A look at the early years before Shogun rule. I have modified others people slides and used information from a number of sources. I do not have the rights to the photos and the content is from varying sources. A main source was Oxford big ideas history 8, an amazing source.

2. Year 8 History
Mr. Modra

3.  Geography
 Shintoism
 Beginning of social order
 The imperial court
 Significant individual – Prince Shotoku
 The city of Heian-Kyo
 The Samurai
 Questions

4. Japan has more than 3000
islands, but most Japanese
live on the four largest
 Honshu,
 Shikoku,
 Kyushu
 Hokkaido.
Japan’s rugged terrain means
that only 15 per cent of the
land can be farmed.
Throughout Japan’s history,
local clans (family groups)
fought over fertile land or
what little there was.

5.  The mountainous landscape encouraged many
Japanese to look to the sea for a living.
 Early Japanese settlers fished from coastal
villages.
 To this day, seafood remains an important part
of the Japanese diet.
 Merchants travelled along the coastline, visiting
villages with goods to trade.
 The sea surrounding Japan separated its
people from Asia and, as a result, Japan
developed its own unique religion, arts and
social structures.

6.  Buddhism started in India -> China -> Korea ->
Japan

7.  The roots of Japan’s traditional Shinto
religion (meaning ‘the way of the gods’) were laid do
wn thousands of years ago.
 Shintoism is a religion that is still practised today.
 Followers believe that the gods are sacred
spirits known as kami. Like many other ancient
peoples, the early Japanese believed that all natural
things were alive.

8.  Is a belief system that has a positive, uplifting view of
life on Earth.
 People are basically considered basically good.
 Evil spirits are responsible for bad things
 Many Shinto Rituals are aimed at warding of evil
spirits
 Paper brings luck because the
word for paper in Japanese is
also Kami.
 Many major Deities
 Fortune telling omikuji papers are
found at the shrines which is given
out after making a donation

9.  A traditional Japanese gate that is found at the
entry way into a Shinto shrine or at sacred sites

10. According to a Shinto creation myth, in the beginning there were two
gods called Izanagi and Izanami (his wife). They placed a spear into
the ocean and as they brought it out, water drops falling from the
spear formed into the islands of Japan.
Izanami had many children, but died while giving birth to Kagu-
Tsuchi, the god of fire. Izanagi followed her into Yomi, the Land of
the Dead, to bring her back. By doing so, he brought impurities
back with him that affected the Earth. These impurities cause
human wrongdoing. He washed himself and the water drops that
fell from his body became other gods. These included
Susanowo, the storm god, and Amaterasu, the Sun goddess.
Amaterasu’s grandson, Jimmu, was said to be the ancestor of the
emperors of Japan.

11.  Who are the kami and why are they important in the Shinto religion?
 Create a facts chart on what you have learned in this section about Shintoism.
 Look at Source 5.4.
 Why do you think omikuji papers are located at Shinto shrines?
 What is the Japanese word for ‘paper’? What link does this have with
Shintoism?
 Look at Source 5.5.
 Who are the characters in the image and what are they doing?
 How are these characters thought to have been connected to the emperors?
 Draw a simple comic strip (use simple stick figures if you like) to retell the myth of
Japan’s creation and what happened to the gods involved.
 Look at Source 5.6.
 Why do you think a tori has been placed on top of the Wedded Rocks?
 What do you think is the significance of the knotted rope?

12. Despite their power, clan leaders needed help
to protect their lands and enforce the law. So
they called on men from Japan’s lower social
ranks.
Over time, these men came to be known as the
samurai ‘those who serve’. By around the
12th century, the samurai had developed into
a highly trained and skilled warrior class who
were masters of martial arts.

13.  Soldiers became corrupt and attacked
farmers and travelers
• Landowners surrounded themselves with bodyguards or SAMURAI
(one who serves)
– Lived according to the BUSHIDO
– BUSHIDO – code of behavior or “the way of the warrior”
• Show courage
• Reverence to gods
• Protect those who were weaker
• Die an honorable death
• If they did not uphold the code they were expected to commit
‘Hari kiri’

17.  By 5th century they were the leading clan
 The Yamato claimed to be the emperors but
had no real power
 The clans had real power
 If another clan claimed power, they simply
controlled the emperor
 Yamato chiefs claimed that they were
descended from the Sun goddess
Amaterasu, and therefore had a right to rule
Japan.

18.  Japan was made up of
hundreds of clans, each
with their own
warlords, that
controlled their own
territories
 Worshipped own nature
gods/goddesses
 Later they combined to
form SHINTO

19. Around this time, the Yamato clan grew to
control much of southern Japan, developing
great military power in order to protect its
territory.
Other clans still held their own lands, but had to
promise their loyalty to the Yamato chief. The
Yamato chief’s territory was divided into a
series of provinces that were controlled by
the junior clan chiefs. Each of these chiefs
ensured that the supreme leader

20.  It was believed the emperor communicated with
the gods and had magical powers. Therefore, he
did not involve himself in the day to- day
running of his country.
 Special advisors and ministers were appointed
to carry out these functions.
 The emperor was removed from his
people, living in an isolated, but
beautiful, imperial court. It was a place of luxury
and privilege for a select few. The reality of life
did not come inside

21.  Men who belonged to the court had little
contact with the outside world unless they were
appointed as a governor of a domain.
 It was more important to them to be a good
poet than it was to be a good administrator.
 The court was often entertained through poetry
or music contests, or through scrolls of picture
stories.
 Physical activities included archery and
kemari, where the players had to kick a leather
ball to each other without letting it touch the
ground.

22.  Planned to strengthen imperial authority by
building a strong government.
 Created a new constitution – The Seventeen
Article Constitution
 Gave all power to the Emperor
 Controlled rice cultivation
 Rice farmers had to pay tax and offer military
service
 Not focused on laws but on morals and virtues

23.  After his reign the emperor
continued assert their authority.
 All land in Japan came under the
emperor’s control and in 646
when he divided Japan into
provinces run by officials who
took part of the crops for the
emperor
 Clan leaders can no longer collect
taxes

24.  Source 5.10
Harmony is to be cherished, and opposition for opposition’s sake must
be avoided as a matter of principle … When an imperial command is
given, obey it with reverence. The sovereign is likened to heaven, and
his subjects are likened to earth.
With heaven providing the cover and earth supporting it, the four
seasons proceed in orderly fashion, giving sustenance to all that
which is in nature. If earth attempts to overtake the functions of
heaven, it destroys everything. Cast away your ravenous desire for
food and abandon your covetousness for material possessions. If a
suit is brought before you, render a clear-cut judgement … Punish
that which is evil and encourage that which is good.
Translated extract from The Seventeen-Article Constitution created by
Shotoku

25.  In 794 the imperial court moved its
capital to Heian (modern day Kyoto)
 Highly refined court society arose
 Had many rules
 Length of swords
 Color of robes
 Even number of skirts women wore

26.  Etiquette (good manners) were extremely
important
 Loud laughing, or mismatched clothes were
considered deeply embarrassing
 Everyone at the court was expected to write
poetry and paint
 Lady Murasaki Shikibu – Tale of Genji
 Life of a prince in the imperial court
 Detailed description of court life during this
period

27.  Planned city
established in 749
by Emperor
Kammu.
 Become the
capital of Japan for
over 1000 years
and is now known
as Kyoto.