Ancient Japan: From Early Migration to Imperial Dominance

1. HIS 105Chapter 9 Japan: Early History to 1467

2. Japan • East of China • 4 main islands and other smaller ones • Formed by volcanic eruptions • Mountainous • Only small area good for agriculture • Wet rice is the staple crop

3. Japan

4. Poor in natural resources • Beauty of their islands reflected in their art, architecture, and religion • Ancestors of the Japanese migrated to the islands about 5000 B.C.E. probably from Polynesia and S.E. Asia

5. Mt. Fuji

6. Japan

7. Jomon Culture • Migrants • Present 8000 – 300 B.C.E. • Hunter/gatherers • Distinctive cord pattern pottery

8. Jomon PotteryCord Pattern

9. Many other settlers came in from Korea and Manchuria and blended into a homogeneous society with a distinctive language, culture, and appearance • They drove the previous inhabitants, the Ainus, north where only a few exist today

10. Ainus

11. Yayoi Culture (300 B.C.E – 300 C.E.) • Wet rice introduced from Asian mainland • Had wheel-turned pottery • Had bronze ware (bells) • Divided into clans • Households were matriarchal • Had a clan deity and rigid social classes • Women had strong position in society: • Shamans • Empresses

12. Yayoi Pottery

13. Yayoi Bronze

14. Yamato State ( 300 – 600 C.E.) • Gained dominance over other clans • Imperial cult developed around the sun goddess (land of the rising sun) and Shintoism • 4th century- Yamato controlled southern islands and parts of Korea • Had contact with China through trade and migrants

15. Introduction of Chinese script made it possible for Japanese to learn from Chinese texts • Buddhism introduced in the 6th century and existed side-by-side with Shintoism • Shintoism • Animistic worship of the forces of nature • It included a great leader could be worshiped after death

16. Chinese Calligraphy

17. Shintoism

18. Mt. Fuji was holy • Each clan had a nature as its personal deity • Emperors seen as descendents of sun goddess so were living gods

19. 7th century – Yamato tried to style government after Chinese model • This ushered in a 2nd major turning point for Japanese – the spread of Chinese culture • Took place from 7th to 12th centuries • Occurred in 3 stages: • Learning about China • Introducing Chinese institutions • Trying to make Chinese ways Japanese ways

20. Japan remained politically independent but heavily influenced by China • Many copied ways , in the end, did not work in Japan: • Government became to heavy • Landlords resisted changes to more central control • Many Chinese laws made no sense in Japan

21. There was a rising opposition to outside influences • However, a distinctive Japanese culture resulted

22. Change in Capitals • New capital established at Nara in 710 styled after the Chinese • In 794, the capital moved to Heian (Kyoto) • Much later the capital moved to Edo or Tokyo in 1869 • All capitals were laid out quite elaborately and those in government lived luxuriously

23. Peasants lived in pit houses in small villages • They worked on paddy rice farms • Used slash and burn techniques when preparing land for cultivation • There were also Buddhist temples

24. Pit Houses

25. Heian rulers followed both Shintoism and Confucius • Japanese believed they had only one dynasty in their history – all were descendents of the sun goddess

26. Heian Rulers • By 12th century • All land belonged to the emperor • It was redistributed every 6 years • Taxes were levied on people, not land Things were all very stable until the end of Heian rule when taxes were placed on grain and landholdings became hereditary

27. Nobles and powerful temples were exempt from taxes

28. Samurai • 792, the court began to rely on mounted warriors • They became the official troops of the emperor • They did not pay taxes • They were known as the samurai from the word samurau meaning “ to serve “

29. Samurai

30. They were the military of Japan until the 15th and 16th centuries when the “ foot soldier “ came into practice • Samurai paid for their own equipment and training, so many came from rich families • They were to preserve local order and to help collect taxes

31. Government • Slowly changed from Chinese model in 9th century • New agencies emerged • Audit officers who tried to keep an eye on revenues • Bureau of Archivists who recorded imperial decrees • Police Commissioners who were responsible for law and order

32. The Court • Emperor • Had the power to appoint • Some families gained great influence through marriage to the emperor: the Fujiwara family • Emperor Shirakawa believed an emperor should govern and he did from 1072-1086; then he stepped down but continued to rule for another 43 years • Other emperors followed his example

33. Culture • In Nara and early Heian Japan, culture was based in Shintoism and in village folkways • Court culture was still based in Chinese ways and teachings • Those in the court would read and write in Chinese and felt those who couldn’t were beneath them • 760 – Japanese began writing their own stories in Japanese for a change • Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves

34. Chinese characters were used as phonetic symbols in that book of 4,516 poems • In 951 – a new alphabet or script, kana, was introduced for the Japanese • Many of the great writings during the Heian period were done by women • Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu in 1010 was the world’s first novel • showed sensitivity, character development, and life

35. Kana

36. Buddhism • Present in Nara Japan • Mahayana Buddhism • Had monks and monasteries living away from society • Received money from the state • Popular in Japan first because of its rituals, gods, demons, angels, and its art • Later because of its philosophy

37. Not seen as foreign • Was felt deeply by Japanese • Shintoism was almost absorbed by Buddhism in the late Heian period

38. Feudal Rule • 1185 – capital was moved to Kyoto and civil rule was replaced by military rule called “tent government” or bakufu • This rule introduced the Shogun who was technically under the emperor • This brought about social reorganization

39. Shogun

40. Taira rule in Kyoto was defeated by Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199) in 1185 • It was a national victory • His soldiers were now his vassals • He had military governors in each province and military stewards on former Taira estates • Any money went to the stewards or to Kyoto

41. MinamotoYoritomo

42. This was the start of Feudal Japan • After Yoritomo’s death in 1199, there was chaos • In 1266 Kubla Khan demanded that Japan submit to his rule • He brought in 30,000 troops in 1274, was victorious but then left • 1281- he returned with 140,000 troops in an amphibious operation

43. It didn’t look good for Japan until the kamikaze (divine winds) hit sinking a good part of the Mongol fleet; the rest turned around and left

44. Women • Some became prominent like Yoritomo’s widow, Nun Shogun, who ruled after his death • Some became writers • There was that sun goddess connected to the royal family • For a time, women could inherit property • That changed as the warrior state appeared

45. Ashikaga Takauji • 1331 – another emperor felt the emperor should rule • Ashikaga Takauji was sent to put down this emperor’s revolt, but he turned on Kyoto and destroyed the Kamakura government • After the revolt ended in 1336, a multi-state system emerged • Each state was run by a different warrior group

46. Ashikaka set up his own bakufu with its own organization • Vassals on the land became known as Daimyos owing lyalty to the Shogun

47. Statistics • 1200 – Japan had 6 million people • 1600 – Japan had 12 million • Better agricultural techniques • New strains of rice • Iron tools • Peasants became self-sufficient • Barter system

48. By 15th century, military weapons, sake, lumber, vegetable oil salt, sea products were sold • Copper coins and market places appeared and permanent towns

49. Buddhism • Pure Land Buddhism • Emerged around 10th century • A variety of Japanese Buddhism that said the true teachings of Buddha had been lost and that only faith was necessary for salvation • It remains dominant in Japan today

50. Zen Buddhism • Included meditation • Monks stressed a return to the “uncluttered mind”, the one with intuitive understanding • The most Chinese of Japanese sects • Religious experience counts more than words • Influenced the arts