Chapter 8

FEUDAL
JAPAN
In the period between the eleventh and sixteenth
centuries, some features of life in Japan were
similar to those in Europe during this time, for
example, the development of castles, the part
played by the armed warrior and the importance
of loyalty to a superior. However, the differences
between Japan and Europe at this time were just
as important.

INQUIRY
What can we learn about societies and
civilisations of the past?
What have been the legacies of past societies and
civilisations?

A student:
4.1 describes and explains the nature of history,
the main features of past societies and periods
and their legacy
4.5 identifies the meaning, purpose and context of
historical sources
4.8 locates, selects and organises relevant
information from a number of sources,
including ICT, to conduct basic historical
research
4.10 selects and uses appropriate oral, written and
other forms, including ICT, to communicate
effectively about the past.

AD

c. 400

500

Japan has
contact
with China

Buddhism, Confucianism
and Chinese writing
are adopted

600

700

800

710 The
imperial court
is established
at Nara

900

Himeji Castle, Japan, sometimes called the White

Heron castle due to its white outer walls, was begun
in the mid fourteenth century and completed in 1614.

1000

1192 Yoritomo becomes shogun;

Japan is ruled by a military style
government; the Mongols
under Kublai Khan invade Japan

794 The Heian period

begins a time of
cultural and artistic
development

Timeline of significant events in Japans history

1100

1200

1300

1333 Japan
is under
imperial
rule for a
brief time

1400

1500

1543 Portuguese
traders arrive
in Japan
1576 The shogunless
period begins

1336 Japan has its first 1603 Japan closes its door
contact with Europeans; to the West; the country
Christianity arrives in Japan
is under military rule

228
RETROactive 1

1600

artisan: a skilled worker who produces handmade items

burakumin: a word meaning hamlet (village) people
that has replaced the more derogatory term eta for those
who carry out tasks considered unclean
bushi: the warrior class of Japan, which included
shoguns, daimyo and samurai
bushido: the way of the warrior; the rules that
prescribed the correct behaviour for all samurai
daimyo: the lord of a domain or han
domain: the territory ruled by a daimyo; in medieval
times there were about 250 domains in Japan
eta: an outcast group who, according to the Shinto and
Buddhist faiths, did impure work such as burial of the dead
feudal: describes the system during the Tokugawa
Shogunate when daimyos held their land and castles in
return for loyalty to the shogun, and samurai owed their
position through loyalty to their daimyo
hinin: (non-people) referred to beggars, travelling
performers and scavengers
hiragana: set of about 50 phonetic symbols used, in
combination with Chinese characters, for writing Japanese
kami: spirit beings; a Japanese word applied to anything
beautiful or extraordinary an exceptional tree,
mountain, stone or person
koku: a measure of rice equal to about 23 litres of dry
rice enough to feed one person for a year

meditation: a quiet way of concentrating and emptying

the mind of all thoughts
miso: thick paste used in Japanese cooking, made from
fermented soya beans, salt and soy sauce
moral: a high understanding of good and acceptable
behaviour
musket: an old-fashioned hand gun introduced into
Japan in the sixteenth century by Portuguese sailors
nirvana: in Buddhism, the attainment of perfect peace
and blessedness
palanquin: a sort of couch for transporting passengers,
with long poles on each side so that servants could carry
it on their shoulders
ritual: a formal procedure
ronin: literally wave-man a person tossed about on
the sea of life; used to describe a samurai without a
daimyo lord
samurai: the warriors of Japan from about the eleventh
century until 1876; samurai served their daimyo lords
and lived in the castle towns
shogun: literally barbarian-subduing-great-general; the
Japanese emperors chief military adviser with the duty
to protect Japan from foreign invasion
shrine: a place of worship

229
CHAPTER 8: FEUDAL JAPAN

8.1
JAPAN: LAND OF MOUNTAINS,
EARTHQUAKES AND MANY BELIEFS
Japan is made up of four large islands and over
four thousand small ones. Most people live on the
four main islands Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku
and Kyushu. The islands are mountainous,
which has made farming difficult. Volcanoes and
earthquakes have been part of Japans history
and still occur.

Source 8.1.1
H

R
0

KOREA

200

E
O

Hokkaido

400 km

A
F

Kyoto capital
794 to 1868

Honshu
Tokyo capital
1869 to present

Kamakura military capital

of the shoguns
Shikoku
1192 to 1333
Nara capital
710 to 794

Kyushu
P

Map of Japans four main islands and important cities

JAPANS EARLY HISTORY

Pottery vessels appeared in Japan around
13 000 BC, making them the earliest examples
of pottery in the world. They are marked with
rope-like patterns and the name for this period,
Jomon, comes from the Japanese word for rope.
The Ainu people in northern Hokkaido are
descended from the original inhabitants. The
Japanese used to look down on the Ainu people
as primitive but in 1997 they were officially
recognised as the indigenous (original) inhabitants of Japan.
Rice cultivation was introduced in around
1000 BC. This resulted in a growth in population,
but this in turn led to warfare as different tribes
tried to define the boundaries of their territory.

A new wave of immigrants began to flow into

Japan around 300 BC. A sign of this change was
the introduction of a new style of reddish pottery
with a more sculptured appearance. The new
immigrants also introduced bronze and iron into
Japan and gradually cultivation of rice in
paddies replaced the earlier dry cultivation. Silk
production began from the first century AD
followed by developments in glass technology
and metallurgy.
Between AD 450 and AD 700, a wave of cultural influences from China transformed Japanese society. Around AD 450 the Japanese
adopted the written script of China and, one
hundred years later, Buddhism was introduced
from China. Finally, in the period AD 600700,
Japanese rulers adopted many of the features of
the Chinese Confucian form of government. By
this time the population of Japan was already
about 5 million, which was far greater than any
European country of a similar size.

SHINTO WAY OF THE GODS

Nature had a special place in the lives of the first
inhabitants of Japan. Inspired by magnificent
rivers, snow-covered mountains and mysterious
forests, people began to believe in the kami (spirit
beings) of these places. These beliefs grew into a
religion called Shinto or the way of the gods. The
Shinto shrine was a vital place where village
communities celebrated the change of seasons,
prayed for good harvests or participated in the rite
of purification, a ceremony to purify themselves
and wash away physical and moral pollution.
The basic beliefs of Shinto are as follows:
Tradition and the family: Birth, marriage and
other ceremonies related to family life are
especially significant.
Love of nature: Being in contact with nature
means being in contact with the gods.
Physical cleanliness: Taking baths, washing the
hands often, rinsing out the mouth are part of
daily life and are particularly observed in
visits to Shinto shrines or sanctuaries.
Religious festivals: Honouring the spirits is an
opportunity for people to come together to
enjoy life and each others company.

230
RETROactive 1

Source 8.1.2

Source 8.1.3

ising
Pract r
e
prop of
s
form ntration
e
conc

The torii of the Itsukushima Shrine. Torii symbolise the

separation of the real world from the spirit world. They are
built near shrines and often in places of natural beauty.

