Handout 3: Japanese Feudalism and Lifestyle
1. Japanese Feudalism: In the middle of the 11th century, Japan’s central government began to
decline. The nobles became more interested in living luxuriously than in governing. As a result conflicts
grew in number. People sought protection in a time of increasing warfare. This period of Japanese
history is what made up feudalism a form of decentralized government, meaning no one person holds power
over an entire region, or country. Japanese feudal society was divided into classes. Nobles were at the top,
they ruled with a class of warriors were called samurai. Samurai were given many privileges such as
being allowed to carry a sword in public, wealth and land. In return the Samurai pledged loyalty and
protection to the lord. The majority of people were peasants. In feudal Japan peasants were mainly
farmers who grew rice, and had to give most of their rice to the feudal lords. The feudal lords, shogun,
daimyo and Samurai usually lived in a fortified castle. Peasants lived outside of the castle, in a village.
2. Feudal Society Levels (LADDER OF SUCCESS)
a. Emperor: The emperor’s palace was at Kyoto. Although he
was officially the ruler of Japan, he had very little real power
during the feudal period. He played a ceremonial role in
religious roles.
b. Shogun: The shogun’s palace was at Edo (now Tokyo). He
was the most powerful man in Japan and the country’s real ruler.
The position was passed from father to son. Many feudal lords
fought over this position.
c. Daimyo: The daimyo were feudal lords. They held most of
Japan’s land and were powerful local rulers. The feudal lords
constantly fought for the power of Shogun.
d. Samurai: The samurai were a class of warriors who served
the local daimyo. Samurai were the ones that went out and
collected the taxes for the Daimyo. They were respected by the
peasant farmers. When a samurai passed, members of the lower
classes were required to bow and show respect. If a farmer or
artisan refused to bow, the samurai was legally entitled to chop
off the recalcitrant person's head.
e. Farmers/Merchants/Peasants/Craft Workers: Most farmers were peasants whose lives were hard. They
worked just to keep themselves alive and to pay their taxes to those above them. Artisans produced many
beautiful and necessary goods, such as clothes, cooking utensils, and woodblock prints, they were considered
less important than the farmers. Even skilled samurai sword makers were forced to live in seclusion so that
other peasants would not have access to the weapons.
WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Create a dialogue that is between two of the characters above, each of the characters
must speak 4 times in the dialogue. The dialogue must also include 4 facts about Japanese feudalism, also create a
name for each character, and write the role that they play in feudal Japan.
Character 1: Name _______________
Role _____________
Character 2: Name _______________
Role _____________
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C.1:
:____________________________________________________________
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C.2
:____________________________________________________________
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C.1
:____________________________________________________________
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C.2
:____________________________________________________________
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C.1
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C.2:
3. Bushido, the code of the samurai (exerpts)
a. “I have no parents; I make the Heavens and the Earth my parents.”
b. “I have no divine (godly) power, I make honesty my divine power.”
c. “I have no magic power, I make personality my magic power.”
d. “I have no eyes; I make the flash of lightning my eyes; I have no ears; I make
sensibility my ears”
e. “I have no limbs; I make being on time my limbs. I have no laws; I make selfprotection my laws”
f. “I have no strategy; I make the right to kill and the right to restore life my strategy”
g. “I have no principles; I make adaptability to all circumstances my principle”
h. “I have no friends; I make my mind my friend”
i. “I have no enemy; I make lack of judgment my enemy”
j. “I have no armor; I make kindness my armor. I have no castle; I make
immovable mind my castle”
Does the code of the samurai create guidelines for a good soldier?
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Does the code of the samurai create guidelines for a good person?
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4. Japanese Feudal Society and Treatment of Women
Japanese feudal society was different from European feudal society in two major ways.
In Japan there wasn’t any use of chivalry-which put women on a romantic pedestal, as if
they were fragile and inferior beings. Instead in Japan, warriors expected their women to
be tough as they were and accept self destruction out of loyalty (commitment) to lord or
family.
Hojo Code: (1232 C.E.)
Rule #11 “…In cases of serious crime, treason (going against the government), and
murder, also…. Stealing, night-attacks, robbery and the like, the guilt of the husband
extends to the wife too.”
Would you want to live the life of a woman in feudal Japan?
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Is rule #11 from the Hojo Code unfair? Why? Why not?
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