SSMM_CH12.book Page 324 Saturday, February 26, 2005 2:02 PM
Se ct i on
Section
2
2
Standards-Based Instruction
The Age of Emperors
Reading Preview
Standards at a Glance
In the last section, students learned
about the unique geography of Japan.
Here students will read about the development of Japanese imperial history.
Section Focus Question
How did Prince Shotoku unite
Japan and set the stage for the
development of a strong central
government?
H-SS 7.5.2 Discuss the reign
of Prince Shotoku of Japan
and the characteristics of
Japanese society and family
life during his reign.
E-LA Reading 7.1.3 Clarify
word meanings through the
use of definition, example,
restatement, or contrast.
Before you begin the lesson for the day,
write the Section Focus Question on the
board. (Lesson focus: He encouraged the
spread of Buddhism, which took authority from
the clan leaders who served as Shinto priests.
He gave Japan a constitution that stressed
harmony between a ruler and the people and
that gave the government the authority to raise
revenue.)
Prepare to Read
Build Background
Knowledge
■
Key Terms and People
kami (KAH mee), p. 324
Prince Shotoku (prihns SHOH
toh koo), p. 326
regent (REE juhnt), p. 326
constitution (kahn stuh TOO
shuhn), p. 326
Japan’s Early History
L2
As you have read, Japan had no written language until the
500s. Most of what we know about its early history comes from
myth, oral tradition, and reports by outside observers. Other
information comes from archaeology.
Traditional Society A Chinese writer who visited
Japan in the 200s observed a country divided into many local
clans. Each clan had its own land and chiefs. Most people in a
clan were farmers. Some were craft workers such as weavers.
Others were soldiers. This social organization lasted for hundreds of years.
Under Shinto, each clan worshiped its own local kami, or
gods and spirits. Kami were found in natural objects such as
mountains or trees. Shinto shrines were built wherever people
felt the power of kami. There are still thousands of such
shrines throughout Japan. Many people visit them each year.
324 Chapter 12 The Rise of Japan
L2
Read each statement in the Reading
Readiness Guide aloud. Ask students to
mark the statements true or false.
Have students discuss the statements in
pairs and then mark their worksheets
again. Use the Idea Wave technique (TE
p. T38) to call on students to share their
group’s perspectives. The students will
return to these worksheets later.
324 Chapter 12
High-Use Words
conflict (KAHN flihkt), p. 325
principle (PRIHN suh puhl),
p. 326
enced the early development of Japan. In this section, you will
read about Japan’s early rulers and how one of them, Prince
Shotoku, deliberately borrowed from Chinese models.
The first rulers of Japan
emerged through struggles
between local clans.
Teaching Resources, Unit 5,
Reading Readiness Guide, p. 67
■
Clarify With Definition A
definition tells you exactly
what an unfamiliar word
means. It may appear as a
separate sentence after the
sentence containing the
unfamiliar word. Replace the
unfamiliar word with the
definition from the second
sentence to help you clarify
meaning.
Vocabulary Builder
Background Knowledge China and Korea influ-
Explore the concept of government by asking: What is a central government? (Possible answer: a single government that serves a
wide area) What might the United States
be like if it had no central government?
(Possible answer: It would not be one nation
but rather 50 individual states.) What are the
advantages of a strong central government? (Possible answer: the ability to pool
resources over a wider area for the common
good) What are the disadvantages? (Possible answer: Some government decisions will
not be made locally and will not be sensitive to
local needs.)
Set a Purpose
Reading Skill
Universal Access
L1 English Language Learners
L1 Less Proficient Readers
Understanding Key Concepts Check students’ understanding of the word clan on
this page by drawing a concept map. Write
clan inside a circle. Draw lines from the
circle, like spokes radiating from a hub.
Along or at the end of each line, have
L1 Special Needs
students add a descriptive word or phrase
using the Idea Wave technique (TE p. T38).
These may include same family, owned land,
worshipped own gods and spirits (kami), and
leaders made rules for their people.
