BRIEF TIMELINE

Jomon Culture (4000 BC)

Yayoi Culture (300 BC)

Yamamota Period (250-710)

Kofun (250-538)

Asuka (538-710)

Buddhism (552 priests from Korea arrive)

Prince Shotoku (574-622)

Taika Reform (645) by Emperor Kotoku

Taiho Code (702)

Nara Period (710-784)

Heian Period (794-1185)

Fujiwara Period (858-1160)

Tale of Genji

Civil War (1156-1185)

Heiji Rebellion (1160)

Gempei War (1180-1185)

Rise of Minamoto leader Yoritomo (1147-1199)

Kamakura Period (1185-1333)

Feudalism

Shokyu War (1221)

Mongol invasions (1274)

Kemmu Restoration (1333-1336)

Ashikaga (Muromachi) Period (1336-1573)

Civil Wars

Unification (1568-1599)

Tokugawa (Edo) Period (1600-1867)

Meiji Restoration (1868-1912)

Taisho Period (1912-1926)

Showa Period (1926-1989)

World WAr II

Heisei Period (1989 to present)

GEOGRAPHY

• Four main islands

• Hokkaido

• Honshu (main island)

• Kyushu and Shikoku

• Size

• 146,000 square miles (size of Montana)

• Climate: temperate

• Slightly warmer on east coast (where most people live)

• Economy

• Most people live on east coast

• Around cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto

• Where farmers could harvest two crops of rice annually.

• Topography and fertility

• Most of Japan is mountainous (from Volcanoes)

• Only about 20% of the land is suitable for cultivation

• But volcanoes create extremely fertile = very productive

• Natural disasters

• Japan is prone to earthquakes (1923 earthquake destroyed Tokyo)

• Earthquakes cause Tsunamis (as in 2011)

• Consequence of geography

• Culturally homogeneous (similar features) = culturally and ethnically distinct.

MYTHOLOGICAL BEGINNING

Legend of Amaterasu

• Written in 8th c. B.C.E.

• Islands formed as result of marriage between god Izanagi and goddess Izanami.

• They gave birth to a sun goddess Amaterasu

• Full name: Amaterasu-ōmikami

• Meaning "the great kami (god) who shines in the heaven

• A descendant of Amaterasu descended to earth and became founder of Japanese nation.

• Story explains

• Uniqueness of Japanese people

• And divinity of the Japanese emperor (a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu)

EARLIEST CIVILIZATIONS

• Japanese islands have been occupied for 100,000 years

JOMON PEOPLE (14,000-300 B.C.E.)

• Earliest Neolithic inhabitants

• Named for cord pattern on their pottery

• Lived in islands from 8000 BC

• Hunting, fishing, food gathering (possibly cultivated some food crops)

• Agriculture introduced 1000 B.C.E.

• Rice cultivation introduced by immigrants from China about 400 B.C.E.

YAYOI (300 B.C.E - 200 C.E.)

• Immigrants who drove out inhabitants

• Name "Yayoi"

• From site near Tokyo where pottery from the period was found

• Mixture of Jomon and new arrivals.

• Enriched by wet rice brought from immigrants.

• Yayoi were descendants of majority of present-day Japanese.

• At first lived primarily on southern island of Kyushu

• Eventually moved northward to main island of Honshu

• Driving out locals (Ainu) (some still in northern islands

• In first centuries C.E. Yayoi settled in the Yamato plain

• near modern-day Osaka and Kyoto

YAMATO PERIOD (250-710 C.E.)

• Legend of Jimmu

• Divine warrior who led his people eastward from island of Kyushu to establish a kingdom in Yamato plain

• Yamato government and society

• In central Honshu, Yayoi set up a tribal society based on a number of clans called uji

• Each uji was ruled by a hereditary chieftain

• Who protected local population

• In return for proportion of annual harvest.

• Population

• Small aristocratic class

• Majority were rice farmers, artisans and household servants of aristocrats.

• Society was highly decentralized

• Eventually chieftain of the dominant clan in the Yamato region (who claimed descent form sun goddess Ameratsu) had top title.

