Unit 5 ­ Feudal Japan.notebook
March 13, 2014
Japan
· Archipelago of 6,852 islands
· ancient times were farmers and practiced the Shinto religion
· have always practiced high moral codes and laws in society similar to Indian culture and caste system
· Ruling families controlled areas for hundreds of years
· fought over territory and battled to become leader Shogun
· Emperor's were present but usually figureheads (constitutional)
· Kyoto was capital city until the 19th century
Unit 5 ­ Feudal Japan.notebook
March 13, 2014
Unit 5 ­ Feudal Japan.notebook
Feudal Japan Gov't/Society Hierarchy
March 13, 2014
Unit 5 ­ Feudal Japan.notebook
March 13, 2014
Feudal Japan (1185­1868)
· Time period was very brutal and laws/justice carried out by the Samurai and their (Bushido Code)
· 400,000 or 6% of the population
· They were the judge, jury, and sometimes executioner
· Fought off the Mongol invasion twice thanks to "Kamikaze"
Unit 5 ­ Feudal Japan.notebook
March 13, 2014
Feudal Japan (1185­1868)
· Skilled farmers (80% rice farmers) and fisherman · Prized literacy (reading/writing) and education as a whole
· Had a highly social civilization built on rules and codes
· Merchants were looked down on as lower than peasants because they contributed little to society
· Daimyos acted as land owner and banks giving out loans
· 1543 Portuguese traders went off course and landed
· They introduced firearms and Christianity (were buddhists and Shinto now)
· Had 100 to 200 thousand people convert to Christianity
· Many European countries and missionaries came over to try and trade with them
· Eventually the Japanese Emperor kicked out all foreigners and Japan went into a 200 year isolation period