13

Question 1

Shogun

Answer 1

A Japanese military ruler in Edo Japan

Question 2

Ronin

Answer 2

Samurai warriors without masters

Question 3

Daimyo

Answer 3

A powerful Japanese landowner or ruler

Question 4

Shogunate

Answer 4

A strong council of advisors, officials, and administrators

Question 5

Hereditary

Answer 5

Determined by birth

Question 6

Confucianism

Answer 6

The teachings of the Chinese scholar Confucius

Question 7

Filial Piety

Answer 7

Faithfulness and devotion to ones parents

Question 8

Ethical Codes

Answer 8

Rules about right and wrong behaviour

Question 9

Once Japan was unified and the Shogun came into power, what restrictions did he place on the Daimyo to prevent them from getting to powerful?

Answer 9

1. Alternate attendance
2. Sharing power
3. Strict laws

Question 9

Draw out the Japanese feudal hierarchy under the Edo Period

Answer 9

Emperor
shogun
daimyos
samurai
ronin
peasants/farmers
artisans
merchants
woman
outcasts

Question 10

Why are the peasants higher on the hierarchy than artisans? Why are artisans higher than merchants?

Answer 10

Because the artisans were not primary producers.

The merchants were below the artisans because they didn’t actually produce anything.

Question 11

What types of crafts did Japanese artisans make?

Answer 11

High-quality paper and porcelains, lacquered or enamel containers, even clocks and pans.

Question 12

Why did merchants have to live cautiously?

Answer 12

Because government spies reported merchants who showed off their wealth or dared to criticize the government.

Question 13

Who were considered outcasts in Edo Japanese society? Why?

Answer 13

Outcasts were people who were shunned or ignored by other classes because of their work, usually they had occupations that involved death, leather tanners, butchers, and people who disposed of animal carcasses were considered outcasts.
They were considered outcasts because of the type of work they did.

Question 14

What was the most important virtue in Edo Japanese society?

Answer 14

Honour and duty

Question 15

What are social controls? How did the shogun use them?

Answer 15

Social controls are the rules and customs in a society that regulate people’s behaviour.
The Shogun used social controls to maintain order in a society.

Question 16

How did the teachings of Confucianism emphasize the importance of social controls?

Answer 16

Confucianism emphasized the importance of social controls by teaching that everyone had a proper place in society. He also stressed the need for rituals of proper behaviour and compassion.

Question 17

How did Edo Japan use group responsibility and shame?

Answer 17

They organized the lower classes into groups of five family called goningumi. Members of these groups were supposed to help each other. Also, each person was considered responsible for the behaviour of others in the group. Everyone in the group could be punished if one person was disobedient, did not show respect to a superior, or did not work hard enough.

Question 18

Eventually, Europeans reached the shores of Japan and the two cultures came into contact. Why did Christianity pose a threat to the social order of Japanese society?

Answer 18

Christianity posed a threat to the social order of the Japanese society because in Shinto, they believed that he empire was the descendant of their Gods, when Christianity was introduced, it introduced doubts about the emperor and Shinto.

Question 19

Chapter 14

Answer 19

Chapter 14

Question 20

Per capita

Answer 20

Average for each person

Question 21

Dutch Scholars

Answer 21

Japanese academics who learned the Dutch language and educated themselves about Western ways.

Question 22

Kabuki

Answer 22

A form of theatre

Question 23

Kendo

Answer 23

A Japanese martial art

Question 24

Sumo wrestling

Answer 24

A sport that originated in ancient times as a Japanese religious performance.

Question 25

Banraku

Answer 25

A puppet theatre in which large puppets enact the orders of separated lovers or due long samurai

Question 26

In what ways did the ruling Shogun feel threatened by the Western foreigners?

Answer 26

The shogun felt that loyalty to a Christian God and the Church were threats to his authority.

Question 27

In what years were the Christian missionaries moved from Japan?

Answer 27

1614-1640

Question 28

Missionaries continued to sneak into Japan disguised as traders. As a result, Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu passed the Isolation/Exclusions Laws. Provide a list of what the terms were.

Answer 28

• All Christian missionaries and foreign traders were forced to leave Japan. Newcomers were no longer allowed to enter.
• The Japanese were not allowed to go abroad.
• Ships large enough to make long voyages could no longer be built and existing ones were destroyed.
• Japanese who were out of the country were forbidden to return.
• Most foreign objects were forbidden. All foreign books containing a Christian message were banned; scientific books were forbidden.

Question 29

The Shogun banned all outside trade, except with Korea, China and Dutch. Why did the Shogun find the Dutch less of a threat than the Portuguese? How did he control the amount of influence?

Answer 29

The Shogun considered them less threatening because they were interested in trade, not religion. In order to control the influence of the Dutch the Shogun also had a small number of Japanese scholars learn about Dutch medicine and the Dutch language.

Question 30

Japan stayed in isolation for how many years?

Answer 30

250 years

Question 31

Japan stayed in isolation for nearly 250 years. In what ways were there initially an economic boom in Japan.

Answer 31

• Farmers increased production by irrigating and growing two crops on the same piece of land during one growing season.
• Road improvements financed by the daimyo helped increase trade.
• The population increased in urban centres.
• Silver and gold coins were introduced as currency, or money.

Question 32

During the Edo period, Japan also when through a “Gold Age of Culture”. Identify 6 distinct Japanese forms of art and culture. For each, provide a brief sentence explaining what it is.

Answer 32

Kabuki - a form of theatre where male actors played both male and female roles. The productions are lavish and sometimes violent.
Sumo wrestling - originated in ancient times as a religious performance. It became a popular from of entertainment in Edo Japan.
Haiku - a new poetry from in the Edo period. The formal structure of syllables paints a brief word picture that offers insight into life.
Bunraku - large, almost life sized, puppets enact the ordeals of separated lovers or duelling Samurai.
Kendo - shifted from teaching the techniques of how to kill people to developing the person, especially the Samurai, through a well-disciplined life.
Noh- a musical dance drama. The actors wore masks that symbolized character types and spiritual states.

Question 33

No matter how hard the shogun discouraged change, he could not make it stop. By the end of the Edo period, some changes were made to the Class system. Explains the shifts for Merchants, Peasants, Daimyos, and the attitude towards the Shogun.

Answer 33

Merchants - gained wealth and power because more people needed their services
Peasants - needed money to pay high taxes
Daimyos - because of the high cost of alternate attendance and road construction, many daimyo were nearing bankruptcy.
Attitude towards the Shogun - some people claimed that the Tokugawa clan held power illegally, and that their power rightfully belonged to the emperor. In fact, the emperor had not actually ruled for many centuries.

Question 34

Continuing to the end of the Edo period (late 1700s early 1800s) more disasters occurred that weakened the Japanese state. Name a few.

Answer 34

Japan was struck by many natural disasters that brought about families and took many lives. A third of the population died of starvation. Land was deserted as peasants fled into the cities, where often they could not find work. Rice was so scarce that it’s price rose steeply. City dwellers rioted over price increases and attacked the homes of the wealthy. Many people felt that the shogunate’s responses to these problems were ineffective.

Question 35

What Economic and Geographic interests did the United States have in Japan?

Answer 35

They requested trade and at the very least, water and coal for their passing ships. They also wanted participation in Japan’s riches and virtues.