CHAPTER 8 – IMPERIAL CHINA, 589–1368
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

In what ways did China and Europe parallel each other in their development until the
sixth century C.E.? How did they diverge after that?

Why did China witness the reunification of empire after the fall of the Han dynasty,
whereas after the fall of Rome, Europe was never again united in a single empire?

Why did Tang and Song China enjoy longer stretches of good government than anywhere
else in the contemporary world during the same period?
CHAPTER 8 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Reestablishment of Empire: Sui (589–618) and Tang (618–907) Dynasties
How did the Sui and Tang dynasties recreate China’s empire?

Explain how and why China was able to reunify during the period corresponding to the
European early Middle Ages

Discuss the accomplishments of Sui Wendi and explain why the dynasty he founded was
so short-lived

Discuss the rise of the Tang dynasty and explain why the years from 624 to 755 were the
good years of the dynasty

Discuss the threats the Tang faced from its barbarian neighbors and the steps they took to
face them

Explain the decline that appeared in China beginning from the mid-eighth century, their
causes, and the attempts at reform in response to them

Describe Tang culture and explain the source of the great creativity of Chinese culture in
this period
Transition to Late Imperial China: The Song Dynasty (960–1279)
What was the agricultural revolution that occurred during the Song dynasty?

Explain why the dynastic cycle clearly applies to Chinese history, and discuss the longerterm changes that cut across dynastic lines

Discuss the agricultural revolution of the Song and explain how and why serfs became
free farmers

Discuss the commercial revolution of the Song and explain why the Song economy
reached new prosperity

Describe the changes in government under the Song and explain the shift from
aristocracy to autocracy

Discuss the changes in Song culture and explain why it became more intensely and
narrowly Chinese
China in the Mongol World Empire: The Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368)
Why were the Mongols able to establish such a vast empire?

Discuss the rise of the Mongol Empire and explain the success of the Mongols in
conquering vastly denser populations

Discuss Mongol rule in China and explain why it can be described as an “uneasy
symbiosis”

Discuss foreign contacts and interaction with Chinese culture under the Mongols and
explain why these contacts do not seem to have influenced Chinese high culture