• But not centralized like Chinese rules of Shang and Zhou

• Relations with China

• At first Japanese didn't pay attention

• early 7th century rise of Tang (centralized and expansionist)

• Meddled in affairs of Korean Peninsula (worried Japanese)

• Reaction of Yamato rulers

• First sought alliance with remaining Korean states

• Then tried to centralize their authority in order to effectively resist Chinese if invaded.

• Kofun Period (250-538)

• Characterized by a Shinto culture

• Politically, the leadr of a powerful clan won control over much of west Honshu and northern half of Kyushu

• Eventually established the Imperial House of Japan.

• Asuka period (538-710)

• Shotoku Taishi (572-622)

• Leading aristocrat of one of leading families in Yamato region.

• Served under Empress Suiko (592-628)

• Who was the niece of previous emperor Sujun (588-593)

• Sent missions to Tang capital of Chang'an to learn about political institutions.

• Sent first diplomatic mission to China in 607

• 17 Article constitution (written 604, published 720)

• Based on Chinese model

• Called for creation of a centralized government under a supreme ruler

• And a merit system of selecting and ranking public officials

• wanted to limit power of the hereditary nobility and enhance prestige and authority of Yamato rulers (who claimed divine status)

• Articles were very Buddhist and Confucian (morals and virtues)

• Buddhism

• Shotoku supported Buddhism

• From Baetke (Korea)

• Built Buddhist Temple Horyu-ji in 607 (Pagoda is one of oldest wooden building in world)

• First Japanese traveled to China during this period as pilgrims

• By 7th c., Buddhism had become popular among aristocrats

• who endowed wealthy monasteries that became active in Japanese politics

• At first didn't spread to masses

• Then popular sects such as the Pure Land sect (from China) attracted common people

• After Shotoku's death in 622

• His successors continued to introduce reforms to make the government more efficient

Taika ("Great Change") Reform 645

• Set of doctrines established by Emperor Kotoku

• After death of Prince Shotoku (622)

• Aim: greater centralization and enhance power of imperial court (based on Chinese structure)

• ​Made everyone subject to the emperor

• Land and people now belonged to him

• In return clan heads given paid official jobs

• New tax system established.

• Now all farmland technically belonged to the state

• So taxes paid directly to central government rather than local nobility

• Grand Council of State established

• Presiding over a cabinet of 8 ministries.

• 6 traditional ministries of Tang China

• Pus 2 ministers (central secretariat and imperial household)

• Borrowed from Chinese

• Chinese written language used for all official communication

• Territory divided into administrative districts like China

• Rural village (ideally 50 households) was basic unit of government.

• Village chief responsible for

• Assigning forced labor, collecting taxes, law and order, assigning crops and cultivation of mulberry trees, maintenance of household registers

• Taiho Code 702

• Made leader of Yamato clan an emperor (“son of heaven”)

• Criminal laws (applied to all)

Ties with Korea

• Ties to Paekche/Baekje people in southwestern coast of Korean Peninsula

• 552 Buddhist priests from Korea arrived in Japan

• Buddhism introduced 538 by Paekche

• Promoted by ruling class for own purposes

• When Japanese saved King of Paekche from enemies, Koguryo (in north)

• Yamato politically became centralized state

NARA PERIOD (710-784)

• After Shotoku's Taishi's death in 622

• political influence fell to hands of the powerful Fujiwara clan

• which managed to marry into the ruling family

• and continue the reforms Shotoku had begun

• Capital moved from Asuka to Nara in 710

• City laid out on a grid similar to the great Tang city of Chang'an

• on eastern edge of Yamato plain

• Center of Buddhist art, religion and culture

• designed in imitation of Tang Chinese capital, Chang’an

• Without defensive wall

• Yamato ruler began to use title "son of Heaven" in Chinese fashion

• But title stayed with imperial house (not individual selected by "mandate of heaven" because of talent and virtue as in Chinese tradition)

• If it had adopted Chinese style, Jpan might have followed Chinese pattern and developed centralized bureacratic govt.

• But Japan didn't avoid eventual domination by aristocracy

• Civil Service Exam

• Unlike China, exam was not open to all but restricted to individuals of noble birth

• Led to officials being awarded large tracts of land

• and powerful families able to keep taxes from the lands for themselves.