BUDDHISM, ZEN AND

CONFUCIANISM
Between the sixth and ninth centuries, Buddhism
and Confucianism reached Japan by way of China
and Korea. Both these beliefs had a profound
influence on Japanese society.
Buddhism began in northern India about 2500
years ago when Prince Siddhartha Gautama
realised a way to find nirvana or perfect peace.
He became known as the Buddha, which means
enlightened one. His teachings spread gradually
from India to most other parts of East Asia.
In Japan, members of the emperors court were
among the first Buddhist converts, but after the
twelfth century, ordinary people increasingly
accepted the new faith. Many Japanese became
both Shinto and Buddhist. Shinto was a religion
for everyday events like birth and weddings
while Buddhism offered spiritual understandings
of death and the world beyond.
Buddhism teaches that humans can achieve
nirvana by truly knowing Four Noble Truths:
1. All life involves suffering.
2. Suffering is caused by desire.
3. Desire can be overcome.
4. The way to overcome desire is to follow the
Eightfold Path (see source 8.1.3).
Zen is a special form of Buddhism that came to
Japan during the 1100s and 1200s. Zen Buddhists
practise meditation to gain a better understanding of life and the universe. A personal
teacher or master plays an important role in
helping followers to achieve new ways of thinking.
Confucianism is not usually regarded as a
religion. It is more a set of rules based on the ideas
of the Chinese scholar and teacher Confucius (also
discussed in chapter 5, page 130).

g the
Havin alues
v
right

of
ledge
Know th
u
r
t
e
th

The Noble
Eightfold Path
g
of Buddhism.
rollin
Cont elings
The wheel
fe
your oughts
h
represents the
and t
cycle of death
and rebirth a
person must suffer
before reaching
nirvana (perfect peace).

hing
g not
Sayin t others
r
u
to h

2
1

8
4

7
6
to
gling
Strug ur
o
free y f evil
o
mind

stly
hone
g
Livingot harmin
n
and g things
livin

5
ing a
Hold at
job th ot
n
d o e s o the rs
injure

Confucianism contributed greatly to the development of social institutions, political organisation and education in Japan. Its ideas
included the principles of loyalty and filial piety,
the belief that children owe a duty to their parents and must always obey them. Filial piety also
applied to the dutiful relationship between the
samurai warriors and their Japanese lords.

Check your understanding

1. Draw a timeline covering the period 1000 BC to
AD 1000. On the timeline place the following
events: introduction of dry rice cultivation; new
wave of immigrants; silk production; written script
introduced; Buddhism arrives; government on
Confucian/Chinese model.
2. Match up each of the following statements with one
of the four main religions mentioned in this section:
(a) the earliest religion of Japan
(b) the religion that stressed the role of a master
(c) the religion that came from northern India
(d) a set of rules for life rather than a religion.
Using sources
1. Study the map in source 8.1.1.
(a) What are the four main islands of Japan?
(b) On which island have the capitals since
AD 710 been located?
2. Look at source 8.1.3 and read the eight points on
the Noble Eightfold Path.
(a) Which three of these points refer to how you
should live in your normal day-to-day existence?
(b) Which three points have a focus on meditation
and the way you use your mind?
Worksheets
8.1 Japanese religions

231
CHAPTER 8: FEUDAL JAPAN

8.2
EMPERORS
AND SHOGUNS
The earliest written histories of Japan date to the
early eighth century and are a mixture of fact,
myth and legend. In these histories, the emperor
is said to be descended from the sun goddess. A
grandson of the goddess, Ninigi, settled in
northern Kyushu and held three sacred objects:
a mirror, a symbol of the sun
a sword, discovered in the belly of an eightheaded serpent
a jewel.
They became symbols of the monarchy.

Another woman writer of the period was Sei

Shonagon. In her Pillow Book, she presented the
attitudes of some court ladies to nobility on the
one hand and commoners on the other. Women
were so acknowledged as writers that a male
writer Ki No Tsurayuki (869945) pretended
that his Tosa Diary was written by a woman.

Source 8.2.2
An extract from the Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon, an
imperial courtier

It is hateful when a well-bred young man who is

visiting a woman of lower rank calls out her name
in such a way as to make everyone realize that
he is on familiar terms with her. However well
he may know her name, he should slur it slightly
as though he had forgotten it.
[Sei Shonagon disliked:]
Ugly handwriting on red paper.
Snow on the houses of common people. This
is especially regrettable when the moonlight
shines down on it.
[She liked:]
A letter written on fine green paper . . .
attached to a budding willow branch.
A slim, handsome young nobleman in a Court
cloak.
A pretty girl casually dressed in a trouser-skirt,
over which she wears only a loosely sewn coat.

BEGINNING OF THE HEIAN

PERIOD
In AD 794, the emperor Kammu moved the
capital from Nara to Heian (modern-day Kyoto),
which was to remain the capital for over 1000
years. The emperors and their court lived in a
luxury not seen in Western European courts until
the eighteenth century. The splendours of this life
were described in the worlds earliest novel, The
Tale of Genji, written in about 1004 by a lady of
the court named Murasaki Shikibu (AD 978
c.1016). Most Japanese literature of this time was
written by women, partly because they made use
of the new hiragana script that allowed them to
write in everyday Japanese while men clung to
the more prestigious Chinese characters.

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon, translated by

I. Morris, Columbia University Press, New York, 1967.

Source 8.2.1
A description of what life was like for the nobility, from
The Tale of Genji

It was late in the Third Month. Murasakis spring

garden was coming ever more to life with
blossoms and singing birds. Elsewhere spring had
departed, said the other ladies, and why did it
remain here? Genji thought it a pity that the young
women should have only distant glimpses of the
moss on the island, a deeper green each day. He
had carpenters at work on Chinese pleasure boats,
and on the day they were launched he summoned
palace musicians for water music. Princes and
high courtiers came crowding to hear.
Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji, translated by E. G.
Seidensticker, Charles E. Tuttle, Tokyo, 1978, p. 418.

ORIGINS OF THE SAMURAI

AND SHOGUN
To maintain his rule, the emperor needed support
from nobles who were sent out to manage the
provinces. The nobles were allowed to have their
own armed guards for protection and these came
to be known as bushi (warriors) or samurai
(retainers). Over time the nobles became rich from
crops grown on their private estates and taxes
they collected and loyalty developed between the
nobleman and his samurai.
During the twelfth century, there were struggles between members of the imperial family and
nobles in the provinces took the opportunity to try

232
RETROactive 1

to seize power. The second half of the twelfth century was marked by fighting throughout Japan, as
well as natural disasters such as floods, typhoons
and earthquakes. The final victor in 1185 was
Minamoto no Yoritomo (11471199).

Source 8.2.3

A Japanese
painting
showing
Minamoto no
Yoritomo, who
was to
become the
first shogun,
fighting for
the first time at
the age of 13

After his victory, Yoritomo made a decision

that was to influence Japans history up to the
present day. Instead of making himself emperor,
he asked the Imperial Court to recognise his
power with the title seii tai-shogun (barbariansubduing-great-general) but at the same time the
emperor was to keep his symbolic position.
Both people gained by this. The shogun was
given legitimacy in his position rather than
being recognised only for his military power,
while the emperor was allowed to retain some of
his prestige and given a degree of protection.
This also meant that there was a line of divine
authority from the emperor through the shogun
to the nobles who were beneath him.