Discuss the decline of the Yuan dynasty and why most Chinese were happy to see it end
CHAPTER SUMMARY
This chapter concentrates on China’s imperial age and emphasizes the cultural and philosophical
contributions of this important period. During this time, which corresponds to the European “Middle
Ages,” the most notable feature of Chinese history was the reunification of China and the recreation
of a centralized bureaucratic empire consciously modeled on the earlier Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.–220
C.E.). China was able to develop a unified state at a time when political fragmentation in Europe
brought about small, independent kingdoms.
The Sui dynasty (589–618) sprang from Chinese-Turkish origins, reestablished a centralized
bureaucracy, and rebuilt the Great Wall and other public works. After a period of political
disintegration and civil war among contending aristocratic factions, the Tang dynasty was established.
Chinese historians have often compared the short-lived Sui dynasty with that of the Qin in that it
provided a foundation for the subsequent progress of China.
The Tang dynasty (618–907) established an efficient bureaucracy through frugality and expanded
Chinese borders to their greatest extent. The chapter explains the intricacies of Tang administration
especially during the years of good rule from 624 to 755. Although the government was centered on
the figure of the emperor, aristocrats were given generous tax concessions and served as officials at
court. Women continued to play a role in government; a concubine, Wu Zhao (625–706), ruled for
seven years as regent before she deposed her son and ascended to sole power herself.
The reign of the emperor Xuan Zong (713–756) is particularly noted for its cultural brilliance, and
the capital grew to approximately 2 million people. The Tang dynasty applied a four-tier foreign
policy of military aggression, use of nomads against other nomadic tribes, establishment of strong
border defenses (Great Wall), and diplomatic action. However, during the mid-eighth century,
China’s frontiers began to contract and external enemies in Manchuria and Tibet contributed to
growing internal dissension. By 907, the Tang dynasty had been carved into independent kingdoms.
Still, the fall of the Tang did not lead to the kind of division that had followed the Han.
The chapter continues with a section on Tang culture. The creativity of the Tang period arose from
the juxtaposition and interaction of cosmopolitan, medieval Buddhist, and secular elements. Tang
culture was cosmopolitan not just because of its broad contacts with other cultures and peoples but
also because of its openness to them.
The reestablishment of a centralized bureaucracy stimulated the tradition of learning and
contributed to the reappearance of secular scholarship. For the first time, scholars wrote
comprehensive institutional histories, compiled dictionaries, and wrote commentaries on the
Confucian classics. The most famous poets of the period were Li Bo (701–762) and Tu Fu (712–770),
who were often quite secular in their literary approach.
The Song dynasty (960–1279) continued the normal pattern of dynastic cycles set in Chinese
history. The breakdown of the empire into northern and southern sections after 1127 was followed by
the Mongol conquest of the Southern Song in 1279. Instead of a detailed enumeration of emperors
and court officials, the chapter emphasizes the various changes during the Tang and Song dynasties
that affected China’s agriculture, society, economy, state, and culture; taken together, the
developments in these areas explain why China did not lapse into disunity after the political collapse
of the Tang dynasty (see detailed analysis under “Key Points and Vital Concepts”).
The greatest achievements of the Song dynasty were in philosophy, poetry, and painting. The
chapter details the Neo-Confucian ideas of Zhu Xi (1130–1200), which brought a degree of stability
to Chinese society. The outstanding poet of the period was Su Dungpo (1037–1101), who believed in
a limited role for government and social control through morality. A leading painting style was
created in which human figures were not the dominant focus of the art form.
The Song dynasty collapsed by 1279, under the military dominance of the Mongols. Genghis
Khan united the various Mongol tribes and, bent on world domination, established an empire that
extended from the Caspian Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The Mongol rule in China is but a chapter of a
larger story. In 1279, under Genghis’s grandson, Kublai, the Yuan dynasty was established but did not
change Chinese high culture to any degree. The language barrier assisted in preserving the Chinese
way of life. The Southern Song area was the last to be conquered and the least altered by Mongol
control. The Yuan dynasty collapsed in 1368.
KEY POINTS AND VITAL CONCEPTS
1. Varieties of Buddhism: During the early Tang, the principal Buddhist sect was the Tiantai. But
after its mid-ninth-century suppression, other sects came to the fore. They included Maitreya, a
Buddha of the future who will appear and create a paradise on earth; Amitabha, the Lord of the
Western Paradise, who helped humans obtain salvation and whose sect was the largest in China;
and finally, Chan, or Zen in Japanese. Zen was anti-intellectual in its emphasis on direct intuition
into one’s own Buddha-nature. It taught that the historical Buddha was only a man and exhorted
each person to attain enlightenment by his or her own efforts. The discipline of meditation,
combined with a Zen view of nature profoundly influenced the arts in China, Korea, and Japan.
2. Transitional Elements in Late Imperial China: Long-term changes in the society, economy, and
state explain why China experienced only brief periods of disunity after the collapse of the Tang
and Song dynasties. The aristocracy weakened over the course of the Tang, and its fall allowed
serfs to gain greater control of their land and the independence to move as they pleased. Trade
increased during the Tang and commerce became more sophisticated with exchange no longer
based on silk but rather on coins of copper and silver. The commutation of land tax to a money tax
gave farmers more control over their own time. The transition during this period from conscript to
professional armies also resulted in the stabilization of society. In government, imperial China
became more autocratic with the Song emperors assuming direct personal control over state offices
and appointments. The aristocracy thus declined as a separate political competitor and members
were elevated to positions of influence through the examination system. The central government
during the Song was also better funded because of a growing population, tax base, and the
establishment of government monopolies on salt, wine, and tea. Thus, the gradual establishment of
an efficient, well-funded, and autocratic state reduced the potential for long-term dislocation of
Chinese civilization.
3. Mongol Control of China: The Mongols’ major objective in the world was to conquer China. This
movement brought them into contact with other superior civilizations. However, the major
concentration on China diverted their small resource base to lessen the impact on the Chinese
population. Therefore, the high culture of China was not lost to the barbarians and, after the fall of
the Yuan dynasty in 1368, Chinese civilization continued in the pattern of the great empires. The
Mongol efficiency in controlling the empire proved to be a greater obstacle than the more
populated areas could overcome. The four groups, with the Mongols at the top and the Chinese at
the bottom, brought about division within the Yuan Empire. The continued language barrier
between the Mongols, speaking Altaic, and the Chinese brought constant friction to the area. This
activity did not permit the Chinese civilization to continue in a manner much the same as before
the arrival of the Mongols.
4. Imperial China in Global Perspective: Rough parallels between China and Europe persisted until
the sixth century C.E., but then a fundamental divergence occurred. Europe tailed off into centuries
of feudal disunity while China reunited and attained a new level of wealth, power, and culture.
Why? One reason was that the victory of Buddhism in China was less complete than that of
Christianity in Europe. Confucianism survived within aristocratic families and the concept of a
united empire was integral to it. In contrast, the Roman conception of political order was not
maintained as an independent doctrine, and empire was not a vital concept in Western Christian
thought. In addition, China possessed a greater cultural homogeneity and higher population
density; this explains why China could absorb barbarian conquerors more quickly than could
Europe. Although comparisons across continents are difficult, it seems likely that Tang and Song
China had longer stretches of good government than any other part of the contemporary world. Not
until the nineteenth century would comparable bureaucracies of talent and virtue begin to appear in
the West.
PRIMARY SOURCE: DOCUMENTS IN WORLD HISTORY DVD-ROM
Text Sources

