right eye with an arrow, Kagemasa, without even removing the arrow, shot an “answering arrow” and
killed an enemy. Thus did he bequeath his name to posterity.
We are Oba no Heida Kageyoshi and Oba no Saburo Kagechika, residents of Sagami province and the
sons of Oba no Shoji Kagefusa. We are also descendants in the fourth generation of Kamakura no
Gongoro Kagemasa.
Here is an example of name announcing:
Military Life in Muromachi
Most people are fascinated by the violence and traditions of the warrior life of the
samurai and daimyo. Most are aware of ritual suicide (seppuku, also known as hara-kiri, literally
“cutting the stomach”) but don’t realize that the stomach was believed to be where the spirit or soul
lived. Seppuku was a form of purification, a way to save one’s honour and accept responsibility for an
error.
Everyone recognizes the traditional samurai armour and sword. The long and short
swords were prized possessions believed to have spiritual powers. Depending on the soldier’s wealth
and status, the weapons, armour, and skills differed.
The way of the horse and bow were the most common forms of fighting for the
wealthiest samurai and daimyō. With the invention of the stirrup, the best fighters increased speed,
mobility, and range. Foot soldiers used shields, the yari (spear), and the naginata (curve-bladed
spear). Warriors did not use shields on horseback because they could not shoot arrows. Body armour
and the helmet deflected arrows but were not enough protection against swords.
When the musket was introduced to Japan under Oda Nobunaga, it became the weapon
of choice. Honour, fame, and reward depended on who was killing whom.
Name-announcing before fighting became important to insure people of equal rank and
worthiness were fighting each other. Warriors also stated their age, rank, family lineage, and great
achievements of themselves and their ancestors.
Fighting a warrior beneath one’s status offered no monetary reward or honour
Year 8 Hist - Japan under the Shoguns 10 Reading Activity
1. Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Circle the metalanguage words : daimyo, naginata, Seppuku, yari
4. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
5. Highlight 5 nouns. Highlight 5 verbs. Highlight 5 adjectives
6. Highlight 3 adverbs
7. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
Age of Warring State
The years of war and chaos that characterised the Sengoku period were slowly brought to a
close by three men (known as the'Three Unifiers') who were able to reunify Japan: Odo Nobunaga,
Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Odo Nobunogo – a cruel military genius
Oda Nobunaga was the son of a daimyo from a small domain on the coast of Honshu. When
he was 21, he killed a rival lord and planned to unite Japan under his own leadership. When the Ashikaga
shogun Yoshiteru was murdered in 1565, his brother Yoshiaki appealed to Oda for help and Oda had him
installed as shogun. Yoshiaki was little more than a puppet, as the real power lay with Oda and his forces.
In I573 Yoshiaki tried to rebel against Oda but was driven out of Kyoto. He became a
Buddhist monk. The position of shogun remained effectively vacant for the next 30 years. Through a
series of ruthless battles, Oda began to create a centralised government.
He was especially cruel in crushing Buddhist opponents, burning some alive and destroying
monasteries. His victories were helped by the use of muskets that had only recently been introduced to
Japan from Europe. Oda’s rule came to an end in 1582 when he committed seppuku after being surrounded
by enemy forces.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi- from soldier to leader
Toyotomi Hideyoshi had been born into the peasant class, but in the chaos of the Sengoku
era he was able to rise to become one of Odo's top miiitary leaders. He took over leadership after Oda's
ritual suicide. He was appointed an imperial regent by the emperor.
As regent, Toyotomi introduced a number of laws that would remain important in the
Tokugawa shogunate. He developed a strong central government that expanded control over the islands of
Shikoku and Kyushu. In 1588 ce he ordered a sword hunt' to find peasants‘ weapons-from this point on,
only samurai could carry weapons.
Then, in 1590, Toyotomi ordered a census be taken, registering all Japanese and their class
membership. Peasants had to remain in their villages and those samurai who did nor have a master had to
stay in castle towns, rather than wander about causing trouble. Furthermore, class mobility was no longer
allowed-only the children of samurai could become samurai and only the children of farmers could become
farmers.