THE DIVINE WIND

During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries,
much of Europe and Asia was dominated by the
Mongolians. The Mongol emperor Kublai Khan
(12151294) was the grandson of the great Genghis

Khan and ruled Korea and northern China. From

here, he turned his attention to Japan.
His first attack was in 1274 on the coast of the
southern island of Kyushu, which was the area
closest to Korea, but this attack failed.
In 1281, Kublai Khan sent a much larger force
of about 140 000 men on thousands of ships. The
Japanese had spent the time preparing for a new
attack by:
building a stone wall around Hakata Bay
amassing a large number of troops
training these troops in the technique of group
fighting used by the Mongolians (traditional
Japanese fighting was a one-on-one encounter).
The battle waged for seven weeks but was
brought to an end by a great storm. About half of
the invaders perished. The Japanese said that
this typhoon was sent by the gods and they
named it kamikaze, which meant divine wind.
The same name was used in World War II to
describe Japanese pilots who, like suicide
bombers today, loaded their planes with bombs
and crashed them into enemy ships.

Check your understanding

1. According to legend, what were the three sacred
objects that were passed from the sun goddess to
the emperor?
2. Why was the earliest Japanese literature created by
women?
3. What did the term shogun mean?
4. List four reasons why the Japanese were able to
resist the Mongolian invasion.
Using sources
1. Study source 8.2.1. What evidence does this source
provide to show:
(a) how luxurious life was in the court
(b) the influence from China on Japanese life?
2. Read source 8.2.2. What do Sei Shonagons
comments about snow on roofs indicate about her
attitude to ordinary people?
3. Examine the picture of the shogun Minamoto no
Yoritomo (source 8.2.3). What clue does the artist
give us that this is a person of high rank?
Communicating
Imagine that you are going to write your own Pillow
Book. Follow the style of Sei Shonagon (source 8.2.2)
and give descriptive word pictures of things you like
and dislike.
Worksheets
8.2 Getting to know Japan

233
CHAPTER 8: FEUDAL JAPAN

8.3
CIVIL WAR AND
A NEW SHOGUNATE
The defeat of the Mongolian invasion did not
bring peace to Japan. There was a brief period
when the emperor managed to reassert his
power over the shogun, but during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Japan was
plunged into a long period of civil war. This
was also a period in which Europeans
attempted to infiltrate Japan: the Portuguese
were first, followed by the Dutch. The muskets
of the Europeans, which were more advanced
than those of the Mongolians, particularly
impressed some of the warriors. In 1527, the
warlord Odo Nobungaga won a battle in which
he used 300 musketeers.
Final victory in the civil wars went to another
warlord, Tokugawa Ieyasu (15421616). In
1603, Ieyasu revived the title of shogun,
receiving the title from the emperor. The role of
shogun was to remain with the Tokugawa
family until 1868, giving the period its name
the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Source 8.3.1
An artists representation of some of the
levels of Japans feudal structure during
the Tokugawa Shogunate

FEUDALISM IN JAPAN
Ieyasu soon took steps to strengthen his position.
The system he developed had some similarities
with the feudal system in medieval Europe.
First, Ieyasu made it clear to the emperor that
the position of emperor was only a symbolic one
and as shogun he had the right to approve all
court appointments.
The shogun controlled about 25 per cent of the
land, while the remaining 75 per cent was
divided up into domains ruled by approximately
275 daimyo (lords). A rich daimyo with his
samurai could be a threat to the ruling shogun so
Ieyasu placed many restrictions on the daimyo.
For example:
they could not marry without the shoguns
approval
they could not build new castles and any
repairs to existing castles had to be approved
by the shogun
there was a limit to the number of samurai
they could have
most bridges were destroyed, allowing travel
only along certain pathways so that the movements of daimyo could be controlled.

The shogun was the most powerful warlord. He

commanded military and economic power and
effectively ruled the country, controlling laws
and taxes. He only remained shogun as long as
he could unite a majority of daimyo.

Merchants were almost the lowest class

in feudal Japan. They were just above the
eta and were not seen to have value
because they did not create, produce or
protect anything. However, in time they
became very wealthy by trading with
farmers and craftsmen. They also sold
the goods and lent the finance needed
by many to fund the constant civil wars.

The emperor and imperial court made up the

top layer of society. The emperor was
worshipped by the people but held little
political power. People of the court were
refined, cultured and educated. They lived
extravagant lives, almost totally detached from
the rest of society.

234
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CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP FOCUS

(b) What important differences can you see
between the two systems?
(c) What do these differences show about the
development and structure of Japanese society
in the seventeenth century compared with that
of Europe in the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries?

The strongest control over daimyo was the

system of sankin kotai (alternate residence).
Almost every daimyo had to spend a year in Edo
(modern-day Tokyo), under the eye of the shogun,
and a year in his own domain while his immediate
family were kept as virtual hostages in Edo.
Another similarity to European feudalism was
the hierarchical system, based to some extent on
that of China, which was called shi-no-ko-sho
(warrior-peasant-artisan-merchant). Two groups
were outside this system. At the top were the
emperor and the imperial court, based at Kyoto;
at the bottom were two outcast sub-classes:
the eta (meaning great filth) who were
involved in activities such as leather work,
burials or butchering
the hinin (meaning non-persons) involved in
things like acting.
In Japan today, people like the eta are called
burakumin or hamlet people, and are still considered separate from normal society.

Check your understanding

1. From the text and information in source 8.3.1, fill in
the missing levels in the diagram (on the right) of
the feudal system in Japan.
2. Compare your completed diagram with that of the
medieval European system on page 160.
(a) What are the main similarities between the two
systems?

3. Explain how the policy of sankin kotai would

weaken the power of a daimyo and make him less
likely to be a rival to the shogun.
Worksheets
8.3 Japanese society crossword

Artisans and craftsmen provided

the specialised items everyone
needed. Farmers traded their
surplus food for goods and
services provided by these people.

(b)

(a)

Farmers and fishermen worked the

land and sea to produce everyones
food. The emperors court taxed them
heavily. The daimyos encouraged these
people to improve production and to
produce surplus harvests.

(a) Medieval daimyo and (b) samurai. The

daimyo were warrior lords who controlled
areas of land and ruled those who lived
there. The power of a daimyo depended on
the size of his land and the number of
samurai he led. These samurai were
warriors who swore allegiance to their lord
and maintained his authority.

235
CHAPTER 8: FEUDAL JAPAN

8.4
JAPANESE CASTLES
AND TOWNS
The buildings inside the castle were often luxurious. Luis Frois, who lived in Japan for 30 years,
wrote a description on which source 8.4.2 is based.

CASTLE DESIGN AND

DEFENCES
Early Japanese castles (around AD 1300) were
simply temporary fortresses used only in times of
war. These first castles were modelled on the
warrior chiefs own homes, with the addition of a
watchtower. They were built on mountain ridges
to provide a good lookout and to prevent enemies
attacking easily. By the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries, wars between rival lords became more
common, so strong permanent buildings were
needed.
The golden age of castle construction came
between 1568 and 1616. The castles of this time
were very elaborate buildings. Many were on
plains rather than mountains. They had an outer
moat, solid stone foundations, huge stone walls
and several watchtowers. Most also had a steeply
sloping road leading to the main gateway and several other gates to act as escape routes. Through
slits in the castles interior walls samurai could
fire arrows or muskets at any invaders.