• increasingly, central govt. steadily lost power and influence

In 770, a Buddhist priest named Dokyo tried to become emperor

HEIAN PERIOD (794-1185)

• Influence of powerful Buddhist monasteries in Nara became too powerful

• In 794, Emperor Kamu moved the capital from Nara to Heian (Kyoto)

• (Heian-kyo – “capital of peace and calm” court)

• Heian was his family's original power base.

• Like Nara, it was laid out in familiar Chang'an checkerboard pattern but on a larger scale than Nara

• Emperors were more self-confident

• So stopped emulating Tang

• No longer sent missions to Chang'an.

• Tang was also declining in 838

• Japanese indigenous writing system (like kana) was established

• 800

• Emperor’s power began to fade

• Royal line descended om sun goddess

• continued to rule in name

• but actual power in hands of Fujiwara clan

• who intermarried to link its fortunes to imperial family

• a senior ember of the clan served as rgent forr the emperor.

• By 850

• Fujiwara family was running country

• Emperor was “puppet”

Fujiwara Period (858-1160)

• Imperial family lost political power

• Fujiwara had daughters or sisters married to princes

• When son born they became regent

• Titles Shessho and Kampaku (imperial regents)

• Government decentralized (like before Shotoku Taishi)

• Central governments attempt to impose taxes directly on rice lands failed

• rural areas came under control of powerful families

• whose wealth was based on ownership of tax-exempt farmland called schoen

• To avoid paying taxes

• Peasants gave up lands to local aristocrat

• Who allowed peasants to cultivate lands in return for rent

• To obtain protection from government officials

• Local aristocrats might grant title of their lands to more powerful aristocrat with influence at court

• In return, these individuals would receive inheritable rights to a portion of the income from the estate

• Tale of Genji

• By Murasaki Hikibu (978-1016)

Civil War 1156 to 1185

• Rebellions:

• Hogan Rebellion (1156-1158)

• Led to first stages of feudalism in Japan

• Heiji Rebellion (1160)

• Gempei War (1180-1185)

• A society led by samurai clans emerged under rule of shogun

• Beginning of feudalism

• End of Heian period

• Between Taira and Minamoto clans

• 1159

• Minamoto forces stormed Kyoto

• Attacked emperor’s residence

• Taira

• Dominated imperial government from 1160-1185

• Gempei War (1180-85)

• Final struggle be Taira and Minamoto clans

• Fighting off coasts of Dan-no-ura beach – sea battle

• Rise of Minamoto leader Yoritomo (1147-1199)

• Instituted the (Kamakura) Shogunate (lasted until 1868)

• Persuaded 13-year old emperor to give him title of Shogun

• Made title hereditary

Feudal Japan (1185-1868)

• Emperor was technically at the top

• Although the emperor was only a figurehead

• The government was dominated by warlords (shoguns)

• While dominant power in countryside was in the hands of regional families (daimyo)

• Who hired samurai (warriors) to defend the manor and the peasants

• Power of merchants weak

Kamakura (1192-1333)

• Shogunate

• 1192 court appointed Yoritomo of the Minamoto clan

• To a number of high positions in government

• Yorimoto defeated the Fujiwara clan (miltiary captain, north of Japan)

• Positions were consolidated and he became first person designated the Shogun

• Capital at Kamakura

• To prevent corruption

• Yoritomo established his own government away from the capital

• Based in Kamakura (south of modern-day Tokyo)

• Called the Bakufu

• Samurai

• Government was comprised entirely of samurai (warriors)

• Samurai replaced nobles as real rulers of Japan

• Emperor and Imperial court remained in Kyoto

• Beginning of military rule (military dictatorship

• Yoritomo's sons not as capable

• Power in Kamakura eventually shifted to the Hojo family

• Shokyu War of 1221 (shogun v. emperor)

• Conflict between the Bakufu in Kamakura (shogun)

• And Imperial government in Kyoto (emperor)

