Chapter 18 Japan

CHAINS OF ISLANDS
Japan is an archipelago
Korea Strait and the sea of Japan separate Japan from mainland Asia
Japan consists of 4 main Islands and thousands of tiny islands
1. Kyushu- closest to Korea
2. Shikoku- E. of Kyushu
3. Honshu- largest and most populated island
4. Hokkaido- north and most isolated

Inland sea- acts as a major highway between islands

Japan lies in the Pacific Ring of fire; also affected by typhoons
LANDFORMS AND CLIMATE
Japans large population is packed into a tiny fraction of land (like Chna)
More than 4/5 of Japan is mountains
Fertile lowlands areas are densely populated (Kanto Plain)
Climate of Japan is similar to the east coast of the US but the summer is milder and the winter
is a little warmer
Rainfall is plentiful
Because of so many mountains, Japan has developed methods of intensive farming
Crave traces

 Drain marshes, swaps, and deltas

Main crop is rice ( wet rice)

Due to limited farmland, fishing, is a massive industry
Main source of protean

Tuna, sardines, herring, salmon, cod, and halibut

LIMITED MINERAL RESOURCES
Japan has few mineral resources
As japan industrialized, they were forced to rely on other countries for resources (raw
materials)
Resulted in Japan becoming increasing dependent on world trade

PEOPLE OF JAPAN
Japan is a homogenous society
Japan has almost no ethnic minorities
From earliest times, Japan has developed a special identity that results in ethnocentrism
Japan rarely grants citizenship to immigrants
1. ainu- early inhabitants who were excluded from society
2. Burakumin- descents of butchers and leather tanners who lived during feudal times;
Buddhist views against taking of life made the brakeman outcast
EARLY JAPANESE SOCIETY
Earliest Japanese society was organized into clans
By A.D. 400 several clans formed a union and settles in yamato
- United much of Japan and governed a part of Korea
- Tenno clan led the union and claimed to be senesced from the sun goddess Amaterasu
Set up Japans first dynasty
Tennoism became the political theory of Japan the\at legitimized authority
ADAPTING CHINESE PATTERNS
During the 500s missionaries from Korea introduced Buddhism and Chinese culture into
Japan
also brought Chinese script which became Japans 1st written language
Between 550 and 850, Japan began to deliberately borrow the culture of China
Chinese influences reached every level of society
Government was modeled after China
- Increases power of state and established courts

Studied Confucianism and Daoism

Used Chinese tools for farming
Absorbed Chinese traditions about music, dance, sculpture and architecture
Built capital city at nara, modeled after Tang, capital
Despite the cultural diffusion, the Japanese managed to maintained their identity
Chose officials based off of birth not by merit
Never accepted the idea of Mandate of Heaven
HEIAN COURT
794- empror moved cur to Heian (Kyoto)
Developed Japanese writing system (major development)
Kana- set of writing symbols that represents syllables
JAPANESE FUDALISM
11oos turmoil rocked japan
Samurai- warrior knights waged battles for control of the land
Feudalism- local lords rule the land but are bound to higher lords and emperor by ties
of loyalty

 1193- Minamoto Yoritomo emerged as the strongest leader

Emperor gave him the title of shogun- chief general of the army

Emperor remained at the top of society but still was only a figurehead
1590- Toyotomi Hideyoshi converted rivals to subordinates and brought all Japan under his
control
Invaded Korea hoping to conquer China

1600- Tokugawa leyasu (Hideyoshis successor)- claimed title of shogun

Set up Tokugawa shogunate witch lasted until 1868
Created a peaceful, orderly society

Left feudal classes in place but brought the great samurai now called daimyo under their
control
More peace led to increased trade and travel
New markets grew and a money economy developed
Education became very wide spread
AN ISOLATED NATION
1600s- government began persecuting foreign missionaries and Japanese Christians
Eventually led to an expulsion of all foreigners
1639- shogun closed Japan to all foreigners

