|
The written history of Japan began in 405 AD when
Japan adopted a written language. People had already been living on
the Japanese islands for thousands of years. The islands were still
joined to the mainland until about 13,000 years ago.
Japan's history is punctuated by alternating periods of isolation
from the outside world and involvement with it. This has helped Japan
maintain a uniquely individual culture while borrowing much from
others. The primary cultural influences on early Japan were Korea and
China, its nearest neighbors. Korea's greatest function, however, may
have been to serve as a bridge for ideas from China.
Pre-history
Historians call Japan's earliest pre-history period the
Period, which lasted from about 12,000 BC until 300 BC.
The Jomon people may be the ancestors of today's Ainu (aboriginal)
people. They were hunters, gatherers and fishermen.
The word Jomon comes from the name of their pottery, which
some archeologists think is the world's first pottery. It is simple
but sophisticated -- and consists of clay figures and vessels
decorated with patterns made by pressing cords and sticks into wet
clay.
During the next time period, the
Yayoi
Period (300 BC to 300 AD), two very important things
happened. One was the organization of people into clans, which are
groups of related families. Family and clan loyalty have always been
the most valued human qualities in Japan.
The other was rice.
Rice
 Rice
was introduced from Korea and China sometime during the first century
AD. At first it was farmed primarily in northern
Kyushu.
Gradually rice production spread throughout the country and rice
became more than just the basis of the Japanese diet. It became the
basis of Japan’s entire economic, political and social structure. In
fact, until 1868 rice was the basic unit of exchange inside Japan.
Medieval Japan functioned much like medieval Europe. In Europe,
farmers paid taxes in crops to their feudal lords.
In Japan, they paid taxes in rice. The society In Japan was
structured with the emperor and ruling class on top, then the
Samurai (the warrior class) and then the farmers. Merchants and
the service class were even lower. In Japan, o-kome "honorable
rice," was (and is) sacred. In the Shinto religion, sake (rice wine),
rice cakes, and other rice products are the most sacred of all
offerings. (We'll tell you more about Shinto -- and other Japanese
religions -- in our next Instruction.) [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/satoyama/rice.html]
To a nation that must import most of its meat, fish and fruit, rice
became an important symbol of independence. The Japanese government
still prohibits the importation of rice unless local farmers can't
grow enough to satisfy the national appetite.
Ancient and Classical Japan
Ancient and Classical Japan lasted from 300 AD to 1185 AD. It
is divided into four periods:
- The Kofun Period (300-538 AD)
- The Asuka Period (538 - 710 AD)
- The Nara Period (710 - 784 AD)
- The Heian Period (794 - 1185 AD)
- The Kofun (Yamato) Period
Daisenryo Kofun, the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, Osaka, 5th century.
One result of the introduction of rice into Japan was the unification of small
communities into larger entities. By 400 AD, a center of power had developed
in the Kinai plain and the country was united as Yamato Japan. Its
political center was in the province of Yamato (today's Nara). The name
Kofun comes from the name of the large tombs (kofun) that were built for
political leaders.
Kofun (Yamato) Japan stretched from Kyushu to the Kinai plain. A court had
been established with a ruling figure called the "tenno" (emperor). This
emperor was only a symbol of the state, however. His main duty was to
perform Shinto rituals. The real power in Japan resided in the clans -- and
during this time period the Soga clan was in charge.
The Kofun period was a period of major change. In 405, the Japanese court
officially adopted the Chinese writing system, which was introduced by way of
Korea. Another import was Buddhism.
- The Asuka Period (Buddhism)
Bodhisattva, Asuka period, 7th century, Tokyo National Museum.
Buddhism originated in India in the 6th century BC. It consists of the
teachings of the Buddha, Gautama Siddhartha. There are a number of different
branches (sects) of Buddhism -- and it was the Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) sect
that came to Japan.
Mahayana Buddhism arrived from China and Korea in the 6th century AD.
It was welcomed by the ruling class as Japan's new state religion. However, it
didn't catch on with the common people at first. That was mainly because of
its complex theories. There were also some conflicts between Buddhism and
Shinto (Japan's indigenous nature religion). These were overcome and the two
religions soon co-existed in harmony. They still do today. It was during this
period that
 the greatest cultural hero in early Japanese history came on the
scene -- Prince Shotoku.
Prince Shotoku
In 592 AD, Imperial Prince Mumayado no Toyotomimi became regent under his
mother, Empress Suiko (592 - 628). He took the ruling name "Prince Shotoku."
Prince Shotoku had very definite ideas about what a government
should be.
The Chinese government was his model and Buddhist principles of peace and
salvation were the ideals underlying his government. His political policies
were based on Chinese Confucian doctrine.
Prince Shotoku' s greatest legacies to Japan were a revised court system and
the Seventeen-Article Constitution. In 603, he established a system of 12
court ranks. The status of court officials was shown by color of their caps.
