Tokugawa Japan Flashcards
What was the order of the social hierarchy?
Emperor, Shogun (shi), Daimyo (shi), Samurai (shi) Ronin (shi), Peasants (no), Artisans (ko), Merchants (sho)
What was the role of the emperor?
A figurehead with no real power.
What was the role of the Shogun?
The Emperor’s leading general and the effective ruler of Japan.
What was the role of the Daimyo?
Regional Landowners who ruled over provinces
How did the Shogun control the Daimyo?
They had to swear loyalty to the Shogun in exchange for provinces to rule over.
What was the role of the Samurai?
They were warriors that swore an oath of loyalty to the daimyo so they could control small portions of land, called fiefs
Some had military duties and some served as policemen or keepers of order
They retained the right to wear two swords
Female Samurai were trained in archery
What was the role of Peasants?
Peasants made up 90% of the population. They worked jobs like farmers, fishermen, woodcutters and mine workers.
Life was harsh for peasants as they needed permission to travel
What was the role of Artisans?
They were craftspeople who made items like paper, fine swords and reed mats
What was the role of merchants?
Their social status was low because they made nothing.
They made money by trading and selling items or charging interest on money they had loaned out.
Even though they had a low social status, they could still become very wealthy
What did young samurai warrior study?
Kendo - The way of the sword
What did a samurai have to live by?
The Bushido Code, a strict moral code
What were the 5 virtues of a samurai?
Honour, Loyalty, Self-Control, Honesty, Mercy
What was Honour in the Bushido Code?
To die a good death with one’s honour intact. You should be a brave and chivalrous warrior
What was loyalty in the Bushido Code?
They were to honestly respect their Daimyo, follow all his orders, swear an oath of loyalty and not mention their mistakes to outsiders
What was self-control in the Bushido Code?
Warriors were expected to never lose self-control in order to preserve a simple and austere life.
What was honesty in the Bushido Code?
Samurai were never supposed to criticise or joke about others, and advice was to only be given in a polite way. However, dishonesty was allowed and praised if used as a military tactic against the enemy
What was Mercy in the Bushido Code?
Samurai should feel pity and compassion towards subordinates and weaker people. Some Samurai didn’t do this because they thought it would hinder their ability.
What was a seppuku?
A seppuku was a ritual suicide which Samurai performed if they failed to uphold their honour.
They would disembowel themselves and cut open their abdomen.
This was seen as an admirable act because it saved their family from public disgrace
What does the Samurai’s armour have to be in harmony with?
The five natural elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water.
What would the Samurai wear into battle?
They dressed in colourful robes called kimono.
They were protected by heavy armour that was made of rows of small metal plates coated and laced together with colourful silk cords at the front.
Why did the Shogunate close off Japan from the rest of the world? Give reason for that and explain why.
Firstly, they wanted to preserve their culture and religion. They didn’t want other cultures and religions to influence the way people thought and acted.
Secondly, they feared colonisation from a European power. Specifically, they heard about Span colonising The Philippines and they didn’t want something similar to happen to them.
What was the significance of the samurai armour?
All the knots on their armour were tied to the front in the tradition of someone who was dead, just in case they died in battle, so they were ready for the afterlife. Tying knots at the back was reserved for those who were alive.
Why did a samurai wear an iron mask?
To intimidate their opponents and protect their face
What did samurai fight with?
Arrows, bows, spears and swords
What was the samurai bow like?
Could be up to 8ft tall and required great strength to wield
What did sharpshooters do?
They rode on horsebacks and rode towards the enemy, shooting arrows at them with their up to 8ft long bow.
What types of swords did samurai carry?
They carried one for fighting which was a long sword with a curved blade
They carried one for cutting off heads which was shorter
What did the samurai do before a war commenced?
The ninja, which was the samurai’s army’s special forces. They were sent to create detailed maps of the battlefield and collect information about enemy generals.
What did the samurai do before they charged?
They shouted their names, ancestors, and heroic deeds.
What was the Shimabara Rebellion?
The Shimabara Rebellion was a rebellion that started from unhappy farmers that were heavily taxed, so much so that they couldn’t even eat the rice they grew.
In 1637, the daughter of a farmer was seized and tortured. Furious with grief, her family and those who knew her killed the local governor. Then, all the rebels rose in revolt, about 40,000.
This suddenly turned into a rebellion for Christianity in Japan as they had joined in with the peasants.
The rebels trapped themselves in a castle, surrounded on 3 sides by sea.
The Dutch reluctantly sent a ship with cannons and the Shogun sent troops.
