Religion Flashcards
why is the sun so significant in Japan
the Japanese saw themselves as a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu
who is considered direct descendants of Amaterasu?
imperial family
what is kami
spirits in nature
define animisim
spirit in everything
“the way of the gods”
shinto
main principles of shinto
purity cleanliness, harmony, respect for nature, importance of the group over individual
key values of shintoism
believed that everyone and everything had a spirit (animism)
how can shinto be viewed as a religion
it has a deity that it worship[s, religious traditions, has shrines/places of worship, and has its own beliefs
how may shinto not be a religion
it has no founder, no scripture, no moral code, no philosophy
what is Sakoku
a closed country policy
what were three achievements that happened during the Tokugawa shogunate
- the capital was moved from Edo to Kyoto
- An orderly, stable, strong government was formed
- there were 250 years of peace
describe the U.S. arrival in Japan
the US came to Japan to seek new markets for their goods. They came with a fleet of gun ships and demanded that Japan open up its ports.
How did Japan feel about the arrival of the US
they saw the Americans as “blue-eyed devils” and hairy barbarians. they viewed them as monsters. they did not agree with their arrival
What were the two goals of the Meiji Restoration.
- To develop military and economic power to protect Japan from more foreign threats
- to join other powerful nations as an equally strong power
How does Japan achieve the goals of the Meiji Restoration
-they won superiority in Asia after defeating China
-they gained respect as a major world power after defeating Russia
-they created a national I density for themselves
-they developed a strong military and was able to defeat China and Russia
How was Japan affected by Imperialism
The US demanded that Japan open up their ports with a fleet of gun boats. Japan did not want to open its ports but ended up opening two ports under the Treaty of Kanagawa
How and why did Japan become imperialist during the Meiji Restoration
Japan wanted to create a national identity for itself as a major world power. Japan started becoming imperialist when they fought china and tried to take Korea from them. this is how they gained superiority in Asia. they also they also fought Russia for Manchuria and got respect as a major world power.
what is Bushido
“the way of the warrior” a moral code that the samurai live by. they live by loyalty and discipline
what is seppuku
a ritual suicide that the samurai would rather do than surrender
who began the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa Ieyasu
who was Commodore Matthew Perry and what did he do
he was sent by the US President (Millard Fillmore) to go to Japan to look for new markets for US goods.
What happened under the Treaty of Kanagawa
Perry comes back to Japan and the Japanese sign it. Japan had to open up two ports to the US and give them trade rights.
what happened after the Treaty of Kanagawa
other western countries followed suit of the US and brought their navies to force treaties and access to Japanese ports. the Japanese broke Sakoku and opened the country to trade
What was the long term effect of the Treaty of Kanagawa
it ended to Tokugawa Shogunate and established the Meiji government
what was the Meiji period
an era of rapid industrialization and political, social, and economic change.
what was the late meiji goal
establish a national identity for Japan
what happened in the Meiji period
the class system was abolished which allowed social mobility, funded transportation, and communication systems
-building projects, roads, railroads, telegraph systems
what is another term for the Tokugawa period
Edo period