Founding Myths Shinto myths explain how Japan came
to be ruled by an emperor. According to legend, the Sun Goddess and her brother, the Storm God, often quarreled. Each
supported different clans who were fighting to rule Japan.
The Sun Goddess won the conflict and sent her grandson
Ninigi to rule Japan. She gave Ninigi three treasures. The first,
a bronze mirror, was a symbol of truth. The second, an iron
sword, stood for wisdom. The third, a curved jewel, symbolized kindness. All three were passed down to Ninigi’s grandson Jimmu. According to myth, Jimmu became Japan’s first
emperor in 660 B.C.
Teach
Vocabulary Builder
conflict (KAHN flihkt) n.
disagreement or argument; war
Japan’s Early History
H-SS 7.5.2
Instruction
■
High-Use Words Before teaching this
lesson, preteach the high-use words
conflict and principle, using the strategy on TE p. 319.
Key Terms Following the instructions
on p. 7, have students continue to preview key terms.
Japan’s Imperial Family Historians think the first
emperor appeared much later, about A.D. 200 or 300. But the
myths may reflect historical events. About 2,000 years ago,
warlike clans were competing for land and power. The winner
of this struggle was the Yamato clan, which settled on the fertile plains of central Honshu.
The Yamato steadily gained control over Japan. Sometimes,
they went to war against neighboring clans. More often, they
tried to win another clan’s loyalty through marriage or other ties.
Yamato emperors claimed descent from the royal “Sun”
line. As descendants of the Sun Goddess, the emperors were
thought to be living gods on Earth. Even today, Japan’s imperial family traces its descent from this same Sun line.
L2
Vocabulary Builder
■
Read Japan’s Early History, using the
ReQuest strategy (TE p. T37).
■
After students have read the Traditional
Society subsection, have them summarize what Japan’s society was like in the
200s. (The society was divided into many
local clans.)
■
Ask: Who ruled the clans? (Each clan had
its own chief.) How did the Yamato clan
gain control? (sometimes through warfare,
but more often through marriage or other
ties) What are the advantages of gaining power through marriage or other
ties? (Possible answer: There probably
would be harmony within the clan instead of
feelings of resentment from the conquered
clan.)
Shinto Shrine
This shrine sits at the edge of
the sea. It is one of the most
sacred sites in Japan. Critical
Thinking: Draw Conclusions
Why do you think this shrine
was built by the sea?
Why was the Yamato clan important?
The copyright holder has not granted permission to display this image in electronic format. Please see the teacher's edition of
your textbook for this image.
Independent Practice
Have students begin to fill in the Interactive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide.
Interactive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide, Chapter 12, Section 2
(Adapted version also available.)
Monitor Progress
325
As students fill in the Notetaking Study
Guide, circulate to make sure students
understand how the Yamato emperors
came to power. Provide assistance as needed.
History Background
Shinto Then and Now Shinto is considered one of the major world religions.
Since the sixth century, Confucianism and
Buddhism have influenced the practice of
Shinto. During the reign of emperor Meiji
(1868–1912), Shinto became Japan’s official
state religion. This existence of a state
religion ended after World War II, but its
practice continues in Japan today. People
go to Shinto shrines to celebrate traditional
festivals, and many homes have a small
shrine, or god-shelf. These are some of the
Shinto gods:
Amaterasu: goddess of the sun
Inari: god of food, rice
Susa-no-o: god of storms
Uzume: goddess of laughter, merriment
Answers
The Yamato clan gained control over other clans and became the first
imperial family of Japan.
Draw Conclusions Possible answer: Peo-
ple believed that kami were found in
nature. Shrines were built where people
felt the power of kami, in this case, on or at
the sea.
Chapter 12 Section 2 325
SSMM_CH12.book Page 326 Saturday, February 26, 2005 2:02 PM
Prince Shotoku Unites Japan
Prince Shotoku Unites
Japan
Prince Shotoku brought
reform to Japan and helped to
unify the nation.
H-SS 7.5.2
Instruction
■
■
■
L2
Read Prince Shotoku Unites Japan with
students. Remind students to look for
support of the main idea.