Source 8.4.2
Adapted from a description of Azuchi Castle by a sixteenth
century Portuguese missionary, Luis Frois

Inside the walls there are many beautiful and

exquisite houses, all of them decorated with gold.
In the middle there is a sort of tower and indeed it
has a far more noble and splendid appearance
than our towers. It consists of seven floors. Inside
the walls are decorated with designs richly
painted in gold and different colours, while the
outside of each of these storeys is painted in
various colours.
As the castle is situated on high ground and is
itself very lofty, it looks as if it reaches the clouds.
The fact that the castle is constructed entirely
from wood is not at all apparent either from
within or from without, for it looks as if it is built
of strong stone and mortar.

Source 8.4.1

Within the castle

walls, there was a
network of moats,
like a maze. The
interlocking buildings
that ran alongside
these moats would be
filled with archers
during an attack.

Steep internal paths

led attackers into
heavily defended
narrow tunnels
and gateways.

Huge stone
walls around the
castle stood as
massive barriers, daring
enemies to risk their lives.
A plan of Himeji Castle and some of its defensive features

236
RETROactive 1

Open spaces
within the outer
walls and moat
were meant to
tempt intruders
to venture
further and be
killed.

The Tokugawa family and castles in decline

After his supporters won a major battle against
enemy daimyo in 1600, the powerful samurai
Tokugawa Ieyasu introduced new laws for castle
building. The emperor made Ieyasu his shogun
or military chief. Altogether there were 15 Tokugawa shoguns between 1603 and 1868 and this
powerful
samurai
family
had
branches
throughout Japan. To stop their enemies
becoming too powerful, the Tokugawa allowed
only one castle in each daimyos district. Any
additional castles had to be pulled down. Many
fine castles were destroyed as a result of this law,
while others were ruined during wars. Japan
now has far fewer castles than it once had, but
Himeji Castle (source 8.4.1) still stands.

CASTLE TOWNS AND THEIR

PEOPLE
Many of the major cities in Japan today developed as medieval castle towns, for example
Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Hiroshima.
Most of the daimyo castles were built near
main roads and towns gradually grew up around
them. Castle towns themselves had no gates or
walls and were usually surrounded by open
farmland and small villages. The daimyo ruled
the villages, including fishing and mountain villages, as part of his local territory. In this way
the castle towns became centres of government.

Samurai
Samurai were originally part-time soldiers who
owned farms and lived in villages. However, in
the sixteenth century new laws forced them to
move to the castle towns. They lived closest to
the castle because they were in the lords service
and had to be ready to defend his castle at a
moments notice. Their duties included practising
military skills, guarding castle entrances and
helping the daimyo govern his domain. Craftspeople and merchants lived further away from
the castle and farmers lived in nearby villages.
The farmers
The castle towns also became markets where
goods were bought and sold. Farmers brought
their harvests and handmade articles to
exchange for goods they needed, especially for
items used on ceremonial occasions. Farming
families grew most of their own food and made
basic foodstuffs such as miso and soy sauce.
They also made their own straw capes and hats
to wear in wet weather, and straw sandals for
walking on the rough roads. The farmers usually

walked from place to place but wealthy people

like daimyo were often carried in palanquins.

The craftspeople
Farmers could not make everything themselves.
They bought a range of items such as wooden
barrels for storage, metal tools, pottery and fine
woven cloth from craftspeople in the castle
towns. Other artisans in the towns made paper,
beautiful furniture or magnificent swords for
samurai. Although coins existed, people were
more likely to pay for goods with rice. Rice was
the main currency and the standard measure
was called the koku.
The merchants
Merchants were an important group in the castle
towns. They made their living from charging
interest on money loaned to samurai and farmers.
People also paid them to ship rice to markets in
castle towns like Osaka. Most rice was shipped
along rivers and by sea because Japanese roads
were designed for foot traffic and horse riders.
They were unsuitable for the big wheeled vehicles
needed to transport large quantities of rice.

Check your understanding

Copy and complete the following table using
information from the text and source 8.4.1.
Castle
feature
Dry moat

Use in defence
Would tempt invaders and could then
be flooded

Using sources
Read source 8.4.2. What features surprised and
impressed Luis Frois about the castle?
Researching and communicating
Through research and discussion in small groups, write
a report comparing European castles of the Middle
Ages and Japanese castles. Research in the library or on
the Internet. Refer to pages 1625 for some information
on European castles. To explore Himeji Castle through
photographs, go to www.jaconline.com.au/retroactive/
retroactive1 and click on the Himeji Castle weblink.
Worksheets
8.4 Intruder at Himeji Castle

237
CHAPTER 8: FEUDAL JAPAN

8.5
SAMURAI DURING THE
TOKUGAWA SHOGUNATE
ROLES OF THE SAMURAI
The samurai played a crucial role in the 250
years of Tokugawa rule. They were the topranking class in society beneath the daimyo.
Samurai meant those who serve (the daimyo).
In earlier times they were solely warriors, but as
Japan became more peaceful under the Tokugawas, their role in administration also became
important. In their training, skills in reading,
writing, ceremonial behaviour and public service
were as important as training in archery, horse
riding and sword fighting. The samurai sword,
which only samurai could wear, became the
symbol of their military position.

Samurai practised a form of Zen Buddhism to

remove all distracting thoughts and give them
full control over their minds and bodies. In this
way they could approach battle calmly, without
being confused by thoughts and feelings.
Confucian beliefs on peoples roles in society
also became very important. Yamaga Soko
(162285) taught military strategy and tactics,
as well as Chinese literature and Japanese history (see source 8.5.2).

Source 8.5.2
Bushido for a samurai, from lectures given by Yamaga Soko
around 1665

The business of the samurai consists in

discharging loyal service to his master in
deepening his fidelity in association with
friends, and in devoting himself to duty
above all. However, in ones own life, one
becomes unavoidably involved in obligations
between father and child, older and younger
brother, and husband and wife. Though these
are also the obligations of everyone in the
land, the farmers, artisans, and merchants have
no leisure from their occupations, and so they
cannot constantly act in accordance with them
and fully exemplify the Way. The samurai
dispenses with the business of the farmer,
artisan, and merchant and confines himself to
practising this Way; should there be someone in
the three classes of the common people who
transgresses against these moral principles, the
samurai summarily punishes him and thus
upholds proper moral principles Within his
heart he keeps to the ways of peace, but without
he keeps his weapons ready for use. The three
classes of people make him their teacher and
respect him. By following his teachings, they are
enabled to understand what is fundamental and
what is secondary.

The warrior code (bushido)

A true samurai had to follow bushido, the rules
for the correct and moral behaviour of samurai.
His first duty was to be loyal to his daimyo, even
to the point of being prepared to commit ritual
suicide (seppuku) if he betrayed this trust.

Source 8.5.1

R. Tsunoda et al, Sources of the Japanese

Tradition, Columbia University Press, New York,
1958, pp. 399400.
Photograph of a reproduction of samurai armour from the
sixteenth century. This was made in 1860 and presented as a
gift to Queen Victoria.

As city life and trade developed in the latter

part of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the economic
and social position of samurai began to decline.

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Source 8.5.3

This is a true story about the fate of 47 ronin (samurai without a master). It took place between
the years 1701 and 1703.

