Japan:
From Isolation to
Adaptation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
Unit 3: Chapter 12
In this unit:
• How did Japan’s geography
shape people’s believes and
values?
• What tensions can occur when
a society must adapt to rapidly
changing circumstances?
• How can different cultures
learn to appreciate and benefit
from each other?
• In what ways did the isolation
policy of the Edo period and
contact with other cultures
during the Meiji period affect
Japanese identity?
• What impact did contact with
Western cultures have on the
Japanese worldview
Chapter 12: Shaping a Unique
Worldview
In what ways does physical
geography contribute to shaping a
worldview?
Japanese Canadians in Alberta
•Japanese immigrants first
came into Canada in the
late 1800’s as itinerant
workers
•The Japanese were in
demand as labourers
because they would work
hard for low wages
• The Japanese
immigrants came to
Canada hoping to earn
enough money to buy
back their farms in Japan
• Constructing
irrigation, railroad
systems and sugar beet
industry were the jobs
that the Japanese held.
•Majority of Japanese
immigrants only stayed for
a shirt time in Alberta
before they settled on the
Pacific Coast
During World War II
• The Japanese army bombed Pear Harbor in Hawaii, resulting in much of
the American submarine fleet to be destroyed
• The Canadian and United States government viewed the Japanese people as
potential threats to national security.
• All the Japanese-Canadians were forced into internment camps, located
away from the coast.
• Interment camps consisted of small building made of thin boards, no
insulation and only one stove with 10 families living together.
• Business and homes belonging to the Japanese were taken away and sold.
• Majority of the Japanese in Albertan internment camps were put to work in
local mines or sugar beet farms.
• Japanese-Canadians were forced to stay within these camps till the end of
the war in 1945.
• After WWII, 10 000 Japanese-Canadians were deported back to their
homeland.
• In 1988, the government of Canada paid $21 000 to the surviving family
member of each Japanese internee, as compensation for the hardships the
internees had experienced during WWII.
• Inzanami –
sister and consort
of Izanagi and
mother of the
islands of Japan
• Izanagi- the god who
fathered the islands
and gods of Japan
with his sister
Inzanami
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izanami-no-Mikoto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4-hnhqVPmw
By 1281, Japan had twice been saved from invasion
by a typhoon. How might this repeated experience
influence the worldview of the Japanese's people?
How might it influence their view of people from
other places?
Creation Story- Page 261
A worldview must account for the impact that nature has on a society
• Japan has experienced many
typhoons that have encouraged a deep
connection for nature and also a sense
that human destiny is influenced by
the workings of natural world
• This should result in confidence in
nature, considering that a natural
event provided salvation from an
invading force
•Natural disasters also infuse fear
http://www.helloholidays.com.my/japan-group-tour
What impression of
the Mongols does the
painter convey?
Figure 12-1 (Page260)
• The Mongols are seen as powerful and aggressive
• Since the Mongols are on horses, larger than the
Japanese, this makes them dangerous for the
Japanese to repel
• The weapons in this picture are a bow and arrow,
which would allow to kill from a distance.
Compared to the swords of the Japanese
• All of these observations would suggest that the
Mongols are without honour and do not fight man to
man.
The Land of the
Rising Sun
•Thousands of years ago the Chinese seen the sun rise
over the islands to the east and called this country
jihpen, which means “the source of the sun”
Sun Continued:
Kami is one of the
most important
goddesses because
she represents the
sun. She brings light
and hope to the
people of Japan
Flags:
• The image on the
Japanese flag
reflects the unity
of the Japanese
people.
•What
does the image
on Alberta’s
provincial flag
suggest about the
identity of Albertans?
Population Density
Most people live along
the coast in Japan
because 80% of the
land is covered in
forested mountains
and steep valleys .
Living on the coast
allows for easier
communication and
trade via the sea.
Japan is 60% the size of Alberta
Alberta Population = 3,645,257
Japan Population = 127,817,277
• Japan is a long, narrow
chain of volcanic islands
located in the Pacific Ocean
•Majority of the population
lives on four main islands
(Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu
and Hokkaido), despite
Japan being made up of
thousands of islands
•Do you notice anything
about where Japan’s major
cities are located?
The Land
The ocean between
Japan and Asia is
extremely rough,
making travel
difficult
Archeological
evidence suggests
there was contact
between people
from Japan and
China as early as the
mid-200’s.
Before the 1500’s,
Europeans did not
have any way to
reach Japan.
Land Continued
Culture
• Japan chose freely the elements of other cultures to include in their
own
Examples:
1)Japanese borrowed the Chinese system of writing in
characters which is called kanji. Eventually Japan came up
with their own system called kana
2) Japan also turned to China for their religion which
consists of Confucianism and Buddhism, with borrowing
these religions resulted in a distinct form of worship from the
Japanese. Most Japanese households have a Buddhist altar
(butsudan) and a small shrine (kamidana)
Nature Shaping a
Worldview
In what ways can the environment influence
religious practices and values?
The Beauties of Nature:
• The beauty and landscape of Japan has always been a
great source of pride
• Most of japan experiences distinct, predictable seasons
• Many celebrations and rituals mark the changes in
seasons
•Most beloved flower in
Japan
•They represent; new
beginnings, beauty and the
shortness of beauty and life
•Numerous cherry
blossoms festivals are held
throughout the country
Cherry
Blossoms
Currently in Vancouver there is the Cherry Blossom Festival
•Various activities throughout the city such as; blossom
viewing, blossom watch, dancing, cherry jam, haiku
invitational, etc….
