| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Archipelago | chain of islands (japan is approx. 4500 islands) |
| Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyoshu | the 4 main islands in Japan |
| Mt. Fuji | highest mountain in Japan; used to be a snowcap volcano |
| Ainu | a minority population in Japan; first settlers in Japan |
| Burakumin | minorty population in Japan; these people are the lowest on the social ladder; had laboring jobs |
| Koreans | this group of peope brought Buddhism to Japan; weren't granted citizenship till 1985 |
| Shito | one of the two religions; "the way of the gods" people should live amungst nature |
| Kami | these are the good spirits of nature |
| Zen Buddhism | one of two religions; starts in 1200 BC; ultimate goal was satori; believed that strict religious, physical, and mental disapline was necessary in order to reach nirvana |
| Satori | self understanding; in order to reach this, a person had to answer koans |
| Koans | impossible questions that take very deep meditation (necessary to reach satori) |
| Ikebana | the Japanese art of the formal flower arrangement, based on harmony and brings peace to Japan |
| Haiku | a poem that usually is written about nature; has 5, 7, and 5 lines |
| Yayoi Period | (250 BC - 220AD) had sculptures of warriors and horses; tools were made out of iron; was believed to be a warring period |
| Yamoto Period | (500 - 700) "Great Kings" era; these people claimed to be decendents of Jimmo Tenno to obtain power; Buddhism enters Japan through Koreans; confucianism; language was kanji; by 600 AD, Prince Shotuku decides he wants to go to china to learn about their culture to add to China's culture (he sent 3 expiditions) |
| Uji | a clan; each clan had their own cheif |
| Jimmo Tenno | first emperor of Japan |
| Prince Shotuku | goes to China in 600AD; sent out 3 expiditions (sent scholars, artists, etc to absorb Chinese culture); copies everything from the Chinese |
| Pagoda | Buddhist temples with many-storied towers; this was adapted from the Chinese |
| Nara Period | (704 - 794AD) when the capital was at Nara; a group of reformers try to reform the government after shotuku died; they didn't like the Chinese's civil service exam so they make the Taiho Code |
| Taiho Code | a code developed during the Nara Period; it gave the emperors more power; government positions were bases on birth |
| Lady Murasaki | she wrote the Tale of Genji |
| Tale of Genji | story of Prince Genji and his lovers, written by Lady Murasaki Shikibu; believed to be the world's first full novel |
| Sei Shonagan | she wrote the pillow book |
| The Pillow Book | book written by Sei Shonagon; talked about court life |
| Fujwara Clan | this clan really wanted to rule but couldnt because they didn't have "god blood" so they married their child to the family that was ruling; when they go into power, the court becomes currupt, they dont care, they don't pay tazes to keep things going; feudalism develops |
| Shogun | military rank for the commander of an army |
| Daimyos | powerful warlord that controlled big estates; the best person from this class would become the shogun |
| Samurai | military soldiers/warriors |
| Ronin | samurai that lost his Daimyo; they carry great shame |
| Minamoto Yoritomo | first shogun of Japan; he started the tradition of shogunates; he passed all his land to his oldest son, and the others got nothing; his other sons turned into buddhist monks and fought each other for land |
| Kamukara Shogunate | (1192 - 1330) started by Minamoto Yoritomo; this was the first shogunate of Japan; the samurai class was wealthy; mongols come to take over japan, but were defeated twice (1. kamakaze, 2. japanese built a big wall) from all the fighting, shogunate lost money and fell apart |
| Kamakaze | what the Japanese named the typhoons-the Mongols after the Japanese defeated them |
| Ashikaga Shogunate | (1338 - 1573) during this shogunate, many shoguns were fighting for power; the laws were unclear fuedal warfare; armies of samurai protected the country; they attack China (Ming Dynasty) and cause the Chinese to move inland |
| Age of Warring States | (1467 - 1568) durring this time period, there was no shogunate (a lot of fighting going on); castles built on hills in different provinces, Europeans arrive in Japan bringing fire arms and Christianity; Christianity and foreign trade flourish |
| Oba Nobonaga | Diamyo when he was 15; excellent general - unifies a large part of Japan; allows foreigners to enter Japan to break the power of the monks (who fight); he was murdered by one of his generals so he never got the chance to make a shogunate |
| Tokoyoto Hideoyshi | (1536 - 1598) adopted by samurai family; Nobonaga's top general - he gets the title of Kanpuku when Nobonaga dies; *he unifies all of Japan; centralizes tax system; disarms all non samurai to stop rebellion and fighting; expells europeans |
| Tokugawa Shogunate | shogunate started by Tokugawa Leyasu; 4 class system, warriors, farmers, artisans, merchants; Japan's ports were closed off; wanted to create their own culture; illegal to fight; merchants became rich because domestic trade flourished (because fighting was illegal); had new forms of art - kabuki and geishas |
| Tokugawa Leyasu | appointed shogun by emperor; laid down a 4 class system, people were restricted to only marry to members in the same class (warriors, farmers, artisans, merchants); closed off Japan for 250 years (except to Dutch and Chinese); later persecuted christians and forbade christianity (he wanted their own culture/religion); centralized government so all the power was in the hands of the shogun; he made it so that it was illegal to fight even if you were a samurai; domestic trade fourished because it was safer |
| Eta | like untouchables; lowest of the low on social class |
| Sepukku | if a samurai broke bushido, samurais had to commit suicide called this |
| Kampuku | "dictator" had this title (and not shogun) because the person wasnt originally born into the samurai class |
| Bushido | oath of strict rules taken by a samurai; had to be brave, faithful, polite, simple, not show any pain, etc. |
| Geisha | classy prostitute; highly educated and trained; spoke many languages, played instruments; went to tea houses and served buisness men |
| Emperors | didn't have as much power as the shoguns; but were only kept around because the were decendents of god |
| Kabuki | Japanese theater; kind of like a musical |
| Kanji | a mix of Chinese characters with the original Japanese writing |
| Heian Period | (794 - 1100) move the capital to Heian; 300 years of developing a new culture; growth of large estates; arts and literature of china flourished; elaborate court life; personal diaries (pillow book and the take of genji); moved away from chinese culture |
| Feudalism | a lord is granted land in exchange for military protection and services |
| Shogunate | a military family (kind of like a dynasty); a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator |
Combine with other sets
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