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Chapter 14 Medieval Japan. Section 1 Early Japan. I. Japan’s Geography (pg. 485). Japan is a chain of islands that stretches north to south in the northern Pacific Ocean Although Japan’s islands number more than 3,000, many of tiny and most Japanese live on the four largest islands:
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Chapter 14 Medieval Japan Section 1 Early Japan
I. Japan’s Geography (pg. 485) • Japan is a chain of islands that stretches north to south in the northern Pacific Ocean • Although Japan’s islands number more than 3,000, many of tiny and most Japanese live on the four largest islands: • Hokkaido (hah*KY*do) • Honshu (HAHN*shoo) • Shikoku (shih*KOH*koo) • Kyushu (kee*OO*shoo)
The islands of Japan are actually the tops of mountains that rise from the floor of the ocean • About 188 of Japan’s mountains are volcanoes that cause many earthquakes http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/assignment-discovery-shorts-the-ring-of-fire.html
Because of Japan’s mountains, only about 20% of its land could be farmed which forced many Japanese to turn to the sea for a living • The sea surrounding Japan’s islands made it easy for people to travel along the coast and encouraged people to become merchants • This also kept Japan isolated from the rest of Asia and Japan developed its own independent society
II. The First Settlers (pgs. 486 – 487) • Japan was settled by people who came from northeast Asia between 30,000 and 10,000 B.C. • At that time, Japan was joined to the Asian continent by land • These early people were hunter/gatherers who used fire and stone tools
Who Were The Jomon? • In about 5000 B.C., these nomadic groups began to develop a culture • They made clay pottery using knotted cords to make designs in the clay’s surface • Today, this culture is called Jomon (JOH*mohn), which means “cord marks” in the Japanese language
Why Are the Yayoi Important? • The Yayoi (YAH*yoy) appeared at the end of the Jomon culture, about 300 B.C. and are the ancestors of the Japanese people • They introduced farming – they grew rice in paddies. A paddy is a rice field that is flooded when rice is planted and drained for the harvest • They were skilled metal workers – iron and bronze
The Yayoi organized themselves into clans – a group of families related by blood or marriage – and were headed by a small group of warriors • They buried their chiefs in large mounds known askofun • Filled with personal belongings, many of the tombs were as big as Egypt’s pyramids • The largest tomb still stands today and is longer than 5 football fields and at least 8 stories high
Who Are the Yamamoto? • Like many ancient cultures, the Japanese have myths (stories) that tell of Japan’s beginnings • The most important myth explains how the islands were formed by drops of salty water dripping from a spear that two gods dipped into the sea • The gods then created the sun goddess, Amaterasu to rule over Earth and the storm god, Susanowo, as her companion
In the A.D. 500s, a clan called the Yamato became strong enough to bring most of Japan under its rule • Yamato chiefs claimed they came from the sun goddess and, therefore, had a right to rule Japan. • Japanese legend states that a Yamato leader named Jimmu (jeem*mu) took the title “emperor of heaven” • Legend states that all emperors, including the current emperor, Akihoto (AH*kee*Hee*toh), are Jimmu’s descendants
III. Prince Shotoku’s Reforms (pgs. 488 – 490) • About A.D. 600, a Yamato prince named Shotoku (shoh*TOH*koo) came to power • Shotoku admired the Chinese and borrowed many of their ideas • He wanted to create a strong central government and created a constitution, or a plan of government, which gave all power to the emperor
IV. What is Shinto? • The Japanese believed that all natural things like mountains, rivers, and the wind are alive and have their own spirits, called kami • This idea is called animism (A*nuh*MIH*zhum) • These early Japanese beliefs developed into the religion of Shinto, or “way of the spirits”