Yoshi’s Gift

1. Yoshi’s Gift • ヨシ'ス・ギフト AJ Clarke, Mindy Xu, Chris Chiu, Ishan Mishra, Andy Kim

2. Map • Source: • Image: Virginia University, About Japan, http://www.virginiauniversity.com/history/database/japan.htm • Information: Gunn, First Globalization, Pg 27. • Justification: • ConnectiontoTheme: • Hierarchal: There was a fixed system of administration in Japan. This was done by dividing Japan into provinces which were looked over by governors. These governors were all appointed by the government in the capital, Heian-Kyo. • Image: The map shows the division of Japanese land done by the government in the capital. These divisions made it easy for Japan to deal with all of its problems. 2

3. Ishan The Monk Subtopic: Beliefs Sources: Image: Miho Museum- Seated Buddha with Dharmachakra Mudra, 2013. www.miho.or.jp/booth/html/artcon/00000804e.htm (Nov. 27, 2013). Information: Encylopedia Britannica, 11th ed., s.v. "Buddhism" Ibid, 11th ed., s.v. "Heian" Justification: Connection to themes: Honour: Buddhism advocated “honouring your parents as jewels”, and as it was the state religion, it reflected the beliefs of a great deal of the Japanese population Model & Improve: The Japanese didn’t just accept the Chinese versions of Buddhism shown to them; they branched out and created two new schools, namely the Tendai and Shingon schools of Buddhism. This showed their ability to model their society after another’s, and to improve on the original model. Image: A seated Buddha. His eyes are closed in meditation, and his mind is separate from his worldly affairs. Such statues were common in Ancient Japan as Buddhism was their State Religion.

4. Ishan Honour Subtopic: Beliefs Source: Image: British Museum- Museum Gallery, Kokon Bushido Ezukushi, image 18/23, 2013. http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?partid=1&assetid=162340&objectid=780053 Information: Sharf, The Zen of Japanese Nationalism, Pg 111. Justification: Connection to Themes: Honour: The later Japanese had a code of honour which they strictly adhered to. Although that specific code, Bushido, came much later, the development of the idea of honour was happening in this period; it was mostly limited to literary forms, however. Model & Improve: The notion of "honour" and "Respect" was a central part of Confucianism; it was termed filial piety. The Japanese improved upon this Chinese belief by combing certain aspects of Confucianism with Buddhism, their state religion. Image: An early book, called "Kokon Bushido Ezukushi". This was one of the first books to ever capture the notion of fighting for honour. Although warriors are shown here, it was still a long time before the legendary Samurai and Ronin came along.

5. Art Pawn Shop AJ Clarke Form of Record Keeping • Sources: • Information • Deal, William E. Medieval & Early Modern Japan. New York: Facts on File, Inc. 2006 • Image: • Morales Amber, StudyBlue, Quiz 3, April 2nd, 2012, http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/quiz-3/deck/2603748 (November 30th, 2013) • Justification: • Connection to Themes: • Honour- poetry was a sign of honour and respect to be given poetry was to be given the perfect gift. Their were mostly written by women and talked about the flow of nature and changing seasons. E.x. the way snow would fall to the flow of a stream. • Image: • This is an image of an olden Japanese poem written vertically and in classical Japanese style. 5

6. Mindy Women of the Court Subtopic: Gender Sources: Image: Tokyo National Museum, National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, Segment of The Diary of Lady Murasaki, 1008 CE. (A-01291). http://www.emuseum.jp/detail/100341/000/000?mode=simple&d_lang=en&s_lang=en&word=heian+empress&class=&title=&c_e=&region=&era=&century=&cptype=&owner=&pos=1&num=4 (Nov. 29, 2013) Information: Newman, Echoes from the Past: World History to the 16th Century, p.374. Fujiwara, “Japanese Women in the Heian Period”. Justification: Connection to Themes: Hierarchal: A Japanese woman could advance herself and her family in society by becoming concubine or empress of the emperor., and in doing so win titles for the men in her family. If she gave birth to a son and he became emperor, she would become the Imperial Matriarch and have control over the court and her son. In the Heian period, one clan, the Fujiwara, claimed the sole right to produce empresses for the emperor, thus securing their status and power. Image: The painting and the scroll depicts the birth of prince Atsuhira Shinnou (later Emperor Goichijou) by Empress Fujiwara no Shoshi, a daughter of the Fujiwara clan.

