Medieval Japan

Medieval Japan

1. Jomon

   • first arrived from asia in 10000 bc
   • called it this because of its style of pottery
   • evidence from this time includes pottery, midden, figurines called dogun
   • THIS PERIOD LASTED FROM 10000bc to 300 bc

2. Nara

   • Japan was ruled by an emporer
   • lasted from 710 ad to 794 ad
   • first coins, taxes and literature/books used

3. heian

   • Japan still run by an emprer
   • capital city moved to Kyoto
   • at this time military commanders got more powerful
     • They were called Shoguns
       • At first eld the emporers armies but then emporer got weak and they found power in the countryside
   • Two biggest Shoguns came from rival clans(family groups) minamoto and Kiyomon
     • fought for control
     • Minamoto won after Genpei war in 1185 as
       • This begins the first shogunate of Japan- KAMAkURA SHOGUNATE

4. Shogunate

   • was a new government in which the shogun not the emporer was in charge
   • Shougunates run from 1185 to 1868
   • Shougunate means Kakafu meaning 'office in the tent'

5. Kamakura shogunate- 1185 to 1333

   • mUROMACHI SHOgunate- 1336 to 1568
     • tHEY MOVED THE CAPITAL city to kyoto- emporer went back TO NARA
     • Nobles got more powerful and fought amongst themselves
       • lasted over 100 years
       • known as sengoku (warring states)
     • Tokugawa shogunate
       • ended warring states period
       • brought peace and made many changes
       • ended in 1868 when the emporer took control

6. social structure

   • Daimyo- (noble families)
     • about 260 of these
     • owned large areas of land 'shoen'-taxed people on this land
   • Samurai
     • warriors who were linked to Daimyo
     • helped control their land- paied in rice
   • peasants
     • grew the food for society
     • paid taxes to daimyo snf listened to his samurai
   • Artisans
     • crafted non essential things
     • not highly regarded
   • merchant
     • lowest in social structure
     • could be very wealthy but were no respected as they didnt contribute
   • hinin
     • known as the 'outcasts'

7. belief systems

   • shinto
     • based on animism( means all things have spirits)
     • spirits called 'kami'
     • closely linked to nature
     • put shrines in natural places
       • shrines also put in homes
     • strict procedure for going into a shinto shrine
   • buddhism
     • arrived in japan from china/korea- 6th century
     • zen buddhism teaches meditation and discipline
     • first accepted by wealthy an eventually all members of society
   • confucianism
     • great influence
     • affected social structure and the way people related to one another

8. art and literature

   • pottery/paintings
     • Jomon pottery
     • woodblock prints
   • calligraphy
     • called shodo
     • two types
     • kanji-hard to master
     • hiragana- easier to use by most people
   • poetry
     • haiku poems
     • 5-7-5 syllables
   • origami
     • folding paper to create beautiful shapes