Ch.7-Section III. Japan

• Japan is an island nation off the coast of Asia, opposite China, Korea, and Siberia, consisting of four main islands and hundreds of smaller ones.
• Japan's land area is approximately the size of California, though most of it is mountainous, with less than 20% suitable for farming.
• Until the late nineteenth century, Japan remained isolated from the world's civilizations
• Early Japanese history was passed down through myths and legends, shaping Japanese culture.
• Japanese mythology says god Izanagi and goddess Izanami created the islands of Japan.
• Early Japan was divided by warring clans, with each clan having its own land, god, and chieftain.
• By the fifth century AD, the Yamato clan, centered on Honshu, gained power and unified Japan.
• The Yamato clan used Japanese mythology to secure the loyalty of other clan chieftains.
• According to legend, the first emperor of Japan, Jimmu Tenno, was a direct descendant of the sun goddess.

Imperial Family

• The Yamato clan claimed its rulers were descendants of Jimmu Tenno, believed to be divine.
• The imperial family of Japan arose from this clan.
• Japan has had only one imperial family, serving as a symbol of unity and continuity.

Shintoism

• Shintoism, Japan's native religion, supported the belief in the divine origin of the emperor.
• Shintoism was originally a form of nature worship, attributing deity to awe-inspiring natural elements.
• Shintoism stressed the supremacy of the sun goddess and the divine descent of the emperor.
• It inspired love for homeland, loyalty to clan, and reverence for the emperor.

Chinese Influence

• From the fifth to the eighth centuries, Chinese culture, ideas, learning, and art greatly influenced Japan.
• The Chinese writing system was adopted and adapted by the Japanese, enabling them to keep written records and produce their own literature.
• Chinese culture flowed into Japan through Buddhism, with Buddhist monks teaching the Japanese about Chinese art and way of life.
• Prince Shotoku made Buddhism the favored national religion in the seventh century, leading to the construction of temples, hospitals, and schools.
• Japan borrowed China's writing, literature, religion, weights and measures, medical practices, calendar, furniture styles, dress, and construction methods.

Taika Reform

• In the mid-seventh century, Japanese leaders modeled their government after the Tang dynasty's centralized bureaucracy.
• The Taika Reform aimed to weaken clan chieftains and extend the emperor's power.
• Japan established civil service examinations, a judicial code, and a tax system, and built its first permanent capital at Nara.
• Government authority shifted to powerful families like the Fujiwara, who controlled key government posts.
• The Fujiwara family married their daughters into the imperial family and ruled as regents of infant emperors.

Rise of Samurai

• Corruption and bankruptcy followed the luxurious life of the royal court, leading to disorder.
• Provincial governors relied on strong military clans for protection, causing power struggles.
• In the twelfth century, Yoritomo of the Minamoto clan became the supreme military leader, or shogun.
• From 1192 to 1868, powerful shoguns held real power over the Japanese government.
• With the rise of the shogun, the warrior class became the leading class in Japanese society.
• The Japanese warrior was called a samurai, mastering military skills and studying history, literature, and writing.
• The Bushido code governed the conduct of the samurai, emphasizing loyalty, honor, duty, justice, courage, sincerity, and politeness.
• Samurai could commit hara-kiri to avoid disgrace, atone for misconduct, or resolve questions of loyalty.