• Question over who was really in control

• Imperial army was defeated

• And the Bakufu assumed total control of Japan

Mongols

• Genghis Khan and Mongols terrorizing China

• By 1271 Mongols under Kublai Khan

• Conquered most of Asia

• Sent emissaries to Japan with demands of recognition

• Bakufu sent back negative reply resulting in war

• All Japan united

• First invasion Kyushu 1274

• Saw mass murder of women and children

• Samurai disadvantage

• Virtually no real fighting in Japan for century

• Samurai preferred simple charge into battle

• No recently built castles in the area

• Soldiers to old castles from Yamato Period, almost 600 years ago

• Mongols ran out of arrows

• Tactical withdrawal

• Great storm devastating Mongolian ships as they tried to escape (lost 13,000)

• 7 years Kublai in China

• Giving Bakufu change to organize better defense

• Another wind – “kami-kazi” (divine wind)

• A lot of money spent

• To keep samurai ready for a possible third invasion by Mongols

• Death of Emperor Go-Saga in 1272

• Bitter dispute over succession to throne within the imperial family

Kemmu Restoration (1333)

• Kamakura shogunate was overthrown in coup led by Emperor Go-Daigo and followers

• Kusunoki Masashige

• Nitta Yoshisada

• Ashikaga

• Goal was to bring Imperial house back to power

ASHIKAGA (MUROMACHI) SHOGUNATE (1336-1575)

• New warrior government in Kyoto held weak control of country

• From base in Kyoto's Muromachi district.

• Patrons of newly flourishing art

• Influenced by Zen Buddhist culture as well as samurai and court culture

• Last time Emperor had any power until the Meiji Restoration 1867

TOKUGAWA (EDO) PERIOD (1600-1867)

• Country unified under military government

• Maintained 250 years of peace

• Japan secluded

• Only Dutch could trade with Japanese at Dejima, Nagasaki

• Dutch learning

MEIJI RESTORATION (1868-1912)

Early 19th century turmoil

• ​Declining agricultural productivity

• Periodic crop failures and famines, strvation

• Harsh taxation = economic hardships

• Many cultivators had to sell land and move to towns

• Price of rice and other commodities rose = urban poor

• Samurai and daimyo in debt to growing merchant class

• Peasant protests and rebellions (late 18th c./early 19th c.)

Response of Tokugawa bakufu

• ​Conservative reforms

• 1841-1843, shogun chief advisor, Mizuno Tadakuni

• ​To stem social/economic decline and hellp Tokugawa govt.

• Canceled debts that samurai and daimyo owed to merchants

• Abolished merchant guilds

• Forced peasants to leave cities and go back to cultivate rice

• Reforms resulted in strong opposition = Tadakuni fired.

Foreign pressure

• Trade in Japan controlled/only opened to Dutch and Chinese in Nagasaki

• 1844 British, French and US ships tried to get Japan to open ports

• Tokugawa officials refused

• U.S Commodore Matthew Perry 1853

• US naval squadron to Tokyo Bay 1852

• Perry pointed guns towards bakufu capital, Edo (modern Tokyo)

• Demanded that shogun open Japan to diplomatic and commercial relations

• And sign treaty of friendship

• Shogun quickly gave in to Perry's demands

• Britain, Russia, Netherlands also won rights

• Unequal treaties

• Opened ports to foreign commercial trade

• Government had no control over tariffs

• Foreigners got extraterritorial right (didn't have to follow Japan laws)

End of Tokugawa rule

• Sudden intrusion of foreigners = domestic crisis

• Great opposition of conservative daimyo and emperor

• Didn't like humiliating terms of unequal treaties

• Questioned shogun's right to rule Japan

• Centers of discontented samurai: Choshu and Satsuma

• 1858 opponents gathered at emperor's court in Kyoto

• Slogan "revere the emperor, expel the barbarians"

Civil War

• Tokugawa reacted by dismissing dissident daimyo

• And killing or imprisoning samurai critics

• But Bakufu armies suffered defeats by dissident militia trained by foreign experts with modern, imported weapons

• Shogun forced to resign

Meiji Restoration 1868

• Boy emperor Mutsuhito (later known as Meiji ("enlightened ruler") took power

• Emperor Meiji (r. 2852-1912)

Reforms

• Reasons

• To be a strong as Europe and US

• And win revision of unequal treties

• How?

• Foreign experts hired to help develop economy and train locals

• Japanese students sent around world to study, technology, governments etc.

