Key Terms – Japan and Feudalism (1)

Archipelago Tsunamis Clans Yamato Clan Shinto Seventeen Article

Constitution Kyoto

Shogun Kamakura Shogunate Daimyos Samurai Bushido Seppuku Kamikaze

Geography of Japan

Japan is located in Eastern Asia.

The region it is located in is also known as the Ring of Fire for the numerous volcanic eruptions and tsunamis in the area.

Composed of many islands with four major ones → Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Hokkaido

The country is known as an archipelago → chain of islands.

The country is known for being able to grow small amounts of vegetation considering its rugged terrain.

Most of the food is imported into Japan today.

Underwater earthquakes are common which usually cause tsunamis → massive tidal waves.

Early Japanese History

Early history of Japan is dictated by the behavior of early clans of warriors and farmers. Clans → families or groups of people that share a

common ancestor. Japan had no central government, hence many

of these clans ran their own localized governments independent of one another.

One clan would dominate all of the others and establish rule as emperors of Japan, the Yamato Clan.

The Yamato Clan

The Yamato established an offical religion used in Japan, Shintoism. Shintoism → belief that spirits reside in all natural

objects, VERY similar to animism Emperors claimed to be related to the sun

goddess and hence, were able to rule both religion and politics.

The Yamato would attempt to conquer Korea numerous times and fail, but these interactions increased their knowledge of Korean culture and also their knowledge of Chinese culture.

The Importance of Korea

The Japanese learned much about Chinese culture from their contact with Korea.

Many aspects of Japanese culture were influenced by Chinese culture itself. The Japanese acquired their writing system from

interactions with the Chinese and adapted it to their spoken language.

Their acquisition of a writing system allowed for the beginnings of their written history, works of literature and philosophy

The Japanese would also adopt Buddhism (its discipline appealed to them) which would plunge the country into a civil war.

Changes

The adoption of Buddhism led to the creation of a new constitution for the Japanese.

In 604, the Japanese would create the Seventeen Article Constitution. It gleaned ideas from Buddhist and Confucian

principles Reflects how the Japanese believed that Chinese

philosophies and forms of government appealed to them

A new capital would be constructed to mirror that of the Chinese imperial capital of Chang'an called Nara.

The Move to Kyoto

The Nara period would be short lived considering after 180 years, the capital would be moved.

This move was symbolic of the Japanese turning away from Chinese culture and attempting to adopt their own.

The capital would be moved to Kyoto where new forms of literature and art would be created.

The Growth of the Shogunate

Emperors began to lose power in the early 12th Century; families carried out the work of the government and more often than not clans fought each other for control.

1185 → Minamoto clan gains power and the emperor names Minamoto Yoritomo the first shogun → military general of Japan. Shoguns held more power than emperors due to

their control of the military.

Japanese Feudalism Daimyos (large landholders) ruled territories

outside of the capital. Daimyos would enlist samurai to defend their

territories in exchange for land. Samurais → warriors of Japan who followed a strict

code of conduct. Peasants were unable to acquire land in this

system. Land became the most important measure of

wealth. Samurais lived by the code of bushido → way

of the warrior, code of conduct for samurais.

Bushido

Samurai code of honor and conduct was significantly stricter than that of the knights in Feudal Europe.

Samurais: Could not kill an unarmed man. Could not attack a man with his back turned. Had to help a fellow samurai commit seppuku if the

samurai was unable to do it himself. Had to commit ritual suicide if he was dishonored.

Seppuku → ritual suicide, also known as harikiri.

Differences and Similarities

European Feudalism

Land was the object of wealth

Knights defended territory in exchange for land.

Knights were highly specialized and lived by a code of conduct, chivalry.

Manors included one village and surrounding farmland

Peasants could become serfs

Japanese Feudalism

Land was the object of wealth

Samurai defended territory in exchange for land.

Samurai were highly specialized and lived by a code of conduct, bushido.

Daimyo landholdings could be in many places not just one village.

Peasants could not become serfs.

Attempts at Invasion

During the rule of the Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty in China during the 13th Century, Kublai Khan would attempt to invade and conquer Japan.

The Chinese would fail three times in attempts to conquer Japan due to strong winds that created typhoons that destroyed Chinese ships.

Japanese believed that it was the “kamikaze” or divine wind that had prevented them from being conquered by the Chinese.