Standard 7.5.3 & 7.5.6

Objectives/Goal for learning: To learn that the warrior code of loyalty and

honor has deeply influenced modern Japanese society.

Also, that the rise of the military led to the unification of Japan and its isolation for over two centuries.

Samurai and Shoguns Take over Japan What is a daimyo?

Large landowners who needed to protect their lands

What is a samurai?

Trained professional warriors who were hired by the daimyos to defend their property.

The word samurai means “to serve”.

Samurais had to serve their lords.

An army of samurai was expensive to keep so lords paid the samurai with land or food.

Only the most powerful samurai received land for their service but did not live on the land. Peasants who lived on this land “paid” the samurai with money or food.

Nobles were unhappy with the government.

Two powerful clans fought over who would be leader.

Minamoto clan won and the leader of the clan became the most powerful man in Japan – Japan still had an emperor & he wasn’t it! What does that mean?

Leader of the Minamoto clan kept the emperor as a figurehead.

What is a figurehead?

A person who appears to rule even though real power rests with someone else.

What is a shogun?

A general who ruled Japan in the emperor’s name. Leader of the Minamoto clan took on this title.

Samurai Live Honorably The bushido was the samurai code of rules.

1. Had to be brave and honorable fighters

2. Both men and women had to learn to fight even though only men went to war.

3. Expected to live simple, disciplined lives – participated in peaceful rituals

4. Samurai had to be loyal to his lord ALWAYS!

Bushido is still a strong force in the Japanese culture.

Values such as loyalty and honor, the central ideas of the samurai code, remain very important.

Order Breaks Down Shoguns were able to keep order for a long

time, but eventually faced challenges that ended their control of order.

1. Foreign Invasion Invasion by the Mongols

Mongols never quite made it, however, the shoguns and nobles fought over who helped the most in beating these potential invasions.

2. Internal Rebellion The emperor was tired of being a “figurehead” Small wars broke out between daimyos and the

shogun. The end result was a change of power from the

shogun to the daimyos Emperor was still pretty powerless! Daimyos made up their own rules for their

areas = no central authority & leadership = weakness

Strong Leaders Take Over New leaders came into power

Fought to unify all of Japan under their control

Traded with other cultures to gain information and technology

Not all leaders/nobles liked the idea of gaining info from other cultures

Leaders decided to take on an isolationism philosophy

Closed Japan off from the rest of the world

Banned guns

Limited technology helped the samurai period last until the 1800s.

Checking for Understanding: Write a sentence that describes the samurai in the center, in the outer circles write down specific jobs, duties, or privileges.