| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Prince Shotoku | in 1607 sent a group of Japanese nobles to China to study and bring back knowledge |
| Heian | became location of emperor's court in 795, present-day Kyoto |
| Kana | Japanese system of writing with simplified Chinese characters that are used phonetically |
| Fujiwara | family that ruled Japan for 200 years, beginning in the 800's |
| Minamoto Yoritomo | strong military figure, became shogun in 1192 |
| Tokugawa Ieyasu | in 1600 claimed title of shogun, unified Japan |
| Feudalism | system in which local lords ruled the land but were bound to higher lords and the emperor by ties of loyalty |
| Shogun | chief general of the army, or most powerful samurai |
| Daimyo | the great samurai |
| 4 main islands | Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu |
| Samurai | Skilled warriors and craftsmen |
| Nightingale floors | Intentionally squeaked to alert shogun of intruders |
| Sadako Sasaki | Girl who died of Lukemia when she was 12 and made the paper crane the symbol of hope and peace |
| Hiroshima, Nagasaki | Two cities destroyed by the atom bomb |
| Zaibatsu | Large, powerful family organizations that controlled large parts of the economy in the 1800's |
| Militarism | Glorification of the military and readiness for war |
| Bushido | Code of behavior for the Samurai, known as the way of the warrior |
| Shinto | Religion that states the way of the gods, and spirits controlled all natural forces |
| Seppuku | a ritual suicide to save a warriors honor |
| Zen Buddhism | emphasized meditation and self-discipline. Used by the Samurai |
| Meiji | Reign of the emperor that started in 1868 after rebels forced the shogun to step down thus restoring power to the emperor |
| Treaty of Kanagawa | treaty that granted ships the right to stop at two Japanese ports for supplies; also gave U.S. the right to send diplomatic representatives to Japan |
| Pearl Harbor | Chief naval base in the Pacific; was bombed by the Japanese in 1941 |
| Cherry Blossoms | 305 varieties that show the beauty of life and its fleeting impact |
| Hanami | is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers |
| Snow Monkey | lives in the vast northern wilderness, and are a tourist attraction of the north |
| Geisha | highly skilled performers who train from a young age living in the world of flower and willow |
| Mt. Fuji | one of Japan's 186 volcanoes that loved for its beauty and danger |
| Sushi | popular food in Japan primarily made of Blue Fin tuna |
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