Medieval Japan

Chapter 14Section 3

Life in Medieval JapanReading Strategy

Complete the diagram on page 273 in your ARNTG.

Role of Role of womenwomen

Obey her father, Obey her father, husband, & sonhusband, & son

Work in the Work in the fieldsfieldscookcook

Spin & Spin & weave weave clothcloth

Care for Care for childrenchildren

Help with Help with family family

businessbusiness

Artists, Artists, writers, & writers, & warriorswarriors

Japanese Religion & Japanese Religion & CultureCulture

Pure Land Pure Land BuddhismBuddhism

Zen Zen BuddhismBuddhism

• Looked to Lord Amida, a Buddha of love and mercy

• believers had to have faith in Amida and chant his name to get to his paradise in the clouds

• Find inner peace through self-control and a simple way of life

• emphasized martial arts and meditation

• Sects of Mahayana Buddhism

Japanese Religion & Japanese Religion & Culture Culture

• During the Middle Ages, Japanese people practiced both Shinto and Buddhism.*

• When it reached Japan, Buddhism had divided into different sects, or smaller religious groups.*

• Pure Land Buddhism was a sect of Mahayana Buddhism.

• Its message is about a happy life after death.*

Japanese Religion & Japanese Religion & Culture Culture

• Zen Buddhism is another important Zen Buddhism is another important sect of Buddhism brought to Japan sect of Buddhism brought to Japan from China.*from China.*

• Zen teaches that people can find Zen teaches that people can find inner peace through self-control inner peace through self-control and a simple way of life. and a simple way of life.

• Followers of Zen Buddhism also practiced Followers of Zen Buddhism also practiced meditation, where a person sat cross-meditation, where a person sat cross-legged and motionless for hours, with the legged and motionless for hours, with the mind cleared of all thoughts and desiresmind cleared of all thoughts and desires

Japanese Religion & Japanese Religion & CultureCulture

• Japanese art reveals the Japanese art reveals the Japanese people’s love of beauty Japanese people’s love of beauty and simplicity.and simplicity.

Japanese Religion & Japanese Religion & Culture Culture

• Art in the Middle Ages included Art in the Middle Ages included wooden items coated in lacquer, wooden items coated in lacquer, landscape paintings, folded paper landscape paintings, folded paper called origami, and tea ceremonies.called origami, and tea ceremonies.

• Japanese buildings were Japanese buildings were influenced by Chinese or Japanese influenced by Chinese or Japanese styles. styles.

• Shinto shrines followed the Shinto shrines followed the Japanese style; Buddhist temples Japanese style; Buddhist temples followed the Chinese style.followed the Chinese style.

Japanese Religion & Japanese Religion & Culture Culture •The Japanese borrowed and The Japanese borrowed and

adapted the Chinese style of adapted the Chinese style of writing using characters.*writing using characters.*

• CalligraphyCalligraphy, the art of writing , the art of writing beautifully, was important in beautifully, was important in Japan.* Japan.*

• The The tankatanka is Japan’s oldest form is Japan’s oldest form of poetry.*of poetry.*

• Lady Lady Murasaki ShikibuMurasaki Shikibu wrote wrote The The TaleTale of Genjiof Genji, the story of a , the story of a Japanese prince.Japanese prince.

Murasaki Shikibu

Japanese Religion & Japanese Religion & Culture Culture

• Noh plays taught Buddhist ideas Noh plays taught Buddhist ideas and were performed on a bare and were performed on a bare stage by actors in robes and stage by actors in robes and masks. masks.

Japanese Religion & Japanese Religion & Culture Culture

• Sum It UpSum It Up

• How are martial arts and How are martial arts and meditation connected to Zen meditation connected to Zen Buddhism’s principle of self-Buddhism’s principle of self-control?control?

• Both martial arts and meditation Both martial arts and meditation teach self-control, leading to teach self-control, leading to inner peace.inner peace.

Economy and Society Economy and Society • *Very few people *Very few people

benefited from benefited from Japan’s wealth Japan’s wealth under the shoguns.*under the shoguns.*

• Most people in Most people in Japan remained Japan remained poor.poor.

