Medieval Japan
Japan has mountainous slopes that are difficult to live on and farm.
Why did Japanese people live on coastal plains?
Japan’s proximity to China, visits from Chinese citizens, and eagerness from Japan’s rulers
What supported the spread of Chinese culture in Japan?
noble women
Who wrote many of the great works of early Japanese literature?
practicing self-discipline and sacrifice, working hard, and showing loyalty to companies and sports teams
What are ways that the samurai tradition survives in Japan?
scenes from nature or court life; bright and bold colors
What describes Heian paintings?
Pure Land Buddhism
A form of Buddhism popular with Japan’s common people
Murasaki Shikibu
Author of The Tale of Genji
Zen Buddhism
A form of Buddhism that stresses self-discipline and meditation
Shogun
An emperor who ruled in the name of the emperor
Noh
A type of drama that tells of Japan’s heroes
Regent
A person who rules a country for someone who is unable to rule alone
Daimyo
Wealthy landowners who controlled large amounts of land
Court
A group of nobles who live near and serve or advise a ruler
Shinto
The native, traditional religion of Japan
Samurai
Professional warrior who served his or her lord
Figurehead
What role did the emperor have during the shogun period?
It stressed self-discipline and meditation
Why did many samurai adopt Zen Buddhism?
Meditate
What did the raked rock garden help Zen Buddhists do?
two swords
What did Samurai warriors fight with?
a clan
What did the Yamato rulers govern before they called themselves emperors of Japan?
to fight the Mongols
Why did Japanese nobles put aside their differences and unite in 1274?
Oda Nobunaga
Who unified Japan in the 1500s?
The emperor was too busy with courtly life in Heian.
What was the main reason the emperor lost control of Japan to the Minamoto shogun?
Japan was isolated, and Japan’s rulers limited technology and banned guns.
Why did the samurai period in Japan last until the 1800s?
Divided, with many daimyo controlling different territories.
Describe the social structure of Japan during the 1400s.
Buddhism
The efforts of Prince Shotoku led to the spread of this.
Bushido
The rules of daily behavior followed by a samurai.
Land or food
With what were samurai repaid for their military service?
Flower arranging, tea ceremonies, and Zen Buddhist meditation
Name some ways that samurai warriors improved their discipline.
Losing a fight, disobeying an order, or failing to protect his lord
What are some ways that a samurai could lose his honor?
It was an accurate depiction of the lives of nobles and it influenced painters of the period.
Why was The Tale of Genji so influential?
Father, mother, older brother, younger brother
According to Confucius, list the family sequence of two parents and two sons in order from most power to least.
Elaborate rituals were practiced by nobles but not by common people.
How was the Buddhism of the Japanese nobles different from the Buddhism of the common people?
He built a grand Buddhist temple.
What was one way Prince Shotoku helped spread Buddhism in Japan?
Ainu
What Japanese people spoke a unique language that was eventually lost?
People from different classes practiced their religion differently.
What is one reason why different forms of Buddhism developed in Japan?
shogun, daimyo, samurai, peasant
List the following members of Samurai society in order of most power to least power: samurai, shogun, peasant, daimyo
Its island location
Why was Japan isolated from Korea and China in ancient times?
The Japanese were aided by the weather
What did the two Mongol attacks on Japan have in common?
land
What did samurai warriors receive in return for their military services?
sharing written language, philosophy, and a new religion
How did contact with China and Korea influence Japan?
It was more serious.
How did Noh differ from earlier forms of Japanese drama?
in regular meditation; in self-discipline; and that wisdom can be found in quiet thinking
What did Zen Buddhists believe?
seafood
Because of the geography of their country, what did the diet of Japanese people mainly consist of?
a female samurai
Who would protect the home of a samurai family while the men were at war?
attend the theater, trade, take part in commerce
What are some things that a samurai could NOT do?
defend his daimyo and his daimyo’s property
What was the main duty of a samurai warrior?