Japan:Essential Understandings

J. Magidman

ELD World History

Roosevelt High School

Japan: Essential Understandings 

Japan has adopted aspects of culture from other civilizations and then changed those aspects of culture to fit it’s own time, place, and beliefs.

Japan has a dual nature – an Inner or Actual side, and an Outer or Formal side.

Japan has a strong sense of itself, of that which is Japanese, and of that which is not.

Japan’s historical perceptions of the West, and the West’s historical perceptions of Japan have defined Japan’s relationship with the world.

The determination of what is “right” or “wrong” is less important that the preservation of harmony (wa). 

Japan has idealized the nature and significance of historical figures and classes, much like other cultures have done.

Adapted from and with credit to Mary Barber and my 2001 NCTA class 

Essential Understanding 1

Japan had adopted those aspects of culture from other civilizations and then adapted those aspects of culture to fit its own time, place and beliefs

Prince Shotoku 574-622

Nara Period 710 – 794

Heian (Kyoto) Period 794-1185

Prince Shotoku

Sent missions to China to learn government and religionLoyalty to emperorRanks of bureaucratsBuilt Buddhist templesConstitution

Nara P

eriod

710-793

•City of Nara built on the model of a Chinese grid pattern city•Followed the plan of Ch’ang-An, the great Han capitol

Kasuga Shrine

at Nara, built in

768

According to the legendary history of Kasuga Shrine, a mythological god arrived in Nara on a white deer to guard the newly built capital of Heijō-kyō. Since then the deer were regarded as heavenly animal to protect the city and the country.

The bowing deer of Nara

Snack vendors sell small biscuits to visitors so they can enjoy feeding the deer. Some of the deer have learned to bow in response to tourists' bows. They nudge, jostle, and even bite for food.

Todaji Temple built in 752- the largest wooden building in the world

Daibutsu – Giant Buddha

The temple gives the following dimensions for the statue in meters:

Height - 14.98

Face - 5.33

Eyes - 1.02

Nose - 0.5

Ears- 2.54

The statue weighs 500 metric tons.

Built by order of Emperor Shōmu from 743-752

Used all the available bronze metal in Japan at the time

Adapted Chinese Ways

Chinese-style exams for government officials too difficult, so… made them easierChinese punishments for law breakers too harsh, so… made them less strict (for now!)Only “heaven” could take away the right of the emperor to rule, not the peopleBeginning of one single dynasty, still ruling today

Heian Period (Kyoto)

City of Kyoto built on grid-style pattern

HoweverLate 700s, no more missions to China

“nothing more to learn”

New form of Japanese writing - kana

New forms of literature – first novel The Tale of Genji, written by a Murasaki Shikibu

Kiyomizu Temple

Shinto – Japan’s own religion

Yasaka Shrine – Gion Matsuri

Torii (Gates)

Sanjusangendo

Essential Understanding 2Japan – A Dual Nature?

Heian Era

Regional landlords gain power, maintain it with local warriors

Armed forces in provinces

Actual PowerInner Reality

Central Power of imperial court in name only

Nobles at court distracted

Spent time on details of art, literature

Nominal PowerOutward

Appearance

Warrior Culture

743 edict – If you cleared the land, you could hold it foreverThis established a landlord class which was tax-exemptPeasants were burdened with taxesLandlords grew rich and powerful

While princes and ladies at court wrote poetry and painted picturesNobles in the provinces grew powerfulCreated private armies of bushi (warriors)Samurai – like knights in Europe, loyal to their lords

Minamoto Era

Title of shogun real power, bafuku – Tent HQ – as general, center of power at Kamakura (place)Feudal system with a single lord, dues paid to shogunPersonal loyalty paramount

Actual PowerInner Reality

Minamoto family did not seek throneKept emperor and his court at Kyoto

Nominal PowerOutward

Appearance

Samurai and Bushi

Often switched sides (Minamoto v. Taira)Ill disciplined, killed peasantsScavenged for spoils, lootedWhy are the Samurai loyal to shogun?

Actual PowerInner Reality

Loyal to one lord to the deathNo honor in killing innocentsAusterity – simple lifeBushido Code – written post 1600’sSamurai should be loyal to emperor, right?Nominal Power

Outward Appearance

Myth

Tokugawa Shoguns

Tokugawa in complete control1603+ “step on” Christian symbols to renounce beliefs, register at Buddhist templesLate Tokugawa era - Merchant class growing in power, some lords in debt to merchants, shoguns out of touch with realityTowns and cities growing along travel routes, merchants prospering

Actual PowerInner Reality

1603“lip service” to emperor, respect shown, no powerAggressive, outward expression of Catholics “dangerous” Feudal Class system = Warriors, Peasants, Artisans, then MerchantsPeople couldn’t move from place to place without permission

Nominal PowerOutward

Appearance

Tokugawa period 1603-1853

Foreigners – useful but a threat to stability+ Trade -uncompromising religion+ Technology -Authority of their god alone

A political, not a religious problemCatholicism treated with especially, horrible forms of physical persecution35,000 killed in 1638 at Nagasaki, Christians and rebels1639 – all foreigners expelled, except small Dutch trade delegation at NagasakiJapanese can’t leave, or return from overseas

Nijo Castle, Kyoto

Tomb of the Tokugawa

Nagasaki Port for Dutch

Island of Dejima in Nagasaki Harbor, where foreigners were allowed.

Fumie

Japanese were forced to step on this symbol of Christianity to demonstrate that they were NOT believers and followers of the foreign religion.

Lord Oda NobunagaIt was said,

“If a song bird refused to sing…

Nobunaga would

kill it,

Lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Hideyoshi would persuade it to sing,

Lord Ieyasu Tokugawa

And Ieyasu would wait for it to sing.”

Oda Nobunaga 1534-1582

CruelRuthlessMassive egoBuilt a temple to himselfUp to 20K enemies buried aliveMassacred Buddhists1st to use gunsConfiscated peasants’ weaponsTolerant of ChristiansDied in burning temple

Toyotomi Hideyoshi 1536-98

Nicknamed “Monkey”StrategistMade alliancesKept families of daimyo hostages at court“Sword Hunt” of 1588Class separationCollective punishmentAnti-ChristianEdict of ExpulsionCrucified 26 ChristiansGrew paranoid – killed relativesDreamed of pan-Asian empireDied of illness

Tokugawa Ieyasu 1542-1616

Pragmatic A survivorSat on council of 5 great daimyoas a child had been held hostage of a lordchallenged Hideyoshi, then gave loyaltyConsolidated landholdings at Edo (Tokyo)1603 Shogun at 61 yrs old1605 – Abdicated in favor of young son, to keep family power, then son committed suicide