Shogunate Japan Flashcards
What are the four largest islands of Japan?
Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Hokkaido
Roughly speaking, what percent of Japanese land can be farmed?
15%
What geopgraphical feature allowed Japan to develop such unique religion, arts and social structures?
The surrounding seas
Japan’s traditional religion that is still practiced today is called Shintoism. What is the direct English translation of “Shintoism”?
The way of the gods
In Shintoism, what is the main cause of bad things happening?
Evil spirits
According to the Shinto creation myth, what created the islands of Japan?
The drops of water that fell off the spear of the gods, Izanagi and Izanami.
In the 12th century, clan leaders “called on” men from Japan’s lower social ranks to help them protect their lands and enforce the laws. What did these men later come to be known as?
samurai
What is the name of the Japanese Sun goddess that the Yamato cheifs claimed they were descended from?
Amaterasu
Where did Prince Shotoku send officials to study Buddhism, art, medicine and philosophy?
China
What is the ancient capital of Heian-Kyo known as today?
Kyoto
How could one tell a noble’s social position from his home?
The closer it was to the royal palace, the higher the owner’s social status
What activities took place in the imperial court?
Fine arts and learning
What type of temples did Shotoku have built around Japan?
Buddhist
Who tended to do the “true” ruling in ancient Japan?
The emperor’s father or father-in-law
What was the principle job of the emperor in ancient Japan?
To preform ritual and ceremonial duties
What happened that caused some government officials to be released from their obligations to the emperor?
The court became too big to manage
What were the Taira and the Minamoto?
Important and powerful Japanese clans that supported factions at the emperor’s court
Once the newly powerful clans started to war amongst themselves, why did the emperor fail to supress the violence?
His role had become little more than ceremonial and had no real power to stop anything.
In what way did the emperor provide legitimacy to Shogun, Minamoto no Yorimoto?
The deal struck between the two meant that Minamoto no Yorimoto could claim that he spoke for the emperor.
For about how many years did shoguns from various clans rule Japan with the emperor remaining in isolation while retaining his symbolic position as head of the country?
700
Where did Minamoto no Yorimoto establish his “tent government”?
Kamakura
How did Minamoto no Yorimoto strengthen Japan’s feudal system?
He rewarded his supporters with land, whom in turn rewarded their warriors with land in return for support.
Which Mongol leader did the Japanese clans have to unite against to fight?
Kublai Khan
How did the Japanese emperor wish to respond to the Mongols’ request for Japanese surrender?
He wanted to surrender.
Why did the emperor’s reaction to the Mongol request to surrender not make any difference to how the Japanese responded?
The emperor had only symbolic power
Whose decision was it ultimately to refuse the surrender and engage the Mongols?
Tokimune of the Kamakura shogunate
Why were the Mongols forced to retreat from their first Japanese invasion in 1274?
A huge storm
How many Mongol troops were sent on the second invasion of Japan?
140, 000
When the second Mongol fleet arrived at Hakata Bay, overpowering the Japanese forces, what did the Japanese call the typhoon that destroyed it, ultimately stopping the Mongol invasion for the second time?
kamikaze
How did the Japanese victory over the Mongols spread Zen Buddhism?
Rumours of divine intervention suggested that the Japanese had backed the right religious horse.
What economic system became stronger under the Tokugawa Shogunate?
Feudalism
From 1603, who reserved the right to approve all court appointments in Japan?
The shogun
In Japan, regional landowners were allowed to rule in return of support of the shogun. Meaning “big names”, what were these regional landowners known as?
Daimyo
Realising that if a regional landowner grew excessively wealthy and powerful, he could become a threat to the shogun. Which of the following were restrictions Tokugawa Ieyasu placed on them as a result?
- Only one castle could be built.
- Treaties with other landowners could not be made.
- The shogun had to approve marriages.
- A limit on the number of samurai was set.
At what age did samurai typically begin their training?
6
Which of the following skills were young samurai taught?
Calligraphy, Etiquette, Public service, Fighting and military skills, reading and writing.
Samurai training finished at the age of 15 with a ceremony called what?
genbuku
If a samurai fought incorrectly, lied or cheated, what were they expected to do?
End their own life
According to the strict code by which samurai were expected to live and die, which of the following best describes their combat style?
Man on man
What was the name of the Samurai code of conduct?
bushido
To demonstrate how great a warrior he was samurai used to cut the heads off of those they defeated in battle and then wash and mount them on a board. When it was determined that heads were difficult to carry, what did the samurai collect instead?
Their enemies noses
Which of the following were aspects of the samurai code of bushido?
Readiness, Benevolence, Fidelity, Respect and Organisation.
Typically, how much did samurai armour weigh?
10kg
What was the purpose of the decorations samurai wore on their armour?
To identify the wearer and To strike fear into the hearth of their enemies.
How did samurai typically wear their hair?
Shaved on top with the remaining hair tied into a topknot
Samuari carried two swords into battle: a long and a short. The long was for fighting. What was the short used for?
Removing enemies’ heads or noses
Why were Japanese castles typically made of (mostly) wood?
Wood was readily available and it was safer than other materials in such an earthquake prone area.
Rank the following Japanese social groups from highest to lowest.
Daimyo, Samurai, Farmers and artisans, Merchants, Eta and Hinin
Despte many merchants becoming quite wealthy, why were they still ranked lower than peasants?
Merchants and traders did not actually produce anything.
How could people move between the classes in Shogunate Japan?
They couldn’t
How could samurai be identified?
- They shaved the tops of their heads and wore the rest in a topknot.
- They wore a clan crest.
- They carried a sword.
- They wore plain dark clothing.
Who was included amongst the hinin?
Ex-convicts, Street-cleaners and Actors