Ask: What difficult task did Prince
Shotoku undertake? (uniting Japan
under a strong central government) How
did encouraging Buddhism help
accomplish this task? (Powerful clan
leaders, who were also Shinto priests, lost
their importance. It also made the Japanese
feel like a single group united in one faith.)
E-LA 7.1.3 Clarify
With Definition
What definition is
given for the term regent?
What clues tell you it is a
definition?
Even after the rise of the Yamato clan, Japan was still not
fully united. Clan leaders saw little reason to obey a distant
government. They might honor the emperor as a living god,
but they did not want to take orders from him.
Then, in 593, a young leader known as Prince Shotoku
took power in Japan. Shotoku was not an emperor. He served
as regent for the empress, his Aunt Suiko. A regent is someone who governs a country in the name of a ruler who is too
young or otherwise unable to rule. But Shotoku became so
popular as regent that one historian has called him the “Prince
Charming of Japanese history.”
Support for Buddhism Shotoku undertook the difficult task of uniting Japan under a strong central government.
This could only be done by reducing the power of clan leaders.
One way to accomplish this was by encouraging the spread of
Buddhism.
Buddhism had recently arrived in Japan from Korea, but
clan leaders opposed the new faith. Their authority rested in
part on their role as Shinto priests. If people stopped worshiping
the local kami, then clan leaders would likely lose importance.
Shotoku, however, became a strong supporter of the new
faith. He hoped that as Buddhism spread, it would help the Japanese feel more like a single group of people united in one faith.
Ask: What was the Constitution of Seventeen Articles? (Japan’s first constitution) Ask a student to read aloud the
quotation about the Confucian idea of
harmony. Then, ask: How did the constitution’s emphasis on harmony help
Japan become more united? (It encouraged respect for the ruler and respect
between citizens.)
Borrowing From China Along with Buddhism, Prince
Vocabulary Builder
principle (PRIHN suh puhl) n.
belief or idea on which
something is based
Shotoku studied the writings of Confucius. Shotoku believed
that Confucianism could help unify his country. In about
A.D. 604, the prince gave Japan its first constitution, or plan of
government. It is called the Constitution of Seventeen Articles.
The general principles of this constitution were based on
Confucian and Buddhist thought. The first article, for example,
laid out the Confucian idea of harmony.
“
Harmony is to be valued. For when there is
harmony between the ruler and the ruled and
between neighbor and neighbor, what cannot be
accomplished?
”
See the Constitution of
Seventeen Articles in
the Reference Section at
the back of this book.
—Constitution of Seventeen Articles
The second article called for reverence, or respect and devotion,
for Buddhism. The constitution gave the government the
authority to raise taxes to support a strong central government.
326 Chapter 12 The Rise of Japan
Universal Access
L1 English Language Learners
L1 Special Needs
Using Paired Worksheets Hand out to
Answer
Reading Skill A regent is someone
who governs a country in the name of a
ruler who is too young or otherwise unable
to rule. The clue is that it comes immediately after the term: A regent is . . .
326 Chapter 12
students the worksheet Before and After
Prince Shotoku, which summarizes the
changes that the prince brought to Japan.
Have students read the worksheet individually and then work in pairs or small
groups to complete the chart. As students
work, monitor their responses to work-
L1 Less Proficient Readers
sheet questions. Check on students’
answers before calling on them to participate in a class discussion of changes that
took place in Japan after Shotoku’s death
based on his reforms. (See p. T327.)
Teaching Resources, Unit 5,
Before and After Prince Shotoku, p. 71
Japan Borrows From China and Korea
Instruction (continued)
■
Ask: How did Prince Shotoku learn
about Chinese culture? (He sent representatives to China on diplomatic missions.)
What changes did he bring about to
make Japan more like China? (Shotoku
copied the Chinese court’s official ranks and
duties. He also adopted the Chinese calendar.)