Toyotomi also began a hostile campaign against the followers of Christianity He prohibited
Japanese from becoming Christians and expelled all Christian missionaries. Christianity had been brought
to Japan by the Portuguese in the mid- 16th century and was seen as a potential threat to Toyotomi's
rule. He later executed 26 Japanese and foreign Christians.
Toyotomi attempted to conquer Korea and China, but failed. He died of bubonic plague in
1598 ce. Before Hideyoshi died in 1598, he set up a council of five senior elders whom he trusted to pass
power to his son.
Tokugawa Ieyasu- founder of a new shogunate
He was a member of the council office but he had his own ambitions. Instead of supporting
Toyotomi Hideyoshi's son, he forced him into battle. The son then committed suicide in Osaka Castle.
Ieyasu won a great military victory in 1600 and three years later declared himself the new
shogun. Altogether there were 15 Tokuguwa shoguns between 1603 and 1868, and this powerful samurai
family had branches throughout Japan.
1. For each of these leaders state why they can be remembered as cruel.
Odo Nobunogo ________________________________________________________________
Toyotomi Hideyoshi ___________________________________________________________
Tokugawa Ieyasu _____________________________________________________________-
Year 8 Hist: Japan under the Shoguns.11 Reading Activity
1. Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
4. Highlight 5 nouns. Highlight 5 verbs. Highlight 5 adjectives
5. Highlight 3 adverbs
6. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
1. Outline the ways in which natural resources were used in early medieval Japan.
______________________________________________________________________
2. How did the shogunate try to solve timber shortages on communal land in Japan?
_____________________________________________________________________
3. What was the significance of the shogunate's efforts by the 19th century?
_____________________________________________________________________
Then in 1678ce, the shogun introduced laws prohibiting the cutting of branches and
stripping of bark. Further laws were enacted in 1684 ce to forbid the uprooting of grasses, field
burning or building close to river banks.
Over time, the enforcement of these policies helped both villagers and government
officials to experiment with and develop techniques in the management of forests, the planting and
nurturing of trees and the prevention of flooding. By the 19th century Japan had effectively
reforested many areas, which then assisted the country to become industrialised as it moved into the
20th century
These practices are a major reason for the survival of Japan's forests today. This program of care
for the environment
also meant that Japan was at the forefront of environmental policy-making. Most other countries,
including the United States and Australia, would not pay serious attention to environmental issues
such as land use and management until the last few decades of the 20th century
Environmental issues in Medieval Japan
In the period of seclusion, the country enjoyed peace, the economy grew and cities
expanded. Most Japanese buildings were wooden, because stone or brick structures were vulnerable
to earthquakes. wood was also needed for fuel. In addition, because soils were poor in minerals,
forests were raided for green fertiliser – for example, as burnt or rotted mulch. Between 1600 and
1720, as the population grew from 12 million to 31 million, more marginal land was farmed and even
more woodland was destroyed. The result was severe environmental damage, as forests were
destroyed and soil was washed away throughout the four main islands.
From the mid 1700s, however, the population stopped growing and environmental damage
began to be repaired. Expansion of irrigated land ended. Fisheries were developed for both food and
fertiliser.
The Tokugawa shoguns realised that removing trees, especially those close to rivers,
was causing flooding. In l666CE, the shogunate decided to introduce policies for communal land that
would:
. forbid tree-felling of certain types of trees
. regulate how wood was used - government officials had to approve the use of timber in any
construction
. encourage people to replant forests so that forests could be regenerated; consequently Japan
eventually had some of the first planned forest plantations in the world
. ensure that time and effort were given to the study of forest development and management.
Year 8 Hist: Japan under the Shoguns.12 Reading Activity
1. Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Circle the metalanguage words : damage, earthquakes, industrialised , management,
plantations, repaired, shogunate, techniques, wooden,
4. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
5. Highlight 5 nouns. Highlight 5 verbs. Highlight 5 adjectives
6. Highlight 3 adverbs
7. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
In 1543, a Portuguese ship involved in the China trade was blown off-course during a storm.