Treaty between Tibet and China, 821–822

The Mongols: An Excerpt from the Novgorod Chronicle, 1315

Tang Daizong on the art of government

Marco Polo, excerpt from The Travels of Marco Polo

Ma Huan, excerpt from The Overall Survey of the Ocean’s Shores

Lu You, excerpt from “Diary of a Journey to Sichuan”

Ibn Wahab, an Arab merchant visits Tang China

Excerpts from The History of the Life and Travels of Rabban Bar
Sawma

Excerpt from William of Rubruck’s Account of the Mongols

An Essay Question from the Chinese Imperial Examination System

Giovanni Di Piano Carpini on the Mongols

Chinese description of the Tibetans
Visual Sources

Song dynasty map of China

Mongol “ger”
INTERNET RESOURCES

Silk Road: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/silkroad/main.html. The British
Library has put together this remarkable page with many images that follow different
themes (play, belief, languages, and the development of the book and printing).

Silk Roads: http://www.ess.uci.edu/~oliver/silk.html contains an excellent series of
essays on these complex Eurasian trade routes.

East Asia: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/eastasia/eastasiasbook.html contains a
great list of links to primary and secondary sources that covers the entire region. For the
same types of sources on India, see
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/india/indiasbook.html.

Marco Polo: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/mpolo44-46.html has excerpts
from Polo’s travels.

Chinese Contributions to the History of Technology:
http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/pabacker/history/china.htm is a terrific resource with further
links that helps to understand the remarkable advances made by the Chinese during the
late Tang and Song dynasties.

Mongol Empire: http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/Mongols/empire.html also
contains further detailed information about the character and the history of the empire.

Mongols: http://www.kiku.com/electric_samurai/virtual_mongol/ has many beautiful,
high-quality images, and the links page is also very helpful.

Zheng He: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sultan/explorers.html provides context and
further information on China’s most famous admiral.
PRENTICE HALL ATLAS OF WORLD HISTORY, SECOND EDITION
Suggested Maps

The Age of the Mongols

The World: 1300–1400
SUGGESTED FILMS

Chinese History, No. 6 China: The Golden Age. Traveling Films
Custodians. 23 min.

Chinese History, No. 7 China: The Heavenly Khan. Traveling Films
Custodians. 22 min.

Chinese History, No. 8 China: The Age of Maturity. Traveling
Films Custodians. 23 min.

Chinese History, No. 9 China: Under the Mongols. Traveling Films
Custodians. 18 min.

Chinese Porcelain. Chinese Art Films. 22 min.

Chinese Sculpture Through the Ages. Contemporary Films. 20 min.

Genghis Khan: Terror and Conquest (50 minutes). History Channel.

The True Story of Marco Polo (50 minutes). History Channel.

CNN’s MM Millennium (600 minutes). Turner Home Entertainment. Covers the last
1,000 years in ten 60-minute segments. Episode 3 covers the Mongol Empire during the
thirteenth century.

Lost Civilizations (500 minutes). Discovery Channel. Tibet, China, and Africa
are all covered here.

Secrets of Lost Empires: China Bridge (60 minutes). PBS Home Video.
A rare video that examines Song China’s technological superiority.

1421: The Year China Discovered America (120 minutes). PBS Home
Video. Based on the provocative book by Gavin Menzies, this video examines the
controversial theory that Zheng He’s fleet traveled to the Americas and beyond.
CHAPTER 9 – THE EMERGENCE OF EAST ASIA: JAPAN, KOREA,
AND VIETNAM
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

Why did Korea, Vietnam, and Japan follow a distinctive trajectory in their relationship
with China compared to other regions of East Asia and Central Asia?