• Runs from April 4th- 30th 2013
http://www.vcbf.ca/
Nature and the Ainu
• The Ainu are the Indigenous people of Japan
• Nature has a dominant role in the culture of the Ainu
• Ainu regard things like fire, water, wind, animals, thunder, and
plants such as the gods called kamuy that visit the Earthly world
• One of the most important kamuy is the brown bear, the Japanese
have an elaborate annual ceremony to send it to its own world
• Many First Nations people have a similar belief system and rituals to
those of the Ainu
• Example: the four elements earth, fire and water are honoured by both the Ainu
and First Nations.
• Land is considered the place where life comes from, water is the liquid that
sustains life, fire gives the heat and energy that sustains life, and air is essential
for the life of all living things
Geography
• Japan’s islands sit on a fault line in the earth’s crust, which
makes it vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
• As a result of the earthquakes tsunamis , or giants waves
flood the coast
Most are minor, but a major one hits Japan every couple
decades.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1761942/Japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-of-2011
Last Major Earthquake:
On March 11, 2011 the most powerful
earthquake recorded in northeast coast of
Japan occurred. The earthquake triggered
a massive tsunami.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44VapEkO7uw
Shinto
-love of nature is the main aspect (ideal of harmony with nature)
- traditional Japanese art, flower arranging and garden design are
based from this religious view
- there is no founder or religious laws
- based on the belief of kami (sacred spirits) that take the form of
object in nature, trees, stones and mountains
- to please and celebrate the kami, festivals called the masturi are
held in the spring and fall and are considered most important
- believed that humans become kami when they die
Religious Beliefs
Nature is an important
aspect of Japanese
culture. If you could
remake the Japanese flag
to better represent nature,
what would you put on it?
Why?
Do you consider yourself self-sufficient?
When a country considered themselves
self-sufficient, it means that it does not
depend on receiving anything from other
countries.
▪ Compared with countries of Renaissance Europe, Japan had
relatively little trade with other countries before 1853.
▪ Japan survived and prospered while not trading with other
countries.
▪ The farmers and fishers provided enough food to feed the people
Examples:
- wood for building and fuel came from the abundance
of forests
- plants and silkworms provided material for clothing
- artisans made use of all available metals
▪ Japan was a self-sufficient country.
In 1853, Commodore Perry and
his ships from America made
contact with the Japanese
people. These two groups,
completely new to each other,
exchanged gifts. Among items
the Japanese gave the
Americans bales of rice
weighing about 70 kilograms
each, which were carried onto
the American ship by sumo
wrestlers.
• Nature has compensated
for the limited amount of
arable land meaning
suitable for farming and
agriculture.
• The climate is temperate and
dependable rainfall provides Japan
with a longer growing season.
•For centuries, rice was the currency of Japan.
• A person’s worth was determined by the their rice production.
•For property taxes the value of the land
was determined by the estimated amount
of rice it could produce.
•A lord’s rank and wealth was related to
the total rice production of his territory.
•Even today, the emperor will tend a few
rice plants, which symbolically means he
is nurturing the Japanese culture and its
people.
• Rice is Japan’s most important crop
grown.
• Rice has been cultivated across Japan
for more than 2000 years.
• The primary staple food in the
Japanese diet is rice
• Rice is important to the Japanese
culture as it was once used as
currency
• The word for cooked rice (gohan)
has become synonymous with the
general meaning of "meal".
A typical rice field
 Rice fields are common in the
Japanese countryside.
 The fields start as flooded patties in the
early summer and turn into seas of
green and gold waves as the rice grows
and matures throughout the season.
 Crop is usually harvested in the fall,
although some southern regions may
plant more than one crop per year.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-6718824.html
White Rice (Hakumai)
Brown Rice (Genmai)
Multigrain Rice
Glutinous Rice (Mochigome)
 Picking up your rice bowl with your hand while
eating from it.
It is considered polite to finish every grain of rice
that you have been served.
X It is not common to pour soy sauce directly over
rice.
X Do not leave your chopsticks standing up
vertically in your rice. This is done at funerals.
• The ocean provides fish,
which is one of the major
sources of protein for the
people of Japan.
•Another staple harvested
from the sea is seaweed,
which is high in vitamins
and mineral salts.
•Soy is another important
component of the
Japanese diet.
You might expect the people of Japan living in different areas of
the country to develop their own distinct culture. However, the
people of Japan have always thought of themselves as a
homogeneous society.
Homogeneous society- consists of people who see themselves as
having a similar nature and character.
The geographic factor that contributed to this aspect of Japanese
society was the sea. Since majority of the population lived along
the coast, the sea provided easier communication and trade. Not
only goods were traded, the Japanese people also traded ideas,
beliefs and values too.
A Distinct People:
 Lived in the Northern part
of Japan for several
thousand years.
 Ainu means “human”.
 The Ainu had their own
separate society and
territory, but eventually
the Japanese began to take
over the Ainu lands.
 Several wars were fought,
but each time the Ainu
were defeated.
 Eventually the Ainu territory became apart of Japan, the island where most
of the Ainu lived was renamed Hokkaido.
 The Japanese began an assimilation program of the Ainu. It was forbidden
to speak their language or practise majority of their customs, and restricted
to the areas of land the government provided.