The ranks themselves were named for Confucian values -- virtue, humanity,
decorum, faith, righteousness and knowledge. Each of these values had two
grades -- a greater grade and a lesser grade.
The Constitution / Foreign Affairs
In 604, Prince Shotoku created a 17-article constitution. This constitution
set forth the ideals of the state and a number of rules for human conduct. In
it, the ruler, the government ministers and the people were described as the
three human elements of the state. Specific rights and duties were laid down
for each.
Prince Shotoku's greatest achievement in foreign affairs was the opening of
relations with the Sui dynasty (581-618) in China. He conducted negotiations
as though the two countries were equal. He supposedly shocked the Chinese
emperor by addressing him as the ruler of the nation "where the Sun sets,"
while referring to himself as the ruler of the nation "where the Sun rises."
He sent Japanese students to study in China and was himself a profound scholar
of Buddhism (although Shinto was still the prevailing religion of Japan at
this time).
Several Buddhist temples that were founded between 601 and 607 at Ikaruga are
still standing. They are thought to be the oldest wooden structures in the
world. After Prince Shotoku's death, members of the imperial family struggled
for power with the Buddhist clergy as well as with the regents, the Fujiwara
Clan.
Although the Yamato emperors were nominal rulers, actual power was held either
by court nobles, regents or Shoguns (military governors).
The era of the Fujiwara Clan was to last until the rise of the Samurai
(military class) in the 11th century.
- The Nara Period
In 710, Nara became the first permanent capital of Japan. It was
modeled on the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, Chan'an (Xi'an).
Internal power struggles continued, but Japan still maintained good
relations with both the Korean peninsula and China. In 784, the
Japanese capital was moved to Nagaoka in an attempt to escape the
power of the Buddhist priests. (It was later moved to Kyoto -- in
794.)
- The Heian Period / The Arts
The Heian Period was the final period of classical Japanese history.
It lasted from 794 until 1185. It is considered the peak of the power
of the Japanese imperial court and is noted for its poetry, art and
literature.
Japanese national identity grew rapidly during this period. Buddhism
came to incorporate more Shinto practices, which led to its being
adopted by a wider population. Buddhist statues became more formalized
and were usually made of wood; some workshops actually mass-produced
them. Shinto images also appeared for the first time. Until this
period, Japanese art had been heavily influenced by the traditions of
other countries. This began to lessen as Japan began to create its own
secular (non-religious) style.
Kana writing, a distinct Japanese form of calligraphy, developed and
Yamato-e, a type of secular painting, appeared. The most famous book
in early Japanese history -- a novel called The Tale of Genji -- was
written at this time. Amazingly, it was written by a noblewoman,
Murasaki Shibuku.
Yamato-e were landscape paintings of well-known scenic spots and
majestic mountains. These paintings showed rivers, hills of pine trees
and thatched roofs of cottages. The paintings were often used to
decorate screens, as the colors were applied in flat layers. This
technique was also used in the illustration of Emaki-mono narrative
(story-telling) hand scrolls. Lacquerware also became more
decoratively stylized.
The Heian Period / Politics
On the political scene, the Fujiwara family continued to exercise
control through strategic inter-marriages with the imperial family.
They also held all the important government offices in the country.
This clan reached its peak under Fujiwara Michinaga in 1016. After
Michinaga, the ability of Fujiwara leaders declined -- and public
order could not be maintained. Wealthy landowners began to hire
Samurai (warriors) to protect their land.
After the Fujiwara era, a new form of government called the Insei
Government arose. Insei emperors exerted political power from 1088
until 1156 when Taira Kiyomori became the new leader of Japan.
In the 12th century, two aristocratic military families gained power
-- the Minamoto (Genji) and Taira (Heike) clans. After the Heiji
Rising in 1159, a power struggle began between the two families. Taira
Kiyomori ruled the country from 1168 to 1178 (with the emperor as
figurehead, of course). He had to deal not only with the rival
Minamoto family but also with the increasingly militant Buddhist
monasteries. After Kiyomori's death, the clans fought a decisive war
(the Gempei War) for supremacy. The winner, Minamoto Yoritomo, became
the new ruler of Japan. After eliminating all his potential enemies,
he was appointed Shogun (highest military officer) and established a
new government in his home city of Kamakura.
The feudal period in Japan was about to begin.
Feudal Japan
The feudal period of Japanese history was dominated by powerful
regional families (Daimyo) and military rule by warlords (Shoguns).
During this time, the emperors continued to be mostly figureheads.
Feudal Japan lasted from the twelfth century through the nineteenth
century. Feudal societies are usually characterized by an emphasis on
social order.
Japan was no exception.
The feudal era is divided into periods by reigning Shogun families:
- The Kamakura Period (1192 - 1333)
- The Muromachi Period (1336 - 1573)
- The Azuchi Momoyama Period (1573 - 1603)
- The Edo Period (1603 - 1867)
1. The Kamakura Period
Minamoto Yoritomo's government in Kamakura was organized in a simpler
way than the previous government in Kyoto. The most traumatic event of
the period was an attempted Mongol invasion, which took place between
1272 and 1281. Massive Mongol forces with superior technology and
weaponry (including the first known exploding cannonball) attempted a
full-scale invasion of the Japanese islands.
