Feudal Powers in Japan Guided Notes

Slide 1:

1. Japan lies to the east of China in the direction of the sunrise.
2. Japan comes the chinese word ri-ben, which means “______ of the sun” or “______ of the rising sun”.
3. Japan borrowed ideas, institutions and cultures from the chinese people. They would take those and make them their own
4. Japanese were far enough away to escape invasion but not chinese influence

Slide 2:

1. About 4,000 islands make up Japan’s archipelago (arch-kuh-phel-uh-goh) or island group that extends in an arc more than 1200 miles long.
2. Japanese historically live on the four largest islands: Hokkaido (Hah-KY-doh), Honshu (HaHN-shoo), Shikoku (Shee-KAW-koo) and Kyushu (Kee-OO-shoo).
3. Japans geography has advantages and disadvantages.
4. Southern japan has a mild climate with plenty of rain falls
5. Other parts however lack suitable farming or natural resources such as coal, oil and iron ore.

Slide 3:

1. First historical mention of Japan comes from _________ writings.
2. Japan was not a unified country. It was ruled by hundreds of clans who controlled their own territories.
3. Each klan worshipped its own nature gods and goddesses.
4. Their beliefs would eventually be combined to form japan’s earliest religion “____________”, which means the way of the gods.

Slide 4:

1. Shinto is based on respect for the forces of nature and on the worship of ancestors.
2. Shinto worshippers believe in Kami, divine spirits that dwelled in nature.
3. beautiful trees, rocks, waterfalls or mountains were said to be homes of the kami.

Slide 5:

1. By 400 A.D. the yamato clan had established itself as the leading clan.
2. In the 7th century the chiefs started calling themselves emperors of Japan.
3. early emperors did not control all of japan.
4. Even though the Yamato did not have real power, they were never overthrown.
5. When rival clans fought for power the winning clan claimed control of the emperor and then ruled in the empires name.
6. Japan had bother an emperor who served as a figurehead and a ruling power who reigned behind the throne
7. This dual structure became an enduring characteristic of japanese government.

Slide 6:

1.  Korean travelers to Japan brought buddhism with them. in the mid 1700s the Japanese imperial court accepted buddhism.
2. Japanese did not give up their shinto beliefs.
3. Some buddhist rituals became shinto rituals and some shinto gods and goddesses were worshipped in buddhist temples

Slide 7:

1.  Interest in buddhism soon grew into enthusiasm for all things chinese.
2. Japanese adopted the Chinese system of writing. artists painted landscapes in the chinese manner. they also followed chinese styles in simple acts of everyday living such as cooking, gardening, drinking tea, and hairdressing.
3. Even modeled its government after the chinese.
4. Japan was still a country where a few great families held all the power.
5. While they adopted many of the chinese ways they still retained their own traditions.

Slide 8:

1. In the late 700s the imperial court moved the capital from Nara to Heian (HAY-Ahn) (modern day: Kyoto. Many noble families moved there as well.
2. This period is known as the Heian period.
3. Rules dictated every aspect of court life- how long your sword could be, color of official robes, forms of address, even the number of skirts a woman wore.
4. Etiquette was important. Laughing aloud in public was frowned upon.
5. Everyone was expected to write poetry and paint.

Slide 9: 

1. Best account of Heian society comes from the diaries, essays, and novels written by women of the court. One of the finest writers of this period was Lady Murasaki Shikibu.
2. Her 11th century masterpiece, The Tale of Genji is an account of the life of a prince in the imperial court.
3. it is considered to be the world’s first _________.

Slide 10:

1.  For most of the Heian period, the rich Fujiwara family held real power in japan
2. by the middle 11th century the power of the central government and Fujiwara begins to slip.
3. Large landowners who lived away from the capital set up private armies
4. this made the countryside lawless and dangerous.
5. Armed soldiers on horseback preyed on farmers and travelers, pirates took over the seas.

Slide 11:

1. This made farmers trade parts of their land to strong warlords in exchange for protection.
2. with more land the lords gained more power. this marked the beginning of a feudal system of localized rule like that of ancient china and medieval europe

Slide 12: 

1. Since wars between rival lords were commonplace lords surrounded themselves with a body guard of loyal warriors called ________ (which means “one who serves”)
2. Samurai lived according to a demanding code of behavior known as Bushido “the way of the warrior”
3. Expected to show reckless courage, reverence for the gods, fairness and generosity toward those weaker than themselves.
4. Dying an honorable death was judged more important than living a long life

Slide 13:

1. In the late 1100s Japan’s two most powerful clans fought for power. After almost 30 years the Minamoto family emerged victorious.
2. Emperor gave the minimotos leader named Yoritomo the title of “_________” or “supreme general of the emperor’s army. Making him a military dictator.

Slide 14:

1.  Following tradition the emperor still reigned from Kyoto.
2. But the shogun’s military headquarters was at Kamakura (Kahm-uh-KUR-uh)
3. The 1200s are known in Japanese history as the Kamakura shogunate.

Slide 15:

1. Kamakura shoguns were strong enough to turn back two naval invasions by the great mongol leader Kubali Khan.
2. The victory of the mongols drained the shoguns treasury.
3. Loyal samurai were bitter when the government failed to pay them.
4. Kamakura shoguns lost prestige and power.
5. Samurai would attach themselves more to their local lords