World Cultures: Chapter 18

bushido

"the way of the warrior" a strict code of conduct that guided samurai behavior

how did the division of classes in Japanese feudal society show itself in drama and religion?

Drama: Noh was a play that appealed to nobles and samurai and it took place on a simple, almost bare stage. Kabuki, on the other hand, attracted merchants, farmers, and other common folk. It had stunning sets and flashy costumes. Religion: Buddhism has many different sects. Shingon means "true word" Followers of the Shingon sect recited "true words" in the form of mantras. It was repeated over and over to advance one's spiritual growth. It attracted many followers among the Japanese nobles. Pure Land Buddhism centered on the concept of bodhisattva, a merciful being who has achieved enlightenment but stays on Earth to help others. Pure Land appealed to all classes. Zen Buddhism is also known as Chan in China. Samurai used Zen meditation to help drive all fear of danger and death from their mind.

how did China influence Japanese government, religion, and culture?

In 607, Prince Shotoku sent his first group of advisors to China during the Tang dynasty to learn about their system of government. They borrowed the China's system of bureaucracy, a grouping of official ranks and duties. Japan was also influenced by Confucius. Prince Shotoku hopes his Constitution of 17 Articles based on Confucian moral principles would help unite Japan. After Shotoku, in an effort to make the central government stronger, the Taika reforms made all the land the property of the emperor. It made everyone subjects of the emperor and clan leaders became local officials responsible for collecting taxes, making it more like Tang China. However, Japan did not have a merit system based on a abilities, local clan leaders never fully bought into the idea of a strong government, and there was a strong mistrust of central government. Strong warrior clans' officials undermined the power of the emperor and turned him into a figurehead. In early times, the Yayoi people arrived from mainland Asia. It was believed that they brought along the basic beliefs of Shinto, including the worship of kami, spirits that lived in various natural objects. Buddhism also made its way to Japan from China by the of Korea. This religion was resisted at first because the Japanese were afraid of offending the Shinto kami and reducing power of the clan leader who maintained reverence of the clan's kami. While Buddhism made its way through cities, Shinto remained strong on the countryside with residents closer to nature. There was no major conflict of belief that kept people from practicing both, and many aspects of Shinto merged with Buddhist beliefs in Japan, much like how Chinese Buddhism absorbed elements of Daoism. The Japanese adopted much of their written symbol system from China, including kana, a form of writing where each symbol stands for a sound. The Japanese court at Heian imported many Chinese books, especially ones about Confucius and Buddhism, because they hoped to use these ideas to help unify Japan under a strong central government rather than maintaining local clan power. The status of women was also affected by Chinese influence. In earlier times, women could obtain high ranks such as clan leaders and empresses. Unfortunately, the coming of Confucianism and Buddhism drastically lowered the status of women. Confucianism said women should obey their father first and then their husband. Buddhism barred women from some temples and even had a scripture stating that "no women are to be found" in paradise. Other cultures that Japan adopted were chopsticks and the wok, a large, round-bottomed pan for cooking. The popularity of tea was so great in Japan that it lead to the "tea ceremony", or Chanoyu, which was a very serious ritual show of hospitality. The Chinese also influenced the Japanese through architecture of nobles. Both built homes that were a series of buildings around a central garden. The Japanese had sliding walls, elaborate gardens, and even a teahouse for chanoyu.

who wrote The Tale of Gengi?

Murasaki Shikibu

what is the traditional religion of Japan?

Shinto

what are the differences between Shinto and Buddhism?

Shinto has no scripture or founder, and it was has been around much longer. Buddhism's scripture was Sutra, and its founder was Buddha.

what is the significance of the Sun Goddess to the Yamato clan?

Yamato emperors claimed descent from their kami, the Sun Goddess.

what was a core value in Japanese families?

a core value in Japanese families was family loyalty. the head of a family or a clan put the welfare of the group ahead of other concerns. individuals put family interests above personal interests. when Confucianism arrived in Japan, it introduced the value of harmony. concern of harmony led to the practice of consensus, or agreement among other members of a group.

what did the peasants give their daimyo in return for protection?

a share of their crop & labor

consensus

agreement among the members of a group

what was the common factor that united people into a clan in early Japan

common ancestor

what natural disasters is Japan likely to experience as a result of being on the Ring of Fire?

earthquakes & volcanoes

kami

god or spirit that represents a force of nature in the Japanese religion

samurai

highly trained Japanese warriors in feudal Japan

how does geography affect Japanese diet?

most people live on plains or along coastlines and only about 15% of land can be farmed. this leads to the Japanese to taking much of their food from the ocean. their diets are rich in fish, shellfish, and seaweed.

figurehead

person who appears to be in charge when someone else is really in control

shrine

place of worship

what does the title shogun mean?

supreme military commander. in the past, the title was granted to the leader of the imperial army and was temporary, but Yoritomo intended to keep the title permanently. he serves as the advisor to the emperor, but in reality ruled Japan.

how did the imperial court system allow the Fujiwara's to become so powerful?

the Fujiwara clan had their daughters marry emperors. the sons of these marriages often became emperors. they made sure that members of the Fujiwara clan got high positions in the government. they also persuades several emperors to retire. the position went to the child next in line for the throne. a Fujiwara leader became regent for the child and became the power behind the throne. when the child was old enough to rule, the leader became his advisor, still holding onto power.

with what other warrior clan were the Minamoto clan usually on conflict?

the Taira clan

how did the Yamato become so powerful?

the Yamato clan went to war with neighboring clans to gain territory, but often, they made alliances through marriage or other ties. they also applied new technology to their territory; iron tools were used to fill the land and better ways were found to level and flood rice fields.

how did the Japanese system of feudalism change under the Tokugawa shoguns?

the daimyo were ordered to destroy their castles and live in Edo, causing them to lose power. they would leave their families behind when traveling, so they always had to return, causing them to lose money. along with that, the peasants and daimyo became less prosperous.

why were the Japanese, particularly the clan leaders, against Buddhism?

they feared the new faith would offend the Shinto gods and clan leaders were religious. if they switched religions, their power would be greatly reduced.

how did Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu treat the daimyo similarly?

they had the daimyo pledge their loyalty.

how do followers of Zen Buddhism attempt to achieve enlightenment?

through meditation

merchants

traders

at the time of the Heian court, how were women treated in society?

women lost a lot of status. it was not proper to read and write Chinese.