The tale of the 47 ronin

At Japanese New Year it was the custom for the
Emperor to send greetings to the court of the shogun.
The celebrations often went on for days. The shogun
appointed Lord Asano to be one of his representatives
at the ceremonies, but being unaware of all the proper
manners required, Lord Asano asked Lord Kira for
advice about proper behaviour and dress.
Lord Kira was annoyed at the small present
offered to him and gave Lord Asano false
information. As a result, Lord Asano wore the wrong
robes to the ceremonies and was very embarrassed.
Outraged, he drew his sword and attacked Lord
Kira, wounding him on the forehead. Drawing a
sword in the shoguns palace was an extremely
serious offence and the shogun ordered Lord Asano
to commit suicide.
After saying goodbye to his family and faithful
samurai, Lord Asano plunged a sword into his stomach
and cut it open in the ritual suicide called seppuku. In
the world of the warrior this was an honourable way
to die. Having lost their master, Lord Asanos samurai
were now ronin or masterless samurai and 47 of them
plotted revenge. They believed their master had been
unfairly treated and that his death was caused by Lord

Kira. To prevent any suspicion of their intentions, they

pretended to be irresponsible men. Some even left
their wives and families and often visited the pleasure
districts.
Lord Kira was aware that he might be attacked
and always kept a strong bodyguard. It took two
years for the 47 ronin to get their revenge. One
snowy night, Lord Kira held a party. His guards got
drunk and left him poorly defended. The 47 ronin
broke into his house and eventually found him
hiding in a little hut. They recognised him by the
scar on his forehead. The ronin demanded that Lord
Kira commit seppuku but he was too cowardly to do
so. They cut off his head instead and carried it to
Lord Asanos grave.
Hearing that Lord Asanos former samurai had
taken revenge, the shogun became angry. He had
forbidden such an act and the ronin had defied his
authority. He demanded that all 47 of them commit
seppuku. Having avenged their dead master, the
ronin all did as the shogun ordered. By committing
seppuku they paid the highest debt both to their lord
and to their ruler. In Japan to this day they are
regarded as heroes.

THE NINJA
Ninja were members of mountain families, often
descended from outcast samurai, who fought a
kind of guerrilla warfare in order to survive.
Lacking in numbers and having to operate in difficult terrain, they developed ninjitsu, or art of
stealth. To outsiders they had a reputation for
using unorthodox fighting techniques that
samurai would never stoop to. Their skill as
shadow warriors meant that daimyo would
sometimes employ ninja for night raids, spying,
assassinations and break-ins, but most ninja
simply fought for survival.

SAMURAI WOMEN
In Japanese society, a woman was expected to
follow the principle of threefold submission: submission to her husbands parents, to her husband
and to her adult offspring. A daughter of a
samurai would be trained in the use of the halberd (combined spear and battleaxe) and in the
care of her fathers horse. She would also be
taught how to commit suicide if necessary by cutting her jugular vein with a small dagger.

Check your understanding

1. From the text and sources, list the important roles
the samurai played during the Tokugawa period.
2. What part did (a) Buddhism and (b) Confucianism
play in the role of samurai?
3. What roles were performed by Japanese women?
Using sources
1. Look at the photograph in source 8.5.1. What might
be the advantages and disadvantages of the
samurais armour?
2. Carefully read source 8.5.2.
(a) Why is the samurai considered to be in a
special position in society compared with the
farmers, artisans and merchants?
(b) What evidence is there that Confucian beliefs
were stressed during this period?
3. Read source 8.5.3 and write a paragraph on:
(a) why the ronin killed Lord Kira
(b) how the ronin followed the code of bushido.
Worksheets
8.5 A school for samurai

239
CHAPTER 8: FEUDAL JAPAN

8.6
CEREMONIES, LITERATURE
AND THEATRE
In the more settled life of the Tokugawa period,
the daimyos and their samurai usually lived in
towns that grew and developed to meet their
needs. With urbanisation came a new focus on
the arts, such as literature, theatre and crafts.
This was also combined with a long-held love of
ritual, so that simple events could have an elaborate ritual that went with them.

CEREMONIES
The best example of a Japanese ritual is the tea
ceremony. Buddhist monks first practised ritual
tea drinking in the fourteenth century to keep
them awake during meditation, but later the ceremony spread to other members of society. A Portuguese priest, Father Joao Rodriquez (1563
1633), who spent thirty years in Japan, described
the purpose of the tea ceremony as to produce
courtesy, politeness, modesty, exterior moderation, calmness, peace of body and soul, without
any pride or arrogance.
The ceremony took place in a special room of
the house. It was a small room with a low door,
so that participants would practise humility as
they bowed to enter. At one end was an alcove for
special objects such as flower arrangements,
pottery, small works of art and Buddhist scrolls.

Source 8.6.1

Before entering the tea room, guests would

practise Shinto beliefs of cleanliness by washing
their hands and rinsing out their mouths. Once
they entered the room, the host would bring out
the tea vessels that were as simple as possible.
They would then have special sweets and be
served tea. When they had finished their tea,
they would discuss the merits of the flower
arrangements or works of art, or even the tea
vessels themselves.

LITERATURE
Japan produced what are probably the first
novels in the world (these are discussed in
section 8.2). The Japanese also created distinctive forms of poetry. One of the oldest forms of
Japanese poetry is a 31-syllable poem called a
tanka. It is based on five lines in the pattern
5-7-5-7-7. From the tanka tradition, two other
forms grew, called renga and haiku. Renga, or
linked verse poetry, was very popular from the
thirteenth to the sixteenth century. Some of the
poems ran to a hundred stanzas and were
composed by groups of seven or eight people
working together. Haiku, or starting verse
poetry, was becoming very popular by the
sixteenth century. Inspired by his travels in
remote parts of Honshu, the poet Matsuo Basho
wrote many haiku, two of which are included in
source 8.6.2.

Source 8.6.2
Shizukasa ya
Iwa ni shimi iru
Semi no koe

Netsu kusa ya
Tsuwa mono domo ga
Yume no ato
In summer grasses
are now buried
glorious dreams of ancient
warriors
some of the rituals that are part of the ceremony

Two haiku by Matsuo Basho

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Calm and serene

the sound of a cicada
penetrates the rock

Source 8.6.3

Source 8.6.4

A
of aa Nohn
noh play
A photograph
performace of
play

A photograph of a modern bunraku play

THEATRE
Attending plays and other performances became
a popular pastime in the imperial court. Many
distinctive forms of Japanese medieval drama,
such as noh, kabuki and bunraku, are still
popular today.
Noh drama was the creation of a fourteenthcentury Shinto priest. It began as a dramatic way
of presenting Shinto and Buddhist beliefs but
came to be used for non-religious themes as well.
Actors come onto the stage by walking through
the audience on a raised passageway. Three small
pine trees and a row of pebbles at the front of the
stage indicate that the plays were originally performed outdoors. Apart from this the stage is
usually bare. The actors and chorus are all male,
even when playing the parts of women. Some
actors wear fine masks and represent emotions by
the way they move their heads and bodies.
Kabuki was the popular form of theatre with
spectacular scenery, extravagant costumes and
violent and exciting actions. As in the noh plays,
men played womens roles and the greatest
actors were, and still are, those who can perfect
the posture, gestures and voices of women.
In bunraku, many of the stories were similar
to those in kabuki but the actors were half lifesize puppets. Unlike human actors, puppets
could be beheaded on stage, or make leaps
impossible for humans. The dramatic action was
accompanied by a shamisen, a three-stringed
instrument. Japanese puppets were moved by
hand, not strings, so the performers who
manipulated the puppets and spoke the lines
became celebrated figures in society.

