Lesson 1 - Intro to Shogunate Japan

Question 1

What are some points about the geography of Modern Japan now?

Answer 1

• Archipelago - a string of islands
• Four main islands
• 127 million people - 11th largest population in the world
• Lies along an active volcanic zone
• Edge of the Eurasian tectonic plates
  - volcanoes
  - earthquakes
  - hot springs
  - tsunamis
• Mountains
• Narrow valleys
• Coastal basins

Question 2

What are some points about the climate?

Answer 2

• Winter - Dec to Feb
  - Heavy snow on the west coast and northernmost island of Hokkaido
• Summer - June to Aug
  - Hot and wet
• Typhoon season - Sep to Oct
  - Heavy rain and strong winds

Question 3

What are some points about the food?

Answer 3

• Summer rains made wet nice cultivation possible and lots of grains
  - millet, wheat and barley
• Peasants grew rice to sell to samurai or pay taxes - they could not afford to eat it themselves
• Soy sauce and tofu
• No red meat
  - soya, fish and poultry
• Crab, shrimp, tuna, shark and squid
• Harvested seaweed

Question 4

What are some points about the Chinese and Korean influence?

Answer 4

• 3rd and 4th centuries contact with China and Korea increased
• This contact transformed society:
  - written language
  - religion

Question 5

What are some points about the written language?

Answer 5

• Japan developed for thousands of years with only a spoken language
• Gradually Chinese characters were used to represent the sound of Japanese syllables or represent Japanese ideas

Question 6

What are some points about the new religious influence?

Answer 6

• 7th century
  - Shinto - ‘the way of the gods’ religion
  - Based off Kami - nature spirits
• Buddhism
  - Spread to Japan
• Confucianism