• Japanese farmers Japanese farmers worked hard to worked hard to grow rice, grow rice, wheat, millet, and wheat, millet, and barley.barley.

Economy and Society Economy and Society • In the 1100s, advances in irrigation In the 1100s, advances in irrigation

and crops allowed them to grow more and crops allowed them to grow more food and their lives improved. food and their lives improved.

• As trade increased, artisans began As trade increased, artisans began making pottery, paper, textiles, and making pottery, paper, textiles, and lacquered items. lacquered items.

• Artisans made weapons, armor, and Artisans made weapons, armor, and tools for merchants to sell. tools for merchants to sell.

Economy and Society Economy and Society • KyotoKyoto, the capital of Japan, was a , the capital of Japan, was a

major center of production and trade. major center of production and trade.

• Many groups of artisans and Many groups of artisans and merchants were located there and merchants were located there and formed formed guildsguilds, medieval business , medieval business groups formed by craftspeople and groups formed by craftspeople and merchants to protect profits.*merchants to protect profits.*

Economy and SocietyEconomy and Society• Japanese extended families Japanese extended families

included grandparents, parents, included grandparents, parents, and children, with a man heading and children, with a man heading the family.the family.

• Women were expected to obey their Women were expected to obey their father, their husband, and their father, their husband, and their sons.*sons.*

Economy and Society Economy and Society

• Despite their lack of freedom, some Despite their lack of freedom, some women made important women made important contributions to Japanese culture. contributions to Japanese culture.

• Marriages were arranged by parents, Marriages were arranged by parents, but in farming families women had but in farming families women had more control over whom they more control over whom they married.married.

• During the time of Shotoku, wealthy During the time of Shotoku, wealthy women could be rulers and own women could be rulers and own property, but women lost these property, but women lost these freedoms after the samurai and freedoms after the samurai and daimyo took control.*daimyo took control.*

Economy and Society Economy and Society • Sum It UpSum It Up

• Which groups in Japan benefited Which groups in Japan benefited from the country’s wealth?from the country’s wealth?

• Nobles, merchants, and artisans Nobles, merchants, and artisans benefited from Japan’s wealth.benefited from Japan’s wealth.

Life in Medieval Japan Life in Medieval Japan • Section Wrap UpSection Wrap Up

• How did religion shape Japan’s How did religion shape Japan’s culture?culture?

Sects of Buddhism (Pure Land and Sects of Buddhism (Pure Land and Zen) and Shinto impacted Japan’s Zen) and Shinto impacted Japan’s art, architecture, novels, and art, architecture, novels, and plays.plays.

Life in Medieval Japan Life in Medieval Japan • Section Wrap UpSection Wrap Up

• What was life like for people in What was life like for people in medieval Japan?medieval Japan?

Nobles, merchants, and artisans Nobles, merchants, and artisans grew wealthy. Most Japanese grew wealthy. Most Japanese were farmers who remained poor. were farmers who remained poor. Women remained restricted in Women remained restricted in many areas of life.many areas of life.

What was life like for a Japanese farming woman?

Wives of farmers worked long, hard hours in the fields. They also had to cook, spin and weave cloth, and care for their children.

Life in Medieval Japan

How did the Shinto and Buddhist religions meet different needs in Japan?

Shinto: concerned with daily life;Buddhism: prepared people for the life to come.

Life in Medieval Japan

What were Noh plays, and how were they performed?

Japan’s oldest form of play; performed on a simple, bare stage by actors who wore masks and danced, gestured, and chanted poetry to music.

Life in Medieval Japan

Describe How did guilds benefit artisans and daimyos?

Guilds offered protection from rival artisans, and sold daimyo goods they could not get themselves.

Life in Medieval Japan

Analyze Why do you think women lost some of their freedoms when Japan became a warrior society?

Answers will vary.

Life in Medieval Japan

Descriptive Writing Write a brief article for a travel magazine describing the architecture of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan during the Middle Ages

Articles should note that Shinto shrines were Japanese in style, while Buddhist temples were built in a Chinese style.

Life in Medieval Japan