Chapter 9, Lesson 3 Feudalism in Europe and Japan
Similar Societies
o Japanese and E. = polit. And soc. Values
Two Feudal Systems
o Feudal due to weak central gov.]Jap emperor no real power
o Frankish kind Charlemagne dies 814 = no power
o Individ. landowners able to gain power
o Europe = lords
o Japan = daimyo
Similar Structures
o Lords + daimyo = peasants working
o Farming = main eco.
o Relied on professionally trained warriors
o E = knights
o Japan = samurai
o Strong military leaders
o Japan = shoguns
Similar Values
o Personal loyalty valued
o Military skill
o Knights expected to chivalry= kind to weak, loyal to lord, courageous
o Samurai = bushido = generous, fearless, loyal to daimyo
Cultural Differences
o Religion, literature, role of women
Religion
o Knights = samurai expected loyal religious
o Knights = Christians = based on life of Christ
o Samurai = Shintoism= form of Zen Buddhism = based on life of Buddha
Literature
o Poetry in both
o Japan= Haiku = nature
o Europe = epic poem = long poem about warrior or heroes often include legends and
myths and heroes with superhuman qualities
o Europe = lyrics resemble songs most praises women and ideal love, troubadours
wrote
Women in Europe
o Role limited
o Had no say whom married
o Husband made decision
o Stay at home: train household, sewing, spinning, weaving, farming
Women in Japan
o More equal status with men
o Samurai families = inherit part of estate
o Join Buddhist convents
o Expected to values of honr and courage
o
o
o
Trained in martial arts
Some became samurai, fought alongside husbands
Gradually, role became restricted
Legacies of Feudalism
o Both impacted today
o Japanese =
 weddings usually based on Shinto ceremony
 Haiku still popular
 Strong sense of duty and loyalty to family = old code of Bushido
o Europe
 Ideals of loyalty and honor
 surnames or family names; during medieval times took the name of his/her job
ie: carpenter, cook, taylor, etc.
 structures like churches and castles stand
 Catholic church