Japan

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Japan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnZEoOJ-cxE (Incorporar)

Japan

Japan

Samurai

Bound by the code of bushido- "the way of the warrior". This emphasized honor, bravery, and absolute loyalty to one's lord, but it covered every aspect of a samurai's life, including walking, bowing, and holding chopsticks.

If bushido was betrayed, seppukku (ritual suicide) was commited.

Supposed to have no fear of death

Tokugawa Shogunate

Wanted to end feudal warfare

Maintained outward forms of feudalism but created a central government that controlled all of Japan

Controlled daimyo by forcing them to live at the capital every other year and keeping his wife and children there all the time. Daimyo had to ask permission to marry or repair their castle

Only samurai could serve in the military or hold government jobs

Peasants remained on the land

Lower classes forbidden to wear silk and other luxuries

Agriculture improved

Population growth due to food surpluses- more towns appeared

Merchant power increased- grew wealthy because of trade increase and gained influence by lending money to daimyo and samurai and marrying their daughters into the samurai class

Zen Buddhism

Buddhist sect from China

Emphasized self-reliance, meditation, and devotion to duty

Valued peace, simplicity, and beauty, revered nature

Influenced development of landscape paintings

Believed that people achieved enlightenment through meditation and performing everyday tasks precisely

Contradictory traditions: monks were scholars, yet they valued an uncluttered mind, stressing the importance of reaching a state of "non-knowing". Stressed compassion, yet samurai fought to kill.

Monks sought absolute freedom, yet had rigid rules.

Heian Period

Noblepeople lived in fairy-tale like places that had lotus pools, gardens, and pavilions

Rules of etiquette governed the court

Multicolored silk dress

Men studied Chinese but women were forbidden to study it

Women wrote important literary works at this time, including The Tale of Genji and The Pillow Book

Poems and romances were sad, love doesn't last and and the world's beauty doesn't last