7. Mindy Women of the Court Subtopic: Gender Sources: Image: Kyoto National Museum, National Treasure. Segment of the Yugiri Chapter in the Tale of Genji, Murasaki Shikibu, ca.1015 CE. (B-414). http://www.emuseum.jp/detail/101051/029?word=&d_lang=en&s_lang=en&class=&title=poem&c_e=&region=&era=6&cptype=&owner=&pos=1&num=2&mode=detail&century (Nov. 29, 2013) Information: Newman, Echoes from the Past: World History to the 16th Century, p.375. Van Houten, Women in the Japanese World, p.15. Justification: Connection to Themes: Model & Improve. While aristocratic men aimed to master classical Chinese (the only “respectable” type of writing), aristocratic women adopted Chinese characters and remodeled them to create “kana”, a more suitable writing system in their native language. Image: The Tale of Genji contains thousands of embedded poems, written in kana, like the one to the right. Lady Murasaki Shikibu, who was a lady-in-waiting to Empress Shoshi, kept extensive diaries, poems, and stories that show life in the capital Heian-kyo.

8. Andy K. Minamoto Clan Subtopic: Politics Sources: Image: Wikipedia. Fujiwara no Mototsune. Apr 2008.        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fujiwara_no_Mototsune.jpg. (Dec 1st , 2013) Information: Morton, Japan, pg.39 Justification Connection to Theme(s): Hierarchical : Shows the Fujiwara Family’s full control of the government, due to the fact that regents or kampakus were in charge of every action even after the emperor was of age. The Fujiwaras were on top of the hierarchy, while no power belonged to the ‘Emperor’. Image: A painting of Fujiwara Mototsune, the first kampaku, also known as a civil dictator, who was acting as a regent even after the Emperor attained his majority, thus allowing him to apply his influence on the whole country

9. Andy K. Minamoto Clan Subtopic: Politics Sources: Image: The Japanese book "天皇一二四代 (Tennō hyakunijūyondai)", in Bessatsu-Taiyo, Heibonsha, 1988. (Dec 1st , 2013) Information: Morton, Japan, pg.39 Justification Connection to Theme(s): Hierarchical : The Fujiwara family is reckoned to have their peak since the time of Emperor Sesho, when Fujiwara Yoshifusa became a sessho(regent) for the nine year old Emperor. Image: A painting of the Emperor Seiwa who had came to the throne at the age of nine, which allowed the Fujiwara family to rule the country under his name.

10. Chris Chiu Warrior Subtopic: Economics Sources: Image: The History of Fighting, Samurais of the Heian Period. http://www.historyoffighting.com/samurai-warriors-of-the-heian-period.php . (November 29, 2013) Information: Justification Connection to Theme(s): Honour: The warrior was considered a person with the highest honour in Traditional Japan, and it still is in some parts in Modern Day Japan. Model/Improve: Warriors were appointed to rule cities and provinces and just like any government official, their job was to keep people happy and to improve the city/province. Image: The warrior class contributed most to economics, as the provinces and cities were controlled/ruled by high-class warriors appointed by the emperor, later shogunate. That means that they were also the ones who built markets and trade routes within the area that they controlled.

11. Chris Chiu Warrior Subtopic: Economics Sources: Image: Wikipedia, Japanese Currency, N.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_currency . (November 29, 2013) Information: Morris, The World of the Shining Prince; Court Life in Ancient Japan, p. 73 Justification Connection to Theme(s): Isolation: Japan wanted to be known as an independent state/country by separating most connections with China, and that led to their downfall. Plus, by the year 1000, the government didn’t know how to issue currency, so instead of creating a new system of currency, they just used rice as a form of currency. Image: This is a bowl of rice, and it is related because the government didn’t new country, nor did they know how to issue currency, so they just used rice instead of paper money.

12. ENDING Sources: Image: Apogee Photo Magazine- Creating Glycerin Drop Reflections, 2013, http://www.apogeephoto.com/march2013/creating-glycerin-drop-reflection-photos-with-focus-stacking.shtml (Nov 28, 2013) Information: None; pure storyline. Justification: Connection to themes: Model and improve: Japan can be considered like this dew drop; both are very small in size, comparative to the rest of its surroundings, but by reflecting an image of the things surrounding it (for the dew drop, the sky, the ground, etc, and for Japan- China, India, etc) both of them get a deeper meaning and gain value. Japan went a step farther than the dew drop, and improved upon all the values and systems that it absorbed into its own system Image: A dew drop, reflecting the universe outside of it. By doing so, it gains depth and appears to have value to the outside world.