• Fukuzawa Yukichi

• In 1860 he was on first Japanese mission to the US, then Europe

• Laued constitutional govenremtn and modern educational systems in US and western Europe

• Argued for equality before the law in Japan

• Ito Hirobumi

• To Europe 1882-3 to study constitutions and administrative systems

• Impressed with recently united Germany

• Inspired by German constitution (used for Japan)

• Social

• Goal: to centralize political power (required destruction of old social order)

• Persuaded daimyo to give up their lands to the throne

• in exchange for patents of nobility

• Old domains replaced with prefectures and metropolitan districts controlled by central governemnt

• Samurai class abolished (as well as their stipends)

• Samurai no longer had military monopoly

• No longer allowed to carry swords or wear hair in topknot

• Instead conscript army raised

• Samurai given bonds but they declined in value = samurai poor.

• Some samurai rose in rebellion - but new national army crushed them

• Political

• Authority back to Japanese emperor

• End to series of military governments (in Japan since 1185)

• New government

• Formed by coalition of daimyo, imperial princes, court nobles, samurai

• Goals

• Proseperity and strength

• "Rich country, strong army"

• Constitution

• Pressure for a constitution and representative government

• Emperor believed constitutions gave foreign powers their strength and unity.

• Meiji constitution

• As voluntary "gift" to the people.

• Drafted with help from Ito Hirobumi

• Established a constitutional monarchy

• Diet (legislature)

• House of nobles and an elected lower house

• Could advise Emperor but never control him

• Emperor

• Commanded armed forces

• Named the prime minister

• Appointed the cabinet

• Had right to dissolve the parliament

• When Diet not in session, the emperor could issue ordinances.

• Individual rights granted (but limited to interest of state)

• Franchise limited to property restrictions

• In elections 1890 only 5% of adult male population could vote

• Economic reforms

• Tax system revamped.

• Peasants traditional paid taxes in grain.

• but value of grain fluctuated with price of rice causing revenue to change

• 1873 Meiji government converted grain tax into a fixed-money tax

• Result:

• Government had predictable revenue/peasants had to deal with fluctuation

• Cost peasants 40-50% of their crop yields

• Produced more than 90% of government revenue

• Taxes also assessed on potential productivity

• = Farmers had to maximize production or sell land

• Modern transporation, communication and eucational inrastructure

• Established telegraph, railroad and steamship lines

• Tied local and regional markets into a national economic network.

• No more guild restrictions or internal tariffs.

• Education

• 40% of males and 15% of females literate

• through system of universal primary and seoncary education

• Universities provided advanced instruction for best students (esp. scientific and technical fields)

• Rapid industrialization

• 90% of government revenue from land tax of 1873

• Foreign revenue from export of textiles

• produced in labor-intensive industry

• staffed by poorly paid workers.

• Formation of unions and organization of strikes were considered criminal

• Govt. crushed growing labor movement in 1901

• By early 20th c. Japan was a major industrial power

• Zaibatsus

• In 1880s the governmtn sold most of its enterprises to private investors who had close ties to giovernment officials

BUDDHISM IN JAPAN

• Tendai

• 804, Saicho

• Monastic form of Buddhism

• Isolated monasteries or temples on tops of mountains

• Shingon

• Introduced from China by Kukai (774-835)

• Three Mysteries

• Mantras

• Practiced by Heian nobles

• Pure Land

• Bodhisattva Amida

• Simpler than Tendai and Shingon

• Very popular during a time of degeneration and trouble

• In later half of 11th century (or 1200s)

• Nicheren

• 1200s (troubled time)

• Lotus Sutra

• Zen Buddhism

• Chan in Chinese

• Meditation

• samurai

• Mongols 1274

TERMS

• Bushi – Warrior

• Bushido – Way of the warrior (“death before dishonor)

• Samurai

• Kuge – aristocratic families

• Bakufu – military government

• Seppuku – ritual suicide

• Sekkan (two titles below, Sekkan family like Fujiwara)

• Sessho – title to a regent who assisted a child emperor (1st was Shotoku to Empress Suiko)

• Kampaku – chief advisor for emperor (Heian era)

• Taiko is a retired kampaku

• Writing

• Kanji – adopted Chinese characters

• Kana – pair of syllaberies

• Hiragana – used with kanji for native Japanese words

• Katakana – used for foreign words and names and onomatopoeia