Samurai, Shogun, Zen Monks, and

Puppeteers:

Life in Medieval and Tokugawa Japan

Part One

Hiroshige- 100 Views of Famous Places in Edo- The street Suruga-cho and Mount Fuji

Geography• Japan is a group of islands (archipelago) formed of mountains.

• Some mountains were formed by the force of two tectonic plates that meet under Japan. The others are volcanoes. Earthquakes are common.

Mount Fuji from Inume Pass by Katsushika Hokusai

South Korea

North Korea

People’s Republic of China

Russia

Tokyo

Kyoto

• Japan is slightly smaller than California.

• The four main islands are at the same latitude as the Eastern USA from Georgia to Maine.

• Climate is similar to US East Coast, but temperatures are more extreme, due to ocean currents.

• About 80% of the country is mountains. Forests cover 70% of Japan.

• This means that all the people are crammed into about a quarter of the land, mostly along the coast. Only 12% of Japan is farmland.

Three-storied pagoda of Seiganto-ji Temple, with Nachi Falls behind. Part of the temple complex at Kumano.

Shinto• Shinto is Japan’s original

religion.

• It is an example of Animism, worshipping the power of the Kami, the nature spirits of the islands’ mountains, lakes, and waterfalls.

• Shinto also venerates the spirits of ancestors and the Imperial Family.

• There are shrines at beautiful spots all over Japan, as well as in every home.

• Shinto has no scriptures, no moral code. Nearly all Japanese practice both Shinto and Buddhism

Buddhism• Siddhartha Gautama: Indian prince, lived during

5th Century BC.

• Lived in luxury in his palace, until age 29.

• Left palace and saw four visions along the road: an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a monk.

• He sat under a tree and meditated for many days, then came up with the “Four Noble Truths,” which are the basis of Buddhism:

Life is suffering.

Suffering is caused by desire for worldly things.

Suffering can be ended by giving up desires.

The only way to overcome desire is by practicing the Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

The Daibatsu Buddha is the largest Buddha statue in Japan, weighing more than 450 tons. Made of bronze, it was completed in 1252. Photograph taken in 1926.

Buddhism• Buddhists, like Hindus, believe that the

soul is reincarnated until the person lives in accordance with the truth (Dharma).

• Actions in this life will influence how one is reborn next time (Karma).

• Those who achieve enlightenment will be freed from this endless process of birth, suffering, and rebirth (Samsara).

• Nirvana is the state of transcendence, when your soul has ceased to be reborn.

• Some Buddhist sects also believe in a Western Paradise, or Pure Land, where the souls of believers will spend eternity in happiness.

• Buddhism spread from India to China and other Asian countries.

• Around 500 AD, Chinese monks brought both Buddhism and writing to Japan.Japanese painting of Amida Buddha, the focus of the

Pure Land sect.

The Emperor• The earliest Japanese history

book, written in the 700s, states that the country was founded in 660 BC by Jimmu, the grandson of the Sun Goddess.

• The same family sits on the Crysanthemum Throne today.

• The Emperor’s real title is Tenno, which means “Son of Heaven.” The job is really more like a pope than an emperor.

• His Majesty is the top Shinto priest and the intermediary between the Japanese and their Gods.

• Japan is the only country in the world to have had just one ruling dynasty.

Enthronement portait of Hirohito, the Showa Emperor, 1926.

ABOVE: The Emperor’s flag.

LEFT: Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion at the Rokuon-ji Temple in Kyoto.

Heian Era• About 800 AD, a new Imperial

capital was built in Kyoto.

• The Emperor’s court ruled the country from the lovely palaces, gardens and temples of this city. They also produced the first great masterpieces of Japanese literature.

• Over time, different families struggled for power within the court.

Samurai Battle by Utagawa Kuniyoshi..

Civil War• Two families, the Taira and Minamato, began to

struggle for control over the Imperial Court.

• Each family sought the support of local lords (Daimyo) from across the country. Soon all Japan was divided.

• In 1185, the Minamato finally won a decisive victory, destroying the Taira and the child Emperor they were protecting. This story is told in the Heike Monagatari.

• Now that the whole population was armed, only a military government could restore order.

• In 1185, the leader of the Minamato family declared himself Shogun, and set up his military government (Bakufu) in the city of Kamakura.

• The Imperial Court continued in Kyoto, but no longer held political power.

• Military rule would last for nearly 700 years.

The Battle of Sekigahara, where Tokugawa destroyed his enemies..

Shogun• Unfortunately, rule by one warrior

inspired others to challenge him, leading to frequent civil wars.

• Not all Shoguns were equally strong. In 1467 another major civil war broke out and Japan became a battleground for countless warlords and their feuds, with no effective central government.

• Finally, in 1600, a general named Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated all the other warlords. He reunited Japan and his family ruled as Shoguns over a peaceful nation for 2.5 centuries.

• He established a new capital in the city of Edo, now called Tokyo.

• The Tokugawa government closed the country to outsiders and banned guns-a ban that would last until 1853.

Social Structure

Tokugawa restructured Japanese society to put control back in the Shogun’s hands. Here were the new classes, from top to bottom:

• Shogun—Supreme military ruler.

• Daimyo—The feudal lords of Japan’s different provinces.

• Samurai—The warrior class that served the Daimyo in battle.

• Farmers—Who grew the food that the whole system relied on.

• Merchants—Chonin city dwellers become patrons of

• “Floating World” geisha, actors, puppeteers, writers, and artists

Daimyo• These warlords retained their old lands,

but were tamed by three policies:

Requiring them to attend the Shogun’s court in alternate years forced Diamyo to spend large amounts on town palaces and travel and prevented them from training a private army at home.

The Daimyo’s family stayed in Edo when he went home, serving as hostages for good behavior.

As long as they paid their taxes, Daimyo were allowed to operate their lands as they wished.

• Tokugawa gave the lands closest to the capital to those Daimyo families who were friendliest to him, putting more difficult lords in outlying areas.

Yoshimori- Daimyo Procession from Famous Places on the Tokaido- Mt Fuji

Samurai• Originally just servants, became hereditary class of

warriors.

• Bushido--”Way of the Warrior.” This Samurai code of honor emphasized loyalty, courage, proper behavior, and skill. Similar to chivalry in Europe.

• Loyalty was most important. A samurai’s entire purpose was to serve and possibly die for his Daimyo.

• Zen Buddhism, with its focus on experience and stoic attitude to death, became the Samurai religion.

• Ronin: Masterless samurai. Without a lord to serve, Samurai could end up living as brigands, since they were not supposed to engage in trade. Over time this became a major problem.

• Japanese castles were a key element in Samurai warfare. They were built and functioned much like European castles, although they had a little different appearance.

• The long Tokugawa peace slowly transformed Samurai from warriors to administrators and scholars.

Actual samurai warriors photographed in their old armor, 1890.

Himeji Castle was built in 1331 and renovated in 1580. It features all the typical castle defences: hilltop position, a moat, concentric series of stout walls, numerous towers, walls filled with loopholes for firing projectiles at the enemy, a giant keep, and a mazelike arrangement of courtyards. Today it is a Japanese National Treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.