■
As students begin the subsection Later
Reforms, distribute the worksheet The
Taika Reform. After students have completed it, ask: At the time the Taika
Reform was issued, how was Japanese
society different from the early days of
clan society? (Possible answers: a powerful
emperor; a strong central government; influences from Chinese government and arts;
clan leaders were paid officials who were
subjects of the emperor)
Japan was strongly influenced
by Chinese culture. Over time,
many features of Chinese
civilization became part of
Japanese culture.
CHINA
KOREA
(a) Read a Chart What cultural
influence came to Japan
from Korea?
(b) Evaluate Information Was
acceptance of Chinese culture a sign of Japanese
weakness? Explain.
JAPAN
Bu
dd
sm
hi
G o v er n m
rts;
e n t; A
m
yste
ng s
Writi
Other Chinese Influences
• Imperial capital modeled
after Chinese capital city
• Pagoda architecture
• Tea-drinking customs
Teaching Resources, Unit 5, The
Taika Reform, p. 72
■
In 607, Prince Shotoku sent official representatives to China
to study Chinese arts and government. This was the first of
several diplomatic missions to the Chinese mainland. Hundreds of people went on these missions, including scholars,
artists, and Buddhist monks.
When they returned, these experts helped make Japan’s
government more like that of imperial China. At court, Prince
Shotoku introduced a system of official ranks and duties like
those in the Chinese court. Japan also adopted the Chinese
calendar.
At this time, you may also assign the
worksheet Before and After Prince Shotoku. (See the Universal Access activity
on page 326.)
Independent Practice
Have students complete the Interactive
Reading and Notetaking Study Guide.
Interactive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide, Chapter 12, Section 2
(Adapted version also available.)
Later Reforms All of Japan mourned when Prince
Monitor Progress
Shotoku died in 622. “The sun and moon have lost their brightness,” reported court historians. “Heaven and earth have crumbled to ruin. Henceforward, in whom shall we put our trust?”
Other reformers, however, carried on Shotoku’s efforts to
create a strong government. In 646, they put forth a program
known as the Taika Reform. Taika means “great change.” New
laws made everyone a subject of the emperor. Lands and people controlled by the clan leaders now belonged to him. In
return, the clan heads were given paid official jobs.
Tell students to fill in the last column of the
Reading Readiness Guide. Probe for what
they learned that confirms or invalidates
each statement.
Teaching Resources, Unit 5,
Reading Readiness Guide, p. 67
Section 2 The Age of Emperors
327
History Background
“Prince Charming” Shotoku Legends
show the popularity of Prince Shotoku.
His original name was Umayato, or “door
of the stable.” According to legend, his
mother gave birth to him in front of a
stable door and he could speak from the
moment of his birth. When he was grown
up, he was so wise that he could judge ten
cases brought before him at the same time.
Shotoku’s Calendar Prince Shotoku also
brought the Chinese calendar to Japan.
The Chinese calendar is a lunar calendar
divided into 12 months of 29 or 30 days. To
adjust to the solar year, an extra month is
inserted every few years. Each year is
named after one of 12 animals, including
the rabbit, dragon, and rooster. These 12year cycles are repeated continuously.
Answer
Reading Charts (a) Buddhism (b) Possible
answer: No, it showed that the Japanese
were willing to use and adapt other traditions to build a unified Japan.
Chapter 12 Section 2 327
Assess and Reteach
Assess Progress
L2
Have students complete Check Your
Progress. Administer the Section Quiz.
The copyright holder
has not granted
permission to display
this image in electronic
format. Please see the
teacher's edition of
your textbook for this
image.
These changes had great effects on Japanese politics and
culture. As one modern historian has written:
“
What were once called ‘private lands and private
people’ became ‘public lands and public people,’
as the court now . . . assert[ed] its control over all
of Japan. . . .
”
—Robert L. Worden, quoted in Traditional Japan
Teaching Resources, Section
Quiz, p. 77
To make the reforms work, officials issued a new law code
for the entire country in 702. The Taiho Code officially made the
leader of the Yamato clan an emperor, the “son of Heaven.”
In addition, the new laws defined crimes and established a
system of punishments. These criminal laws applied equally to
everyone in Japan.
