1. Aim: How was feudalism in
Japan similar/different to
feudalism in Europe?
Do Now: For review, create a
definition for feudalism and explain
why a system of feudalism might
develop

2. Aim: How was feudalism in
Japan similar/different to
feudalism in Europe? (Day 2)
Do Now: Take your handout out from
yesterday! On your assignment sheet,
add to homework Friday night: Study for
your quiz on Monday.

4. Geography: Japan, a Land Apart
Japan is located on an archipelago, or chain of islands off the
Asian mainland. Its four main islands lie off the east coast of
the Korean peninsula.
Japan is about the size of Montana, but four fifths of its land is
too mountainous to farm. As a result, most people settled in
Narrow river valleys and along the coastal plains.
A mild climate and sufficient rainfall, however, helped
Japanese farmers make the most of the limited arable
land. As in ancient Greece, the mountainous terrain at
first was an obstacle to unity.
The surrounding seas have both protected and isolated
Japan. Unlike Korea, Japan was too far away for China
to conquer, and Japanese thus had greater freedom to
accept or reject Chinese influences.

5. Japan’s Feudal Society
Emperors served as a figurehead Popes and the Church held much
but held no political power political power
Shogun Monarch
Lords
Daimyo
(Vassals)
Samurai Knights
Peasants
Peasants
Artisans
Serfs
Merchants
Japan’s Feudal Pyramid Europe’s Feudal Pyramid

6. Japan’s Feudal Society
In Theory, the emperor headed Japanese society. In fact, he was a
powerless, though revered, figurehead. Real power lay in the hands of the
shogun, or supreme military commander. Yoritomo Minamoto was
appointed shogun in 1192. He set up the Kamakura shogunate, the first
of three military dynasties that ruled Japan for almost 700 years.
Often the shogun controlled only a small part of Japan. He distributed
lands to vassal lords who agreed to support him with their armies in time of need. These great
warrior lords were later called daimyo. They, in turn, granted
land to lesser warriors called samurai meaning “those who
serve. Samurai were the fighting aristocracy of a war-torn land.
At the bottom of the social period were the peasants, artisans,
and at the very bottom, merchants.

7. The Code of Bushido
The Code of Bushido The Code of Chivalry
 Code which conducted the way of life for  Code which conducted the way of life for
Samurai Knights
 Means “The way of the warrior.”  Required knights to be brave, loyal, and true
 Emphasized honor, bravery, and absolute to their word.
 In warfare, they had to fight fairly and be
loyalty to one’s lord
generous to their enemies for example, they
 Taught samurai not to fear death: “If you
would not attack another knight before he
had a chance to put on his armor and
think of saving your life,” it was said, prepare for battle.
“you had better not go to war at all”  Chivalry raised women to a new status
 A samurai who as the code called for women to
betrayed the code of be protected and cherished
bushido was expected
to commit seppuku, or
ritual suicide, rather
than live without honor

8. The Role of Women in Japanese Feudal Society
During the Age of the samurai, the position of women declined steadily. At
first, some women in feudal society trained in the military arts or supervised
their family’s estates. A few even became legendary warriors. As fighting
increased, though, inheritance was limited to sons.
Unlike the European ideal of chivalry, though, the samurai
code did not set women on a pedestal. Instead, the wife of a
warrior had to accept the same hardships as her husband and
owed the same loyalty to his overlord

9. Religions of Feudal Japan
Early Japanese society was divided into uji, or clans. Each uji had
its own chief and special god or goddess, called kami, who was
seen as the clan’s original ancestor. Kami were generally nature
spirits. This worship of the forces of nature became known as
Shintoism, meaning “way of the gods.” This idea was similar to
the African beliefs of Animism which also believed that
everything in nature had a spirit. Although Shintoism never evolved
into an international religion, its traditions survive to the present
day.
During Japan’s feudal age, a Buddhist sect from China won
widespread acceptance among samurai. Known in Japan as
Zen, it emphasized meditation and devotion to duty. Zen
Buddhists believed that people could siik enlightenment, not only
through meditation, but through precise performance of everyday
tasks. Zen reverence for nature also influenced the development
of fine landscape paintings.

10. Close: 1) Explain 2 ways Japanese and
European feudalism were similar.
2) Explain 2 ways they were
different