Japan’s Feudal Age

World HistoryFebruary 1, 2013

Japan Falls into a Time of Trouble

Towards the end of the Heian period, Japan fell into political turmoil Selfish and unstable

rulers Peasant rebellions Warfare amongst

Japanese peopleAs warring armies

struggled for power, Japan fell into a Feudal Society

What is Feudalism?System of government where Japan’s land is

broken up into factionsEach piece of land is controlled by a “lord”

In Japan’s case, a daimyoEach daimyo works as an advisor to the

emperorSits on his councilHelps make decisions for Japan

Daimyo has the freedom to govern their land as they pleaseMust pay taxes and loyalty to the emperor

Role of the Shogun

In theory the emperor stood at the head of society– In reality he had little power

The real power laid with the Shogun- Shogun = supreme military

commander Minamoto Yoritomo was

appointed shogunate in 1192- He developed the Kamakura

shogunate, that ruled for 700 years• Shogunate = military dynasty

o 3 military dynasties in Japanese history

Typically the shogun would control a small part of Japan himself He would distribute land to the

daimyo who agreed to support him with their armies in times of need

World of Warriors

Daimyo is below the shogun This is similar to lords or

nobles• They would receive land from

the shogun and would pledge loyalty in return

Samurai were considered “lesser lords” and would gain land from their daimyo They were the fighting

aristocracy• Aristocracy = wealthy, upper

class The word samurai translates

to “those who serve”

Bushido• Samurai were heavily trained from

an early age– They would spend much of their life

being educated in the ways of the samurai

• They developed their own code of values– This is called bushido

• Focuses on honor, bravery, and absolute loyalty to your lord

• A true samurai had no fear of death– An old saying once said…

• “If you think of saving your life, you had better not go to war at all.”

• A samurai who betrayed the code of bushido would commit suppuku– This is a ritual and sometimes

assisted suicide• This was a much honorable death than

to be a coward

Other Social Classes Noblewomen had some rights

and were respected in their society– Women were expected to raise

warriors and accept the same hardships as their husbands

Peasants formed 85-90% of the population– They were the backbone of society

• Farmed and some served as foot soldiers in feudal war

Artisans were respected because they made swords and armor for the samurai

Merchants were the lowest class – They depended on others to make

a living

The Tokugawa Shogunate

• Tokugawa Ieyasu was a daimyo and fierce warrior– He conquered other warlords and

took control of Japan• Because of his power, he was named

shogun• Tokugawa was determined to end

feudal warfare– Imposed a central government – Forced daimyo to live in the capital

(Edo)– Only samurai could serve in the

government or military– Women and peasants had less

rights• With peace in the countryside

agriculture and fishing grew– This caused the Japanese economy

to grow immensely

Advancements in the Arts

Major cities like Edo and Osaka were home to an explosion of the arts

Theater became incredibly popularo No plays

• Focused on Zen Buddhist traitso Kabuki

• Similar to No plays but had comedy and drama

o Bunraku• Puppet plays that depicted

social themesPoetry and literature

flourishedPainting and artwork

reflected cultural ideals