Chap 11.3 Flashcards
(38 cards)
The Japanese call their country ________, meaning _____________
The Japanese call their country Nippon, meaning “Land of the Rising Sun.”
The geography of Japan has shaped life there since the earliest times.
What is the geography of Japan like?
- The nation of Japan consists of some 3,000 islands
- Largest four islands form an archipelago, large island chain
- Chain extends on Ring of Fire—zone of volcanoes, earthquakes
What are the nature elements that affect Japan?
- Japan home to hundreds of volcanoes, many active
- Experiences frequent earthquakes
- Subject to tsunamis, huge waves from underwater earthquakes
- Typhoons also strike late in summer, early autumn
How did the SEA affect Japan’s people and history?
The Sea
- Nearness of sea has also shaped development of Japan
- People never far from sea, even on larger islands
- Early Japanese turned to sea for food, transportation
- Sea also protected, isolated Japan during much of history
How did Japan interact with rest of Asia?
Separated from Neighbors
- Japan separated from Korea by 100 miles of water, from China by 400 miles of water—large enough distances to prevent invasions
- Early Japanese developed own culture in relative isolation
- China, Korea close enough to influence Japan’s culture later in time
Who were the first people that arrived in Japan?
Where did they come from?
Migration
- First to settle in Japan migrated from Asian mainland
- Early people hunters, gatherers; developed societies with distinct cultures
- Oldest known Japanese culture, Ainu
Who were the first people at Japan?
- Ainu’s origin unknown, did not resemble other East Asians
- More people migrated to Japan, Ainu driven onto North
- Culture almost disappeared
The early people of Japan formed _________.
What did they worship?
Clans
- People on islands south of Ainu became the Japanese
- Clans developed, came to rule many villages
- Each clan worshipped nature spirits, kami
What were the religious beliefs that develop in Japan?
What does it mean?
Religious beliefs developed into Shinto religion
•Shinto, “way of the kami”
What did the Shinto religion believe in?
•Shinto religion:
–Everything in nature has a kami
–No sacred text, formal structure
What structures were built to workship Shinto?
Shrines:
- Built to kami, ceremonies performed there
- Located in natural settings; red gateway, torii, marks entrance
Who was the most revered (respected) kami?
Amaterasu, the sun goddess, was one of most revered kami
Where did the first Japanese emperor come from?
He was a member of _________ clan.
- First Japanese emperor said to be grandson of sun goddess
- Emperor member of Yamato clan.
Did not control all Japan, but Yamato chiefs began to call themselves emperors of Japan
Japan’s emperors claimed to be _____________
•In time Japan’s emperors claimed to be living gods
Did Japan’s emperors have power?
Who had power?
What did the emperors serve as?
- Other clans eventually gained power over the Yamato
- Did not remove Yamato emperor, but controlled him
- As result, emperor often had no real authority, served as figurehead; this political system continued until 1900s
By the mid-500s, what outside contact did Japan have?
By the mid-500s, Japan had increased contact with its neighbors, Korea and China.
Their cultures began to influence Japan
What were the Korean influences on Japan?
- Korean traders, travelers brought foreign influences; most originated in China
- Korean scribes introduced Chinese writing to Japan
- Korean monks introduced religion of Buddhism
How did Chinese influence spread to Japan?
Who help spread the Chinese influence to Japan?
- Prince Shotoku helped spread Buddhism in Japan
- Shotoku admired China, sent scholars to learn from Chinese
- Knowledge from missions to Tang dynasty changed Japan in many ways
What were the Chinese Tang dynasty influences in Japan?
- Chinese fashions, foods, tea became popular in Japan
- Tang styles of art, music, dance, gardening also popular
What were the Confucian ideas that spread to Japan?
- Japanese adopted many Confucian ideas about family
- Wives should obey husbands
- Children should obey parents
What were the government influences from China that spread to Japan.
Government Influences
- Japanese adopted Tang ideas, including stronger central government, bureaucracy
- Adopted law code similar to China’s, not civil service system
In 794, Japan’s emperor moved capital to ________, now called ________
In 794 Japan’s emperor moved the capital to Heian, now called Kyoto.
What was society and culture like in the Heian Period?
Nobles developed an elegant and stylish society.
At the Heian court, Japanese culture flowered.
What was life like in the Heian Period?
- Heian nobles lived in beautiful palaces, enjoyed lives of privilege
- So removed from common people, many called selves “dwellers among the clouds”
