MEDIEVAL JAPAN

1. MEDIEVAL JAPAN SECTION 3 (29 Slides) 1

2. RELIGION • a part of everyday life • most believed in Buddhism & Shinto • worshiped at Shinto shrines & Buddhist temples • each religion met different needs • Shinto – concerned with everyday life • Buddhism – prepared people for the life to come 2

3. Mahayana Buddhism • began in India • spread to China & Korea • developed into many different sects • sects – smaller religious groups • two most important sects … Pure Land Buddhism and Zen Buddhism 3

4. Pure Land Buddhism • won many followers • message – a happy life after death • looked to Lord Amida • Buddha of love and mercy • believed to have founded a paradise above the clouds • to get there… • have faith in Amida • chant his name 4

5. Zen Buddhism • Buddhist monks brought from China • taught people to find inner peace • learned to control their bodies through… • martial arts • or sports that involved combat & self-defense • appealed to samurai • trained to fight bravely & fearlessly 5

6. MARTIAL ARTS • term literally means “art of war” • appealed to samurai who trained to fight bravely and fearlessly • Bodhidharma • Indian monk • taught Chinese monks martial arts to strengthen their bodies • single objective: • to physically defeat other persons • to defend oneself or others from physical threat 6

7. originally, samurai were expected to be proficient • in many weapons • as well as unarmed combat • attain the highest possible mastery of combat skills • for the purpose of glorifying either themselves or their feudal allegiance • over time, this purpose gave way to a philosophy of achieving spiritual goals by striving to perfect their martial skills 7

8. Meditation • person sits cross-legged • motionless for hours • mind cleared of all thoughts and desires • helped people to relax and find inner peace 8

9. CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS • beauty in simplicity • Noh Drama • Haiku Poetry (5/7/5 syllable arrangement) • tea Ceremony • landscape gardening • Ikebana (flower arrangements) 9

10. Art • borrowed ideas from China & Korea • learned to do landscape painting • used ink & watercolors • painted scenes of nature or battles on paper scrolls or silk • developed own style • revealed Japanese love of beauty & simplicity • made wooden statues, furniture, & household items • used lacquer, shiny black & red coating • nobles in emperor’s court learned origami, folding paper & arranged flowers 10

11. Buddhist monks and samurais turned tea drinking into beautiful ceremony 11

12. ARCHITECTURE • builders used Chinese or Japanese styles • Shinto shrines • Japanese style • near sacred rock, tree, or other natural feature • usually wooden, single room, & rice straw roof • people enter through torii, sacred gate • Buddhist temples • Chinese style • massive tiled roof • thick wooden pillars • richly decorated, many statues, paintings, and altars 12

13. ARCHITECTURE • around their buildings • miniature gardens to imitate nature • carefully placed rocks, raked sand, & a few plants • built to create a feeling of peace & calmness 13

14. Ryoanji Temple Stone Garden shows influence of Zen Buddhism (Ashikaga Period) 14

15. WRITING SYSTEM • borrowed from Chinese • Japanese found it difficult to use Chinese characters • added symbols that stood for sounds similar to our alphabet (phonics) • made reading & writing easier • men wrote with Chinese characters (kanji) • calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing • much admired • every well-educated person expected to practice it • person’s handwriting considered to reveal education, social standing, and character 15

16. CALLIGRAPHY • the art of beautiful writing • much admired • every well-educated person was expected to practice it • person’s handwriting was considered to reveal their education, social standing, and character 16

17. ASHIKAGA CULTURE 17

18. POETRY • tanka • oldest form of Japanese poetry • unrhymed poem of five lines • captured… • nature’s beauty • joys and sorrows of life 18

19. Lady Murasaki Shikibu • wrote The Tale of Genji • describes adventures of Japanese prince • world’s first novel • long fictional story • Author of Heian times • helped to develop a native script (kana) for the Japanese language 19

20. JAPAN’S WRITERS • turned out stirring tales about warriors in battle • The Tale of Heike • greatest collection • describes fight between Taira and Minamoto clans • Tomoe – female samurai 20

21. NOH PLAYS • oldest type of play • created in 1300s • used to teach Buddhist ideas • performed on a simple, bare stage • actors wore masks & elaborate robes • danced • gestured • chanted poetry to music of drums and flutes 21

22. ECONOMY AND SOCIETY • under shoguns, produced more goods & grew richer • only small group benefited from wealth • emperor • nobles at his court • leading military officials • merchants & traders prospered • however, farmers remained poor 22

23. FARMERS • hard work • grew rice, wheat, millet, and barley • some owned land • most lived & worked on daimyo estates • life improved in 1100s • better irrigation • planted more crops • sent more crops to market 23

24. ECONOMY GROWS • artisans began making weapons, armor, & tools • merchants sold these items • new roads made travel & trade easier • trade increased with Korea, China, & Southwest Asia • lacquered goods, sword blades, & copper • for…silk, dyes, pepper, books, & porcelain • each Japanese region focused on making goods it could best produce • pottery, paper, textile, & lacquered ware 24

25. GUILDS • medieval business group formed by craftspeople & merchants • Kyoto became major center of production & trade • more artisans settled there • formed guilds to protect & increase their profits • members relied on daimyo for protection from rival artisans • sold daimyo goods not attainable from his estates 25

26. ROLE OF WOMEN • must obey her father, husband, & son • wealthy women • arranged marriages to increase family’s wealth • high position in society • several were rulers • could own property • when Japan became a warrior society with samurai and daimyo, upper-class women lost these freedoms 26

27. ROLE OF WOMEN • farming women • greater say in who they married • worked long hours in fields planting or harvesting rice • cooked, spun & wove cloth, & cared for children 27

28. ROLE OF WOMEN • artisan & merchant women • helped with family businesses • ran the home • merchant wives were best off • some women contributed to Japan’s culture • gained fame as artists, writers & even warriors • The Tale of the Heike describes a female samurai named Tomoe 28

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