In the end, the Shogunate won against them and ended the spread of Christianity in Japan.
How did samurai fight with the enemy on the battlefield?
Each samurai found someone who matched him in rank. They would try knock them off their horse, wrestle them and slit their throat.
What the winning side do after the battle?
The winning side cut off heads of opponents they had killed. Heads were identified as rewards and the higher rank of the beheaded person, the greater the reward.
Some samurai would use stolen helmets of higher ranking people so they could get more rewards
What does Sakoku mean?
It means “country in chains”, referring to the Japanese Foreign Policy.
What does Rangaku mean?
Rangaku - the learning of western science, geography and art, which the Dutch implemented after 1720
What was sonno joi?
Sonno joi - “revere the emperor and expel the bararbians” which was adopted by people who thought the shogunate were surrendering to foreign pressure
What was The Choshu Domain?
They were the domain who were completely against the Shoganate’s policy of opening Japan’s doors to everyone.
What was the Satsuma Domain?
They were the domain who were in favour of of the Shogunate’s policy of opening Japan
What was the Richardson Affair?
It was when Satsuma Samurai killed Charles Lennox Richardson in 1862 because Richardson didn’t let samurai pass on the road between Yokohama and Kawasaki.
Summarise the arrival of Commodore Perry.
On the 8th July 1853, four black ships led by Perry were anchored at Edo Bay. He came in order to persuade Japan to open borders and trade with the USA. They heard there were vast deposits of coal in Japan. Also, whaling ships wanted safe harbours, in case they shipwrecked and reliable supply stations.
Japanese samurai tried getting rid of them, but they were unsuccessful.
The Shogunate were left with no choice but to accept the letter. Perry said he would return after a year. If the Japanese refused their demands, they would be willing to invade.
What was the Meiji Restoration?
When Prince Mutsuhito became the emperor, he took the reign name Meiji. This is where the power transferred from the Shogunate to the emperor again which was the Meiji Restoration.
What was the Charter Oath?
A five point statement introducing a new democracy which paved the way for Japan to integrate democratic ideals and develop into a modern constitutional state
What were the terms of the Treaty of Kanagawa?
- Two ports were to open for American trade.
- Guaranteed good treatment of American sailors.
- American whaling ships wanted safe harbours in case they shipwrecked.
What are examples of colonisation?
Spanish people entering and colonising The Philippines and enslaving the residents (1565)
What were the positive impacts of American involvement on Japan after the Treaty of Kanagawa?
- Telegraph lines were installed
- Yokohama and Tokyo became connected by railway in 1872
- Telephone was introduced to Japan in 1877.
- Value of imports and exports exponentially grew.
What were the negative impacts of American involvement on Japan after the Treaty of Kanagawa?
- Unemployment rose
- Cost of living went up EXPONENTIALLY
- Foreigners bought cholera to Japan, most likely from India. Tens to hundreds of thousands of people died in separate waves.
Summarise the Satcho Alliance.
Although the Satsuma and Choshu has been bitter enemies by this point, they decided to form an alliance so they could become a strong, unified nation that can resist foreign attacks. They secretly worked together to destroy the Edo Shogunate and and reinstate the emperor as ruler. That is what the sonno joi movement became.
What came as a result of the Satcho Alliance?
The fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Put these in order:
Meji Restoration
Four black ships led by Commodore Perry of USA anchored at Edo Bay
Shimabara Rebellion
Charles Lennox Richardson killed
Treaty of Kanagawa
1637-38 - Shimabara Rebellion
1853 - Four black ships led by Commodore Perry of USA anchored at Edo Bay
1854 -Treaty of Kanagawa
1862 - Charles Lennox Richardson killed
1867 - Meji Restoration
Put these events in order
Emperor Kome Dies
Western traders outlawed from entering Japan and Japanese people couldn’t leave
Expulsion of Portugese
Sakoku Foreign Policy put in place
Lifting of ban of non-Christian related books
1633 - Western traders outlawed from entering Japan and Japanese people couldn’t leave
1635 - Sakoku Foreign Policy put in place
1639 - Expulsion of Portugese
1720 - Lifting of ban of non-Christian related western books
1867 - Emperor Kome dies
Put these in order
Charter Oath
Christianity was banned
Tokugawa Iemitsu comes into power
Shogunate purged Choshu domain and court nobles who backed the sonno joi movement
1623 - Tokugawa Iemitsu comes into power
1637 - Christianity was banned
1863 - Shogunate purged Choshu Domain and extremist court nobles back sonno joi movement
1868 - Charter Oath