Check your understanding

1. In what ways did the development of towns and
court life help in the growth of arts and literature?
2. What elements of the tea ceremony are related to:
(a) Shintoism
(b) Buddhism?
3. What were the three main forms of drama? Describe
the differences between each form.
4. What actions could be done on stage using puppets
that would be impossible with human actors?
5. Give examples where modern film techniques have
made many of these things appear possible for
human actors.
Using sources
Use Bashos poetry (source 8.6.2) as a model for some
of your own haiku. The rules below will help you
understand the haiku form:
Write only three lines for each poem; they dont have
to rhyme.
First line five syllables; second line seven syllables;
third line five syllables.
Be imaginative and include fresh, interesting images
from nature.
Communicating
1. Look at source 8.6.3. With a partner, take turns in
wearing a simple mask that covers your face. Try to
convey different emotions just by the way you
move your body. See if your partner can interpret
these correctly.
2. Working in groups, write a short bunraku play that
exploits the possibilities of using puppets.

241
CHAPTER 8: FEUDAL JAPAN

8.7
A RICH LEGACY IN
ART AND CRAFTS
The artistic achievements of Japan are recognised and admired worldwide. While many traditions originated in mainland Asia, changes and
refinements over many centuries have made
them distinctively Japanese. Buddhism has
made major contributions to Japanese arts and
culture: richly illustrated books and the ornate
architecture of pagodas, gates and cloisters were
some of the new concepts. Many of the artistic
traditions you will read about in this section
continue to be practised in Japan today.

PRINTMAKING
In Japanese cities during the medieval period,
the rich men and women lived a life quite separate from that of the ordinary men and women.
It was referred to as the floating world and was
best shown in the prints of the period. These
were called ukioyo-e, which meant pictures of
the floating world.
The images were first carved into wooden
blocks (with the image reversed). Areas that
were to remain white were cut away. Ink was
then spread over the raised sections of the block
and thin paper was laid face-down across it. The
back of the paper was rubbed to transfer all the

colour. At first, prints were done in black and

white and coloured by hand but, by the eighteenth century, techniques for printing four
colours were developed, by making a separate
block for each colour.

ORIGAMI
Origami is Japanese paper folding. In ancient
times, Shinto shrines provided special paper for
paper cutouts of human figures that were used in
purification ceremonies. However, as paper became
more widely available, origami also became an
entertainment, which is its main purpose in Japan
today. The paper is rarely cut, only folded. Origamis other uses include wrapping for gifts and
folding traditional ornaments (see page 246).

INRO
These small containers of lacquerware were
probably first used around the twelfth century to
carry seals and seal paste to stamp on documents. However, by the late medieval period they
had been adapted for carrying medicines. The
beautiful decoration of inro (often with gold or
silver foil) showed the owners status and wealth.

Source 8.7.1

Source 8.7.2

A woodcut print by Hiroshige (17971858) from his series

Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road

Two finely lacquered inro from the Edo period (16011868)

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RETROactive 1

as samurai or court ladies are still popular today.

A doll festival is held every year on 3 March.

BONSAI
Bonsai or tray planting came to Japan from
China around 800 years ago, about the same
time as Zen, and has continued in Japan over
many centuries. Bonsai trees as old as seven or
eight hundred years still exist. They are grown
in small pots or shallow ceramic trays and
ideally look as natural as possible. Techniques of
trimming roots and branches keep the trees
between one-thirtieth and one-sixtieth of their
natural size. For example, a beech tree which
might grow to 30 metres in the wild can be kept
as small as 32 centimetres.

KITES
Kites are another Japanese art form associated
with religion. It is possible that they originated
in ancient times as a way of making offerings to
the gods or sending prayers to heaven. There are
also stories about them being used for sending
messages in time of war. By the late Middle Ages,
kites decorated with dragons, warriors and Chinese lions were flown for fun. Kite battles
became a popular form of public entertainment.

Source 8.7.3

Check your understanding

1. How did the ideas and culture that Japan borrowed
from the Asian mainland become distinctively
Japanese?
2. What is the English translation of ukioyo-e? Why
was this term used to describe the woodcut prints of
this period?
3. Explain the links between religion and the arts by
summarising the ideas in a table. Draw up four
columns with the following headings: Art form;
Time of origin; Religious purpose; Later use. Enter
information into the table on each of the art forms
mentioned on these pages (you could extend this
table to include the types of literature and drama
covered on pages 2401).

Creating

Bonsai fruit tree

DOLLS
Dolls have a very ancient history in Japan and
many styles have developed over the centuries.
The first dolls were probably prehistoric clay and
stone figurines with religious or magic significance. Wooden dolls as playthings seem to have
been popular in the Heian period (AD 7941185)
and other sorts of dolls were used in Shinto
ceremonies at the emperors court during the
twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Dolls dressed

1. Making a proper woodcut print requires special

timber and sharp tools. However, you can try the
same process using a potato cut in half. Using the
cut edge of the potato, cut out the shape (reversed)
of a letter of the alphabet, paint over the flat surface
then print it onto paper.
2. Make your own inro from an empty plastic pill
bottle. Attach plastic tubing to each side with sticky
tape (these will be channels for the cord). Glue
decorated paper over your inro or use plain white
paper and paint your own Japanese themes on it.
Finally, thread coloured cord (about 30 centimetres
long) through the channels and tie it in a neat bow
at the bottom. At the lid end, tie a knot in the loop
of cord, thread on a large bead or button and knot
the cord above the bead to secure it.
Worksheets
8.6 Origami jumping frog

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CHAPTER 8: FEUDAL JAPAN

8.8
CONTACT AND ISOLATION: JAPAN
AND THE RED-HAIRED BARBARIANS
We have seen that from earliest times Japans
own rich culture was influenced by China and
Korea. This influence could be direct, as in the
use of a Chinese script. The influence could also
be indirect, as in the part Korean monks played
in the early days of Buddhism, and as in the
attempted Mongolian invasions of Japan in the
fourteenth century. When the voyages of exploration from Europe began in the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries it was only a matter of
time before the Europeans too would reach
Japan.

Dutch were confined to a tiny artificial island in

the middle of Nagasaki harbour and were
allowed only one annual visit to the shogun.
However, these red-haired barbarians, as they
were commonly known, were allowed to import
any books except those dealing with Christianity.
From these, the Japanese gradually came to
have some knowledge of Western science.