To further assess student understanding,
use the Progress Monitoring Transparency.
Progress Monitoring Transparencies, Chapter 12, Section 2
Reteach
L1
If students need more instruction, have
them read this section in the Interactive
Reading and Notetaking Study Guide and
complete the accompanying question.
Interactive Reading and
Notetaking Study Guide, Chapter 12,
Section 2 (Adapted version also available.)
Extend
Prince Shotoku helped establish
Buddhism as the main religion
of Japan. Critical Thinking:
Identify Benefits Why did
Prince Shotoku want Japan to
adopt Buddhism?
L3
Ask students to reread the quotation on
page 326 from the Constitution of Seventeen Articles about harmony. Have students rewrite this quotation in their own
words and then tell how they think this
principle could be used in today’s society.
Invite students to share their writing with
the class.
Answers
He gave Japan its first constitution, supported the spread of Buddhism,
and introduced a form of government
modeled on the Chinese government.
Identify Benefits As more and more peo-
ple accepted Buddhism, they were unified
in this faith. The growth of Buddhism also
reduced the power of the clan leaders.
Writing Rubrics Share rubrics with students before they revise the paragraph.
Score 1 Revision does not remove
irrelevant sentences and/or does not
add meaningful information.
Score 2 Revision may contain irrelevant details or may not contain additional information.
Score 3 Revision demonstrates a reasonable attempt to remove irrelevant
details and add helpful information.
Score 4 Revision eliminates irrelevant details, adds helpful information, and is both unified and coherent.
328 Chapter 12
The Buddhist Prince
Section
What steps did Prince Shotoku take to reform Japan?
Looking Back and Ahead In this section, you have
learned how Prince Shotoku began reforms aimed at building
a strong central government. In the next section, you will read
about an important change in Japan’s social structure.
2 Check Your Progress
H-SS: 7.5.2; E-LA: Reading 7.1.3
Comprehension
and Critical Thinking
1. (a) Explain How was early
Japanese society organized
and ruled?
(b) Contrast How do myths
and historians differ in their
explanations of the rise of
the first emperors?
2. (a) Recall What were Prince
Shotoku’s goals for the Japanese government?
(b) Analyze Cause and
Effect What powers did
clan leaders lose as a result
of the Taika Reform?
Reading Skill
For: Self-test with instant help
Visit: PHSchool.com
Web Code: mxa-5122
Writing
6. Rewrite the following para3. Clarify With Definition Use
graph, eliminating any
two definition clues to clarify
unnecessary information.
the meaning of Shinto: The
Add new sentences with
traditional religion of Japan
important supporting points.
is called Shinto. The word
Prince Shotoku was a powermeans “the way of the gods.”
Vocabulary Builder
Read each sentence below. If
the sentence is true, write yes
and explain why. If it is not
true, write no and explain why.
4. A regent sometimes ruled in
the name of the emperor.
5. Shotoku died before he could
introduce a constitution.
ful regent who changed early
Japanese government. He was a
member of the Yamato clan,
which claimed to be descended
from the Sun Goddess. Shotoku
imported ideas from Chinese
culture to strengthen Japan. His
aunt was the empress of Japan,
but he governed for her. The
Taika Reform was instituted in
646, twenty-four years after
Shotoku’s death.
328 Chapter 12 The Rise of Japan
Section 2 Check Your Progress
1. (a) It was organized by clans and ruled
by clan leaders.
(b) Myths say that Japan had its first
emperor in 660 B.C. Historians think that
the first emperor did not appear until
about A.D. 200 or 300.
2. (a) to reduce the power of the clan lead-
ers and unite Japan under a strong central government
(b) They became subjects of the emper-
or; their land became public land that
could not be handed down to their children.
3. Possible answer: Shinto, which means
“the way of the gods,” is the traditional
religion of Japan.
4. Yes: This was the role of a regent.
5. No: He introduced a new constitution.
6. Students should eliminate the second
and final sentences and should add
more details about how the prince
strengthened Japan.