Japan enforced a policy of isolation for 200 years

SECTION 3
2 religions have impacted japan
1. Shinto
2. Buddhism
Each religions met different needs (usually practiced together)
Confucianism (not a religion)
SHINTO
Neither scared writings nor an organized set of beliefs
Belief that sports (kami) live in everything and that these sports control natural forces like
earthquakes and typhoons;
Shinto created a like between people and the forces of nature
BUDDHISM
552- 1st buddhist missionaries arrived
Different sects of Buddhism developed
CONFUCIANISM
1600s- Tokugawa shoguns placed emphasis on Confucianism, specifically final piety and
loyalty to the ruler
- Also stressed hard work and the importance of education
FAMILY
Confucian traditions guided family life
Men were superior to women
Marriage
The head of the family arranged marriages
Marriages were family alliances, not love matches

WOMEN
In ancient Japan, women had certain rights
Women could inherit property
There have been empresses ruling Japan

As Confucianism spread, womens status decline

FEUDAL TRADITIONS
Japanese stressed loyalty to family
Stressed loyalty to ones feudal lord

Everybody had a rank and duty to perform

 Bushido-Code behavior developed by the samurai; the way of the warrior

Governed the relationship between lords and samurai; stressed loyalty at all times

Encourages respect for military virtues (bravery, self-discipline)

If a warrior brought dishonor to his family, he was expected to commit seppuku- ritual
suicide (considered honorable)
LIVES OF COMMONERS
3 classes of commoners:
1. Peasants- supported the samurai class
2. Artisans- contributed to economy
3. Merchants- contributed to economy
Lower classes had to show respect for the higher classes
Merchants paid daimyos annual fee
Commoners prevented from wearing silk and carrying more than 1 sword

Emperor took measure to ensure the old social order, and prevented inter-marriage
SECTION 4
1853- Matthew Perry sent to force Japan to end isolationism
1854- Shogun signed the Treaty of Kanazawa
Granted the US the right to stop @ 2 Jap. ports
Gave US rights to send diplomats

Japan had to sign unequal treaties; like China

Forced to grant extensive trading rights to western nations

Growing unrest in Japan and people began to call for a removal of the Tokugawa rule
1868- rebels forced the shogun to step down and then restored the emperor to rower
Called the new reign the Meiji
Realized that Japan had to modernize
Sent young men overseas to learn how to modernize
JAPANESE VISIT AMERICA

Japanese visited US in 1860

American social customs bewildered and amused the Japanese
Studied American industry
GOVERMENT UNDER MEIJI

Meiji leaders wanted to create a strong central government

Wrote a construction in 1889

perserved the idea of the imperial rule

Gave the emperor great power
Set up a two house Diet, or parliament (had limited power)
Created a court the legal system
Abolished torture

Government NOT intended to create a democracy, its goal was to unite Japan and make it
equal to the western nations
ECONOMIC MODERNIZATION
Wanted to modernize the economy
Japanese students sent to the West to learn and foreign engineers brought into japan to teach
To raise money the garment continued to tax peasants and borrow from merchants
1860s saw an increases in the silk trade
Zaibatsu- large family organizations began to dominate the economy (Mitsubishi)
SOCIAL CHANGES
abolished feudal systems and made all equal before the law
Samurai forbidden to wear swords
All men required to join military
All children forced to attend elementary school
By late 1800s less than 4% of adults could vote; by 1925 all men could vote (women could vote in 1947)
JAPANESE EXPANSION
Japan set out to gain an overseas empire; competed with China and Russia over Korea

 Gained control over both Korea and later Taiwan

1904- 1905 Japan fought and defeated Russia in the Russo- Japanese War
Marked the 1st time a nation empire was able to defeat a European power

Japan sought equal political standing with west

NATIONALISM
1929-1931 the great depression caused the value of Japanese exports to fall by 50%
Led to unemployment and the closing of factories

Caused unrest
193`- group of officers created a crisis in Manchuria
Prime minister opposed the move and was assassinated

During the 1930s Japan gradually became a military dictatorship

New leaders promoted Militarism- glorification of the military and readiness for war
Led by Hirohito

WAR IN THE PACIFIC

1940- Japan joined axis powers

US responded by cutting off oil and other supplies vital to the Japanese economy

December 7, 1941- japan attacked pearl harbor

After Pearl Harbor the US joined the Allies in WWII
Japans military leaders refused to surrender Germany and Italy were defeated
US to drop the atomic bomb on Aug. 6, 1945
Another nuclear bomb on Aug. 9
Japan surrendered on Aug. 14