Medieval Japan (710-1868)

Medieval Japan (710-1868)

1. leading up to Shogunate Japan

   • Jomon Period (10 000BCE- 300BCE)
     • evidence
       • pottery
         • Jomon pottery Jomon=chord
       • midden
       • figurines called dogo
     • first big group of settlers
     • arrive from mainland Asia
   • Nara Period (710CE-794CE)
     • Japan ruled by emper(or/ress)
     • first coins and taxes
     • first literature
     • ruled from Nara
   • Heian Period (794CE-1184CE)
     • Shogun gains power
     • capital=Kyoto
     • still run by emperor
     • rival clans: Minamoto and Kiyomori
       • Minamoto defeats Kiyomori in Genpai war, 1185CE

2. social structure

   • Four tier structure
     • warrior class
       • daimyo
         • noble families
         • owned land (shoen)
         • taxed people on this land
         • about 260 of these
       • samurai
         • served & protected Daimyo
         • weapons
           • bow and arrow
           • naginata
           • katana
           • wakizashi
         • armour
         • Bushido
           • Samurai code of conduct
           • possessing loyalty, honour, bravery
         • Seppuku
           • ritual suicide
           • rather than taken captive
           • less disgraceful
     • peasant class
       • grew food for society
       • paid taxes to daimyo, listened to samurai
     • artisan class
       • crafted non-essential things
       • not highly regarded
     • merchant class
       • lowest
       • could by very wealthy
       • but were not respected because not contributing
   • some existed outside structure
     • hinin (outcasts)
       • Ronin (samurai without master) considered Hinin
   • Shogun and emperor on top
     • Shogun/emperor on top
       • Shogun had real power
       • emperor was figurehead

3. Belief Systems

   • Shinto
     • based on animism
       • spirits in everything
         • spirits=kami
     • enter spirit world after death
     • closely linked to nature
     • shrines put in natural places and in home
   • Buddhism
     • 6th century
     • teaches meditation and discilpline
     • 4 noble truths
   • Confucianism

4. Japanese Art and Literature

   • jomon pottery
   • paintings
   • woodblock prints (ukiyo-e)
   • calligraphy
     • 'shodu'
     • kanji
       • intricate
       • used by less
     • hiragana
       • used my most, easier
   • poetry
     • haiku
       • 5 syllables in first line
       • 7 syllables in second
       • 5 syllables in third

5. Tokugawa Shogunate

   • changes
     • collection of the swords
     • Daimyo's power restricted
       • limit on samurai
         • Samurai forced to take up government jobs or become ronin
       • limit on trading
       • travel to Edo every second year
     • seclusion
       • religion other than buddhism or shinto banned
       • restricted trade and foreign influence
     • high taxes
   • result
     • financial stability
     • no war for 250 years
     • development in culture
     • Japan became known as Ukiyo (floating worlds)
   • lead up
     • muromachi shogunate falls due to financial instability
     • warring states period
     • three unifiers
       • 1. oda nobunaga
         • took large section of japan -> stability
       • 2. toyotomi hideyoshi
         • expanded oda nobunaga's control
         • died of plague
       • 3.tokugawa ieyasu
         • won important battle 1600, shogun in 1603
         • beginning of tokugawa shogunate