The sailors on board accidentally became the first European visitors to Japan. The Japanese called them
nanban. Given the warlike nature of the period, the Japanese were greatly interested in the guns the
Portuguese carried and the local daimyo ordered his swordsmith to make copies. The daimyo then asked
the Portuguese for shooting lessons. The introduction of guns to Japan had a profound effect. The guns
did not need the same high degree of training as the sword to be useful and the new weapon would shift
the balance of power between the warring daimyo. In 1575, during the Battle of Nagashino, Oda Nobunaga
used over 1000 guns to defeat a samurai cavalry charge on the plains of Shitaragahara and secure victory.
The arrival of this Western invention would continue to have a significant impact on events in Japan.
As well as knowledge of a new weapon, the Portuguese also introduced trade and Christianity
to Japan. In 1549, the first missionaries arrived. Initially they used paintings of Christ, the Madonna and
Jesus to help them communicate, as they found the Japanese language very difficult to learn. This
inability to speak Japanese, and the European practice of eating with their fingers rather than with
chopsticks, convinced most Japanese that the new visitors were ignorant barbarians.
An exception was Joao Rodrigues (1561-1633), who was sent to Japan as a 15 year old to
become a Jesuit priest. He had a natural ability with languages and within a short time could speak
Japanese fluently. Nicknamed the 'interpreter’ he produced a Japanese grammar guide and dictionary that
helped many other Europeans to communicate. When the first missionaries returned to Europe, they took
stories of the distinct Japanese culture and its ceremonies.
In the early 1600s, Luis Frois (1532-97) from Portugal wrote the Historia de Japan and
Europeans were amazed by his tales of this densely populated exotic country ruled by warrior samurai. In
1600, a Dutch ship that had also been blown off-course and damaged in a storm drifted into Kyushl
harbour. For the Japanese, the light-skinned Dutch were obviously different to the Portuguese and they
called them 'Kdmo' or 'Red Hair’. Aboard the ship was William Adams, the ship's pilot, who became the
first Englishman to reach Japan. The ship also had nineteen bronze cannons, 5000 cannonballs and 500
muskets. A daimyo, Tokugawa Ieyasu, learnt of the ship's arrival and seized the cannon and the pilot.
William Adams then provided the daimyo's men with vital training. The cannon and guns were used to gain
victory in the battle of Sekigahara and Tokugawa Ieyasu became the new shogun. His success had been
secured, at least in part, by the arrival of the Dutch ship and her cargo of weapons.
Despite the introduction of sakoku, or the 'closed country' policy, Japanese interest in the
West remained. While most Europeans were excluded from Japan, the ban on trade and influence was not
complete. Japan still sought to learn from and understand Europeans. The Englishman William Adams
remained in Japan and became a trusted advisor to the shogun. He received the great honour
of being made a samurai and was given the right to wear the two samurai swords. Some trade also
continued.
The Dutch were allowed to operate a trading post in Nagasaki. Through this limited contact,
the Japanese maintained a study of European science which they called rangaku, they received information
and books, as well as samples and demonstrations of new inventions such as clocks and hot air balloons. This
enabled japan to maintain some awareness of Western developments, although this awareness would prove
inadequate when confronted by the American fleet under Perry in the 1850s.
1. Explain how the first Europeans came to visit the islands of Japan. _______________________
2. How did the Portuguese arrival influence Japanese history? ____________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3 How did Europeans try to explain their religion to the Japanese? Why did they use this method?__
____________________________________________________________________________
4 What were the two major influences on the rule of Japan that arrived on the first Dutch ship?
____________________________________________________________________________
1. Write down the heading. ________________________________________________
2. Number the paragraphs.
3. Write down the words you don’t know the meaning of or find difficult to spell.
___________________________________________________________________
5. Highlight 5 nouns. Highlight 5 verbs. Highlight 5 adjectives
6. Highlight 3 adverbs
7. Write down 3 things you have learnt from reading this passage.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
Year 8 Hist – Japan under the Shoguns 13 Modernisation and Westernisation