How do the histories of Korea, Vietnam, and Japan illustrate the relationship between a
“heartland civilization” and adjacent areas?
CHAPTER 9 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Korea
How did the relationship between Korea and China develop between 108 B.C.E. and 1392?

Outline the role of China in early Korean history
Vietnam
What were the main influences on early Vietnamese development?

Outline the role of China in early Vietnamese history
Japan
When has Japanese culture experienced transformative change?

Review the main turning points in Japanese history
Japanese Origins and the Yayoi Revolution
What revolutionary changes accompanied the Yayoi?

Discuss Yayoi culture and why it is considered a revolutionary break with Jōmon culture

Explain the relationship between Korea and Japan in early Japanese history and the
significance of Korean migration to Japan for Japanese history

Discuss the Yamato state and Yamato society

Discuss religion in early Japan and how it influenced Japanese understanding of the
nature of their emperors
Nara and Heian Japan
How did Chinese culture influence Japan?

Describe the process by which Japan adopted the higher civilization of China

Explain why the difficulties for Yamato Japanese of mastering Chinese and China’s
philosophical culture were enormous

Describe the development of Japanese government during the Nara period and how the
Nara government model, based on that of China, changed in the early Heian period

Discuss why the 350 years after the last embassy in China in 839 until the end of the
twelfth century were a time of assimilation and evolutionary change in Japan

Discuss the rise of the samurai in Japan and explain why they took the place of the
Chinese military system with which Japan had experimented during the Nara period
Japan’s Early Feudal Age
Why can this period in Japan be described as feudal, and in what sense is this description
misleading?

Explain why the late twelfth century marked another turning point in Japanese history

Discuss the Kamakura era and explain the changes in Japanese government that took
place during it

Discuss the historical problem of whether the term feudalism can be applied to Japan in
this era and what qualifications would have to be made to call Kamakura Japan feudal

Discuss the Ashikaga era and the changes to Japan’s governments and institutions that
took place at this time

