By: Bennet Hoffman
Erin Calamari
 4 main islands-Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and
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Kyushu
Volcanic Mountains
Little arable land
Navagable rivers
Influenced by China and Korea
 Isolated by ocean
Effects
•Military gain- escape invasion and cultural assimilation
•Trade was easy- economy flourished
•Vast coastline- allowed naval protection
•Fish is a big source of Japanese diet
 Yamato- old Japanese word for Japan
 Western Honshu
 Known for Burials, kofuns, of great kings
 Formalized Shinto religion
 Prince Shotoku- devoted his efforts to the spread of
Buddhism and Chinese culture in Japan
Shintoism
•One of the world’s oldest religions
•“The way of the Gods”
•Center on the worship of or respect for animist
nature spirits known as kami
Sayings
To do good is to be pure. To commit evil is to
be impure.
To admit a fault is the beginning of
righteousness.
 Used iron tools for cultivation
 Burials of kings
 Japanese Taiko
Drums
Kofun; keyhole-shaped tombs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpRn_QPrpGo&feature=related
 Buddhism was accepted
 Shinto religion was formalized
 Kings focused their rule around Mount Miwa (object
of worship)
 Isonokami Shrine at Tenri
 Empress Gemmei ordered to move the Imperial capital
from Fujiwara-kyō to Heijō-kyō in 708
 It was moved to Heijō-kyō in 710
 Became the capital city of Japan
 Established the Nara state
 Honshu island
 Capitol is Heijō-kyō
 Adopted Chinese models of government-Confucian ideals
 Taiho Code- set of legal codes which consists both penal
and administrative laws
 Poetry-Man’yoshu (first large collection0)
 Architecture- Todai-ji was built (eastern great temple)
 Emperor Shomu initiated the influence of Buddhism
in culture
 Shinto beliefs – center on the worship of or respect for
animist nature spirits known as kami
 Buddhism became a main religion
 Significance : Buddhism was never meant to be a
religion, it was meant to be a life choice.
 784- new Emperor Kammu transferred the capital to
Nagaoka
 In order to meet the needs of the Japanese government
chines idea were “Japanized”
 Began the Heian reign
 What religion was formalized during the Yamato and
Nara Periods?
 What is a major benefit of Japan being an island?
 What are the burials during the Yamato Period also
called?
Websites
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http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/602503?terms=early+japan+geography
http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE49&iPin=EAAC0833&SingleRecord=True
http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE49&iPin=WHII210&SingleRecord=True
http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE49&iPin=HMJ0489&SingleRecord=True
http://www.dlshq.org/religions/shintoism.htm
Images
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http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JmFdoAXCB54/Tfx9WusuHjI/AAAAAAAAAI0/WdZ8hpbQkds/s1600/AncientJapanese-Culture.jpg
http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/travel/images/japan_map_islands.gif
http://apdl.kcc.hawaii.edu/roads/photos/history_nintoku_kofun.jpg
http://i.cdn.cnngo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/inline_image_240x240/_DSC9185.jpg
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/5823865.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3525/3719804531_613013d9ec.jpg
http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium/todaji-eastern-great-temple-nara-japan-hector-moran.jpg
http://lhswildcats.org/files/lhs/images/n508/schinto_web.jpg
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSI5UhVhd_RvxB_9JpNBUtXoeEDvdoX3o4lujTZ89fBL3DxLQqs
http://tojiemorimoto.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/nara11.jpg?w=318&h=340