Source 8.8.1
A lords fascination with firepower

EUROPEAN TRADERS AND

THEIR INFLUENCE
During the 1500s, several European nations
were looking to expand their empires into Asia
and increase their wealth through trade. This
brought many foreigners to the East and in 1543
some traders from Portugal landed on a Japanese island near Kyushu.
At first the contact between the Europeans
and Japanese was friendly. The Japanese people
were introduced to many new products, such as
tobacco and Chinese silk. But it was a weapon
that held most fascination for them a type of
musket that the Portuguese merchants brought
with them. Source 8.8.1 recounts the efforts of
one daimyo to copy the invention and work out
how to make his own muskets. This ability of the
Japanese people to study Western products and
technology and improve on them was to make
Japan a wealthy industrial nation by the 1960s.
After a few years, the rulers of Japan were
becoming increasingly concerned about the influence of the Europeans. The rulers began to pass
laws that restricted trading and certain religious
activities. Eventually, in 1639, they banned
Portuguese ships from Japan and executed any
traders who tried to land there. Japan cut itself
off from the rest of the world and remained
isolated from foreign influences for over 200
years.
The Dutch were the only group of Europeans
permitted to remain in Japan. This was partly
because they were Protestants and contrasted
themselves with the Portuguese Catholics. The

On seeing this article, Tokitaka regarded it as a

most extraordinary thing, but did not know its
name or its use.
Afterwards people called it teppo, but I am
not sure whether the name is of Chinese or of
native origin. One day Tokitaka asked the two
foreigners to teach him its use, and he soon
became so skilful that he could nearly hit a
white object placed at the distance of a hundred
steps. He then bought two pieces, regardless of
the very high price asked for them, and kept
them as the most precious treasures of his
house. He continued to practise shooting
incessantly, and at last made himself so skilful
that he never missed his aim. As for the
manufacture of the mysterious machine,
Tokitaka had his retainer Sasakawa Koshiro
instructed in it. He also ordered some
blacksmiths to manufacture the tube and after
much labour they so far succeeded in their work
that they could produce almost similar articles,
but they did not know how to close one end.
Next year the foreign merchants again came to
Kumano. Among them there was one
blacksmith. Tokitaka was filled with joy, and at
once sent one of his retainers to learn from him
how to close the end. In this way the
manufacture of fire-arms was learnt, and in a
year or so sixty or seventy muskets were
manufactured.
Dairyuji Fumiyuki, in J. Murdoch and I. Yamagota, A
History of Japan During the Century of Early Foreign
Intercourse (15421651), Office of the Chronicle, Kobe,
1903, p. 42.

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and their unique artistic and cultural pursuits

that began in the imperial period.
The codes of behaviour that marked the
relationship between the daimyo and samurai are
still a part of Japanese society. For example, Japanese workers have been known for their loyalty
to their companies and dedication to their work.
The sense of honour has been an important feature
of the way Japanese managers have conducted
business. The traditions of Shinto and Buddhism
also continue to bind most Japanese families.
Family life is very important and the principles of
duty and obligation to parents are still strong.
The role of the emperor was also to change. In
the Japanese constitution that applied until
1945, the emperor retained the power to declare
war and conclude treaties, and could open and
close parliament. (The importance of this in
ending World War II is examined on page 248.)

Source 8.8.2

A woodcut print by a Japanese artist showing a railway

station in Japan in the nineteenth century

The shoguns were afraid that Western ideas

would destroy their traditional way of life.
Although
Japanese
scholars
did
study
astronomy, medicine and other sciences through
translating Dutch works, the study of politics
was banned. This changed in the middle of the
nineteenth century. The shoguns realised that
the only way to resist the increasing Western
influence was to adopt Western ideas and technology but maintain Japanese values.

JAPANS CULTURAL LEGACY

Only fifty years after the period of isolation ended
in 1853, Japan began its transformation into one
of the worlds wealthiest and strongest industrial
nations. It was quick to learn from the West,
absorbing the latest in technology and perfecting
its work systems. The Japanese became market
leaders in the manufacture of electronic goods,
cars and many other products. However, they did
not abandon their customs and principles. They
continued to practise the traditional ceremonies

Check your understanding

1. List four different foreign influences on Japan. For
each one, state:
(a) the countries that influenced Japan
(b) the nature of the influence.
2. What were three things the Portuguese brought to
Japan?
3. Present the dates and events from the 1500s
onwards, as described in this section, as a timeline
in your workbook.
Using sources
1. Carefully read source 8.8.1 and answer the
following questions.
(a) What is the object being discussed?
(b) What are two pieces of evidence that show the
Japanese could learn quickly from the foreigners?
(c) What problem remained and how was this
problem solved?
2. (a) Study the woodcut print in source 8.8.2 and
make a list of the forms of transport that can be
seen in the print.
(b) The first Tokyo railway station opened in 1871,
using building designs and technology adapted
from the West. Find out what type of train Tokyo
is famous for today.
Researching and communicating
1. By 1905 Japan was strong enough to defeat Russia.
Carry out research into the RussoJapanese war of
19045.
2. The Mitsubishi company was established in the
1870s by a former samurai. Research the early
history of this company.

245
CHAPTER 8: FEUDAL JAPAN

Check & Challenge

3. Japanese paper folding or origami is a popular
pastime and many elaborate designs can be
created. Try making an origami bird by following
the guidelines in source 8.9.2. Display your finished
creations in the classroom.

TEST YOURSELF
1. For each of the following words, find the
description (a) to (l) that matches it.
eta
Shinto
daimyo
Pillow Book

bunraku
shogun
Buddhism

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)

bushido
kamikaze
haiku

Source 8.9.2

The religion that means way of the gods

A more common form of currency than coins
The book written by Sei Shonagon
A form of printing from wood
Japanese three-line poem
A form of puppet theatre
The name given to the class of people below the
merchants
(h) The lord whom the samurai served
(i) The religion that originally came from India
(j) The rules of correct behaviour for a samurai
(k) Word meaning divine wind
(l) The leading warrior, just below the emperor
2. Choose one of the following assignments:
(a) Use your local or school library to find the text of
a noh play to perform in class. A good book is
Anthology of Japanese literature (Penguin Classic,
1978) edited by Donald Keene. Good
encyclopedias and CD-ROMs are also useful
resources about Noh.
Make a poster of the noh stage showing where
the actors stand. Research the characters and
movements of the actors. Find out about noh
masks, and make some to use in your presentation.
(b) Make an illustrated poster about shrines, temples
or castles in Japan. Use your library or the
Internet to find details. The following search
terms may help: Himeji, Shinto, Zen.

Source 8.9.1

A photograph of a Japanese temple

An origami pattern for a bird

1
Fold

Fold upper
leaf back
3
Fold

4
Lift up other
wing and
make head
5
Lift up
the wing

Draw
in eyes

Cut here to
shape body

4. The Tale of the Heike tells the story of the struggle

for power at the end of the twelfth century between
the Taira family (Heike) and the Minamoto family
(Genji). Read source 8.9.3, which tells part of this
famous story.
(a) Why do you think Naozane wanted to fight a
great enemy commander?
(b) Why was Naozane at first disgusted with the
boys behaviour in war?
(c) Why did he decide to spare the boys life? What
made him change his mind?
(d) The powder and blackened teeth of the boy seem
unusual to us. What other things can you think of
that were once considered fashionable or

246
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beautiful but are now no longer regarded in

that way?
(e) Why did the flute make such an impression
on all the people who saw it?

(f) Why do you think Naozane no longer wished

to be a soldier and instead turned his
thoughts towards the spiritual life?
(g) What have you learnt from this story?