Discuss the role of women in Japan’s warrior society

Discuss the development of Japan’s economy during the Kamakura and Ashikaga eras
CHAPTER SUMMARY
The chapter emphasizes the importance of the Tang dynasty of China in spreading civilization to
Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The chapter opens with an introduction to Korea, starting with its
peninsular geography. Early settlement patterns are outlined, before the Chinese commanderies begun
by Han Wudi are described. Korea’s three archaic states—Silla, Paekche, and Koguryo—were united
in 668 under Silla, which in turn became a tribute state to China. Silla engaged in large-scale cultural
borrowing from Tang China. Silla elites adopted Buddhism. The Koryo dynasty (which provides the
basis for the name “Korea”) took power in 918 and continued the fruitful relationship with China.
Buddhism and culture flourished. Social weaknesses included the aristocracy’s monopoly on power,
and the high proportion of hereditary slaves (almost one-third of the population). The economy was
underdeveloped. Koryo collapsed in 1392.
Vietnam’s history has been shaped by broad regional forces: human movement from north to
south; Indianization; Indian Ocean trade conducted by Arabs and Indians; the Chinese diaspora,
particularly after 1842; and conquest by China. Geography—the Red River and Mekong River basins
and the north-south range of mountains—has also influenced Vietnam’s history. Vietnam was
conquered by a renegade Han general in 208 B.C.E. and was governed by Chinese military
commanderies starting in 111 B.C.E. Chinese beliefs and technologies infiltrated Vietnamese society,
and a Sino-Vietnamese elite emerged. Vietnam revolted periodically during roughly 1,000 years of
Chinese rule; in 939, an independent Vietnamese government was established. The Ly dynasty (1009)
and the Tran (1225–1400) exerted loose control. Vietnam remained a nominal tributary to China.
Japanese historic development began with the Jōmon culture and was replaced about 300 B.C.E. by
immigrants from the Korean peninsula who established the Yayoi culture. They contributed their
expertise in using bronze and iron. According to Chinese historians, a queen named Pimiko achieved
a temporary hegemony over some regional states in the third century C.E. Emerging directly from the
Yayoi culture was a period, from 300–600 C.E., characterized by tomb mounds. The Yamato period is
known to us through Chinese records and the earliest Japanese accounts of its own history: Records of
Ancient Matters and Records of Japan. They recall political power struggles at court between
aristocratic families and constant wars in outlying regions. The Yamato period continued to be
influenced by Koreans who introduced Buddhism to Japan in 532. The indigenous religion of Japan,
however, was an animistic worship of the forces of nature called Shinto or “the way of the gods.”
A major turning point in Japanese history was its adoption of the higher civilization of China
beginning in the early seventh century. Official embassies to China began in 607 C.E. that included
traders, students, and Buddhist monks, as well as representatives of the great Yamato kings. The
emperor Temmu (673–686) established a kingship along Chinese lines, styling himself as the
“heavenly emperor.” The emperors at the Nara (710–794) and Heian (794–1156) courts in Japan were
both Confucian rulers with the majesty accorded by Chinese law, and Shinto rulers descended from
the Sun Goddess. Protected by an aura of the sacred, their lineage was never usurped; all Japanese
history constitutes a single dynasty. The chapter then details the Japanese governmental structure,
noting the similarities and differences with that of China.
The land system of Nara and Heian Japan was the “equal field” system of the early Tang.
However, this gave way to the “quota and estate” system that contributed to the rise of samurai
society. The court gave each governor a tax quota and he in turn gave one to each district magistrate;
any amount collected over the quota they kept. In this way, a new local ruling class was created. The
nobility became exempt from taxation on their estates.
The conscript armies of the Nara had proved ineffective so the courts abolished conscription and
began a new system based on local mounted warriors called samurai (“those who serve”). Their
primary weapon was the bow and arrow, used from the saddle. The samurai generally came from
well-to-do local families who could afford to supply the costly weapons. Their initial function was to
preserve local order and help with tax collection. They also contributed to disorder as regional
military coalitions formed from the tenth century. The chapter goes on to detail governmental
institutions and administrative relationships during the late Heian period. Power was often shared
between emperors and noble clans such as the Fujiwara. In 1156, the House of Taira assumed control
of Japan through support of a military coalition.
The culture in Heian Japan was quickly assimilated from the Tang culture of China and was the
exclusive preserve of the aristocracy. This explains why aristocrats found commoners to be odd and
hardly human. The Chinese tradition remained strong and most writing of the period, including legal
codes, was done in Chinese. The Japanese often evaluated their actions in the mirror of Chinese
history. Japanese writing developed in the ninth century with the introduction of the Kana, a syllabic
script or alphabet. The greatest works of the period were the Pillow Book and the first novel, The Tale
of Genji, both written by women around 1010. These literary tracts reflect wit, sensitivity, and
psychological delineation of character.
In Japan, Buddhism grew gradually during the seventh and eighth centuries. The Japanese came to
Buddhism not from the philosophical perspectives of Confucianism or Daoism but from the magic
and mystery of Shinto. The appeal of Buddhism to the early Japanese was in its colorful and elaborate
rituals. Two new Buddhist sects, the Tendai and Shingon, were established by Saicho and Kukai,
respectively, in the late eighth and early ninth centuries. Shinto religion was generally absorbed into
the faith and only disentangled from Buddhism in the mid-nineteenth century.
The year 1185 was a major turning point in Japanese history. It began a shift from centuries of rule
by a civil aristocracy to centuries of military control. It saw the formation of the bakufu (tent
government), a completely non-Chinese type of government under the initial leadership of Minamoto
Yoritomo. Centering his rule in Kamakura, this bakufu lasted from 1185 to 1333. This period also
saw the emergence of the shogun as the de facto ruler of Japan, though in theory he was but a military
official of the emperor. It marked the beginning of new cultural forms and changes in family and
social organization. The chapter details the rule of Yoritomo, Kamakura feudalism, and the role of
women in a warrior society.
Between 1331 and 1336, Japan entered upon a period of turmoil from which emerged a regional
multistate system centering on Kyoto, called the Ashikaga Bakufu (1336–1467). Each region was
based on a warrior band, and civil and military posts were fused, which provided a greater degree of
control over the population.
The chapter concludes with an assessment of Buddhism and medieval culture. Zen, in particular,
influenced the arts of medieval Japan. Aristocratic creativity was often seen as grounded in the
experience of meditation. There were new art forms as well such as No plays, a kind of mystery
drama with no parallels in East Asia.
KEY POINTS AND VITAL CONCEPTS
1. Japan, Korea, and Vietnam: Tang culture is the most important common element for Korea,
Vietnam, and Japan. Buddhism and Tang high culture influenced primarily the elites. In Korea and
Japan, leaders sought Chinese culture; in Vietnam, it was imposed.
2. Chinese Influence on Japan: Chinese civilization was a key element in influencing the culture
and government of Japan. Official embassies to China began in 607 C.E. and the Japanese who
studied there played key roles in their government when they returned. Chinese writings were used
in official documents, histories, and legal codes. Japanese writing only developed with Kana in the
ninth century. The No plays of the Ashikaga period were a unique move away from Chinese
influence.
3. Shogun and Samurai: By 1200, Japanese military forces had emerged as an organized and potent
force for change or stability. The samurai warriors hailed primarily from local aristocracy and gave
relative influence to provincial strongmen as a feudal society similar to the European experience
developed. The Mongol invasions of 1274 and 1281 brought more power to the hands of the
military as the country required protection. Peasants were reduced to serf status and the society was
regulated. There is some dispute as to whether Japanese feudalism actually involved fiefs in
exchange for military service, but there is no ambiguity as to the vassal relationship and the warrior
ethic. At first the shogun served as the primary military commander for the emperor, but by 1200,
emperors generally remained in a figurehead position.
4. Japanese Chronology: Japanese history has three main turning points, each marked by a major
influx of outside culture and each followed by a massive restructuring of Japanese institutions:
A) Third century B.C.E.–600 C.E.: Old Stone Age Japan became an agricultural metalworking society.
B) 600–ca. 1850: Japan is influenced by Chinese culture and leaps to a higher civilization
with the development of a writing system, new technologies, and philosophies. The second
period can be further subdivided as follows:
710–794: Nara Japan
794–1156: Heian Japan
Rule by Military Houses
1156–1180: Taira rule
1185–1333: The Kamakura Bakufu (Yoritomo, Hojo, etc.)
1333–1336: Disputed control
1336–1467: The Ashikaga Bakufu
C) Ca. 1850–Present: Japan encounters Western civilizations.
5.
Early Japanese History in Global Perspective: The spread of civilization in East Asia from its
heartland in China was more rapid than in the West because the Tang empire of China had been
reestablished on a more vital plane. Vietnam, Korea, and Japan all took advantage of the Chinese
model. Yet, because of Japan’s large population and distance from China, it proved eventually to
be a strong variant to the Chinese pattern in East Asian civilization. Both Japan and western
Europe endured centuries of feudalism and both areas began as backward societies onto which
“heartland cultures” were grafted during the first millennium C.E.
PRIMARY SOURCE: DOCUMENTS IN WORLD HISTORY DVD-ROM
Text Sources

