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Heian Period

Heian Period. Movement to “ Heian - kyo ” known today as Kyoto, capital of Japan from 794 until 1868. Abandoning the Chinese. Sent no further missions to China severed continental contact = increasing independence, adaptation. The City of Heian-kyo (do not copy). Rectangular

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Heian Period

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  1. Heian Period Movement to “Heian-kyo” known today as Kyoto, capital of Japan from 794 until 1868

  2. Abandoning the Chinese • Sent no further missions to China • severed continental contact = increasing independence, adaptation

  3. The City of Heian-kyo (do not copy) • Rectangular • about 2 1/2 miles across from west to east and about 3 1/2 miles long from north to south. • A stone wall about 6 foot high with a 9 foot ditch on both sides surrounded the city. • The city had two rivers running at its edges: the Kamo on the east side and the Katsura on the west side • Beyond the rivers, mountains ring the city on the east, north and west sides. • 5 million people. Of these, probably 50 thousand lived in HeianKyo.

  4. Development of Writing Kanji: • used by men in Heian period • Chinese characters • difficult to learn Hiragana • used by women during the Heian period • alphabet still used today

  5. Our Resources: Women Writers Lady Murasaki Shikibu • The Tale of Genji/ Tale of the Shining Prince • Depicts Heian aristocratic life Sei Shonagon • Author of the Pillow Book

  6. The Cult of Beauty • Aesthetic sensibility and emotional depth show of aristocracy and ranking • Poetry, calligraphy, music, perfume, dress

  7. Japanese Houses http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEnbfAgxfgs

  8. The Pillow Book (do not copy) • "A preacher should be good-looking. For, if we are properly to understand the worthy sentiments of his sermon, we must keep our eyes fixed on him while he speaks; by looking away we may forget to listen. Accordingly an ugly preacher may well be the of sin . . . ." (Shonagon 106)

  9. Keeping Up Appearances • men and women wore heavy, light coloured make-up (small goatee for men) • both sexes: make-up coloured part of the lips since small mouths (and eyes) were a sign of beauty

  10. Women • Plucked eyebrows and painted new ones higher up • rouged their cheeks and tiny mouths • dyed their teeth black • hair parted in the middle, unadorned, flowed to the ground

  11. The Cult of Beauty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvyskAURwCs

  12. Costumes Men: • Wore stiff black cap, patterned, waist-length robe with voluminous sleeves over billowing trousers whole outfit in shades of white, brown, or black

  13. Costumes Women: • Long silken robes  colourful and patterned (Sometimes wore as many as 12 of these robes, one on top of the other). • Each robe had shorter sleeves than the one beneath, so a rainbow of colours flashed when the arms moved

  14. The Heian Court • Preoccupation with art, etiquette, literature, costume, language lost touch with reality

  15. Meanwhile, in the real world... Power Structure Changing: • Provincial warrior’s power increasing (the early samurai). • Increase of private landownership made powerful families more powerful (by 10th century no more public land allotments)

  16. Court growing increasingly removed from provinces in their charge (sending court-appointed governors) • Central control weakened

  17. Loss of Power Within the Court

  18. Emperor’s loss of personal power 1. The use of Regents • Fujiwara family • Family provided empresses • Enthronement of young emperors (born of Fujiwara mothers) • older men in family able to declare themselves regents 2. Early abdication • Young emperor controlled by abdicated emperor (rather than a regent) • Way of combating Fujiwara regents

  19. Minor nobles vying for power • Formed armed guards bushi (warriors) and samurai (retainers) • Grew powerful by making alliances • Became powerful enough to intervene in the central court

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