Source 8.9.3

The death of Atsumori

After the defeat of the Heike clan at Ichi-no-tani,
Kumagai Naozane, a Genji soldier, was walking his
horse toward the beach. He was hoping to come
across a Heike noble or courtier fleeing to the
ships. As he was thinking about how much he
would like to take on some great enemy
commander, Naozane noticed a solitary horseman
making his way through the sea towards the ships.
The Heike soldier rode a dappled horse whose
saddle gleamed with gold, and he wore an
embroidered silk hitatare jacket, a suit of armour
and a horned helmet.
Naozane called out to the Heike soldier: Shame
on you turning your back on an enemy. Turn back
and face me, coward!
The soldier wheeled his horse around in the sea
and rode back to fight. Naozane galloped to meet
him and, as he came alongside his enemys horse,
Naozane reached out, threw him to the ground
and pulled off the other mans helmet in readiness
for cutting off his head. But what he saw was the
face of a mere youth of no more than seventeen
years. His beautiful face was powdered and his
teeth blackened*. He was about the same age as
Naozanes own son.
Who are you? Naozane demanded. If you tell
me your name, I will not take your life.
No. Give me your name first, said the boy.
I am not important in the greater scheme of
things. My name is Kumagai Naozane of Musashi.
Well, you have found a worthy opponent in me.
Once you cut off my head and show it to others,
you will soon find out who you have killed, said
the boy.
Naozane pondered this. He must be a leader of
the Heike. Whether I kill him or save him, it will
not change the outcome of this battle. And think
of my own son, Kojiro: when he was injured even
slightly this morning, my heart was sore. Think
how this boys father will feel if his son is killed!
No, I will not take his life.
However, at that very moment, Naozane looked
behind him to see fifty horsemen riding towards
them. He held back his tears. Alas, even if I
spared your life, the place is still swarming with
my fellow Genji, your enemies. You cannot
escape. If you must die, I will take this burden on

myself. I promise that prayers will be said for your

rebirth in heaven, said Naozane.
I could not live honourably if you did not, said
the youth. You must take my life at once!
Naozane was so distraught with pity that he
could scarcely lift his sword, and his eyes were
blinded by tears. But there was no other way.
Weeping, he brought the sword down and
beheaded the boy. Alas! Who would be a soldier?
It is a hard and bitter life. Only one born to a
warrior family could carry out such an act. He
raised his sleeve to his face and wept. Then,
needing something to wrap the head in, he began
to remove the boys hitatare jacket. As he did so,
he noticed a flute in a small cloth bag tucked in the
boys waistband. This was the flute we heard
playing this morning! It must have been this boy
with his friends inside the castle walls, distracting
themselves before the battle. I doubt that any of our
men brought such an instrument with them. Truly,
these courtiers and nobles are refined people.
Naozane returned to his commander and fellow
soldiers, and told them what he had done. When
he showed them the flute, everyone present was
moved to tears. Only then did Naozane discover
that the boy was Atsumori, the youngest son of
Tsunemori, a senior Heike courtier. The boy had
lived seventeen years.
From that moment, Naozanes thoughts
increasingly turned towards the spiritual life and
the idea of becoming a monk.
[*To blacken ones teeth was thought
beautiful at that
time in Japan.]

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CHAPTER 8: FEUDAL JAPAN

EMPEROR AKIHITO: ROLE OF THE

JAPANESE EMPEROR TODAY
IMPACT OF WORLD WAR II
The position of the Japanese emperor in
modern Japan is quite different from the
emperors of the medieval period. Today,
Japans ruling emperor and empress are
viewed in much the same way as people
in Australia and Great Britain view the
British royal family. However, the Japanese have a great respect for their royal
family and would never allow details of
their private lives to be splashed over the
front pages of Japans newspapers.

Traditionally, the Japanese believed that their

emperor had magical powers and the ability to
communicate with the gods. This meant that, from
the earliest times, the emperor had no involvement
in the day-to-day running of the government. Such
things were beneath him. Instead, policies and
laws were made by ministers who served the
emperor. By the twelfth
Source 8.10.1 century, Japans leading
minister and effective ruler
had assumed the title of
shogun. This contrasts
greatly with European
monarchs who, until the
nineteenth
century,
would often actually
govern their countries.
In 1889, the new
Meiji
constitution
was written. This
placed the emperor
as the head of the
empire of Japan with
the right to declare
war, command the
army and maintain
order. However, in
practice the emperor
remained
above
government and made
no decisions himself.

In early 1945, the Japanese were facing certain

defeat in World War II by the American and
other Allied forces. However, even after the
United States dropped two devastating atomic
bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, the Japanese military leaders refused
to surrender. It was the Emperor Hirohito who
eventually brought about Japans surrender. He
ordered the commanders to cease fighting and
spoke on national radio to the Japanese people to
announce that the war was over. This was a dramatic moment for two quite different reasons.
First, the emperor was making a direct impact
on military policy. Second, this was the first time
that the people of Japan had ever heard the voice
of their emperor.
During the war, Japan had been responsible
for serious acts of cruelty on Allied prisoners-ofwar. Many people in the United States, Britain
and Australia wanted Emperor Hirohito put on
trial for war crimes. Immediately after the war,
Japan was ruled by US General Douglas
Macarthur and, mainly due to his influence, the
life of Hirohito was saved. Macarthur and others
believed that it would help post-war Japan and
the world at large if the emperor was used as a
symbol of the new Japan.
A new constitution was introduced to Japan
after the war. Known as the Showa constitution,
it changed the role of the emperor dramatically
(see source 8.10.2). Japans emperor now had no
political powers. His role was a ceremonial one
and all his actions required the advice and
approval of the Cabinet. An even greater change
came on New Years Day 1946. The Emperor
Showa (Hirohito) declared that he was not a god.

Source 8.10.2
Extract from the Showa constitution:

The Japanese emperor Hirohito

(reigned 192689)

[The new constitution made the emperor] . . . the

symbol of the State and of the unity of the people,
deriving his position from the will of the people
with whom resides sovereign power . . .

248
RETROactive 1

LINK TO THE MODERN WORLD

Source 8.10.3

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko with Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen Mother
at Buckingham Palace, London, in May 1998

EMPEROR AKIHITO: THE

MODERN EMPEROR
The emperor of Japan, Akihito, who came to the
throne in 1989, is believed to be Japans 125th
emperor. His reign is called Heisei which means
the achievement of complete peace on Earth and
in the heavens. Akihitos role as emperor is quite
different from those of his predecessors. His position is still held in high esteem and older Japanese people maintain enormous respect for their
emperor. However, in recent years there have
been efforts to make the royal family appeal to
the people with a feeling of warmth and affection, not with the cold distance of previous generations. The Japanese royal family has, however,
avoided the close media attention that the
British royal family have endured in recent
years.
The emperor and his wife try to present to
the world a modern, educated, middle-class,
democratic Japan. When the son of Emperor
Akihito married, he chose a highly educated
career woman who is fluent in several languages. She is very different from the hidden,
submissive wives of Japans imperial past and
indicates how much the Japanese monarchy has
changed.

Check your understanding

1. What is the most significant difference between the
way the Japanese people view the emperor today
and how they viewed him in medieval times?
2. What role did the emperor play in ruling Japan?
3. What was significant about Japans surrender at the
end of World War II? Explain what happened to the
position of the emperor after World War II.
4. What image do the present emperor and empress
try to convey to the people of Japan and the world?
Using sources
1. Read source 8.10.2. What is the importance of the
phrase deriving his position from the will of the
people with whom resides sovereign power?
2. Examine source 8.10.3. Is there any evidence in the
photograph that relations between the British and
Japanese royal families might still be strained?
Researching and communicating
Choose one of the following topics to research in pairs
or small groups and present a report to the class.
1. Research what happened at Changi, on the Burma
Railway, and Sandakan during World War II.
2. Research the life of Emperor Hirohito.
3. Do an Internet search to find out current news
about Crown Princess Masako and daughter Aiko.

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CHAPTER 8: FEUDAL JAPAN