Excerpts from the Taika Reform Edicts

Selection from Nihongi, “The Age of the Gods”

Buddhism in Japan: The Taika Reform Edicts

Murasaki Shikibu, selections from The Tale of Genji

Ki no Tsurayaki, excerpt from The Tosa Diary
Visual Sources

Shinto Creation Myth

Early Korean woodblock printing: The Tripitaka Koreana
INTERNET RESOURCES

Tibet and Japan: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/eastasia/eastasiasbook.html has
many links to good sites that cover Tibet and Japan.

Medieval Japan: http://www.mars.dti.ne.jp/~suzuki-y/index_e.html offers resources
for the study of medieval Japan.

A Medieval Japanese Town: http://www.mars.dti.ne.jp/~suzuki-y/index_e.html
discusses the excavation of a medieval Japanese town.
SUGGESTED FILMS

Japan. Bryan Julien. 27 min.

Japan: An Historical Overview. Coronet. 14 min.

Japan: Answer in the Orient. National Education Association. 59 min.

Japan: Harvesting the Land and Sea. Encyclopaedia Britannica Ed. 26
min.

Japan: Land of the Kami. Film Library Holder. 26 min.

Japanese Armor. Japanese Broadcasting Company. 30 min.

Japanese Calligraphy. Film Library Holder. 17 min.

The Japanese Sword as the Soul of Samurai. Kensharo Production. 24
min.

Shinto: Nature, Gods and Man in Japan. Togg Films, Inc. 8 min.

Shintoism: Way of the Gods. Lew Ayers, Inc. 14 min.

Lost Civilizations (500 minutes). Discovery Channel. Tibet, China, and Africa
are all covered here.

Samurai Japan (50 minutes). Kultur.

Life of Buddha (90 minutes). Arte.

Robert A.F. Thurman on Buddhism and on Tibet (460 minutes).
Wellspring.