A famous typhoon referred to as a kamikaze ("divine wind") is usually
thought to have devastated the Mongol fleet. The attempted Mongol
invasion had devastating consequences inside Japan and led to the
extinction of the Kamakura shogunate. A brief period of imperial rule
was reestablished and the "Japanese Middle Ages" began.
2. The Muromachi Period
The Muromachi Period lasted from 1336 until 1573. In 1336, the
Muromachi shogunate (also known as the Ashikaga shogunate) was
established by the first Muromachi Shogun, Ashikaga Takauji. It ended
in 1573 when the 15th (and last) Shogun (Ashikaga Yoshiaki) was driven
out of the capital by Oda Nobunaga.
The early years of this period were known as the Northern and Southern
Court Period. That's because a dispute over succession led to the
establishment of two rival imperial courts -- one in the North (Kyoto)
and one in the South (Yoshino). Hostilities lasted for over 50 years
and the two courts fought many battles. Kyoto was repeatedly
destroyed. The Southern Court finally gave in and the country was
again unified.
The Age of Civil Wars
Between 1368 and 1408, the central government began to lose its
influence over the outer regions of the country. During the 15th and
16th centuries, the influence of the Ashikago Shoguns declined to
almost nothing. The political newcomers of the age were members of
land-owning military families. These new feudal lords were called
Daimyo. The Daimyo fought against each other constantly during the
upcoming Age of Civil Wars.
Two key Daimyo played a major role in unifying the county as it had
been before the wars. Their names were Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi
Hideoyoshi. Full reunification would not take place, however, until
the founding of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1600. The period following
the Age of Civil Wars was full of conflict and new events. [http://www.pbs.org/empires/japan/timeline_1500.html]
Eager for firearms, the Japanese warlords welcomed trade with the
Portuguese. Along with trade, the Portuguese brought Christian
missionaries. The landing of the Jesuits in 1543 marked the beginning
of European contact with Japan. They also brought Japan into the
emerging global world.
3. The Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573 - 1603)
Oda Nobunaga finally captured Kyoto in 1568. As he attempted to unite
Japan, he eliminated his enemies one by one -- especially those from
the Buddhist Pure Land Sect, which had become very powerful.
Fortunately for him, two of his most dangerous rivals died before they
could confront him. In 1582, he was murdered by a traitorous "friend,"
the notorious General Akechi.
Toyotomi Hideoyoshi, a general fighting for Akechi, reacted very
quickly. He
avenged Nobunaga's death, defeated Akechi and seized power for
himself.
Toyotomi Hideoyoshi
Toyotomi Hideoyoshi is considered one of the greatest military leaders
in Japanese history. In only 8 years -- by 1590 -- he managed to bring
all of warring Japan under his control. In order to keep control,
Hideoyoshi destroyed many of the castles that had been built
throughout the country. He confiscated the weapons of all farmers and
religious institutions. He forbade the Samurai to work as farmers and
ordered them to move to castle towns.
He also issued an edict expelling Christian missionaries.
Nevertheless, the
Franciscans did manage to enter the country in 1593 and the Jesuits
remained active in the west. After uniting Japan, Hideoyoshi somewhat
over-ambitiously attempted to conquer China. In 1592, his armies
invaded Korea and captured Seoul. However, they were pushed back by
the Chinese and Koreans in the following year.
Hideoyoshi stubbornly refused to give up until the final evacuation
from Korea in 1598, the year he died. Tokugawa Ieyasu -- who had been
a partner of both Hideoyoshi and Nobunaga -- succeeded Hideoyoshi as
the most powerful man in Japan.
4. The Edo Period
After Hideoyoshi's death, Ieyasu did not honor his word to support
Hideoyoshi's designated successor, Hidyori. In the battle of
Sekigahara in 1600, Ieyasu defeated Hideyori loyalists and was
appointed Shogun by the emperor. He established his government in Edo
(Tokyo). The Tokugawa shogunate continued to rule Japan for a
remarkable 250 years.
Leyasu brought the whole country under tight control. He redistributed
land -- giving extra land to those who had supported him before
Sekigahara. During this period, the administration of the country was
shared by over two hundred Daimyo (landownders). Each Daimyo was
required to spend every other year in Edo, which was a tremendous
expense and limited his power at home.
The members of the Tokagawa clan kept the title of Sei-I Taisho-gun
(Shogun) for themselves. Leyasu, the first Shogun of this era,
promoted foreign trade -- although foreigners living in Japan were
expelled. Since Ieyasu and his successors had few rivals, peace
prevailed throughout the Edo period. The warriors (Samurai) had time
to educate themselves not only in the martial arts but also in
literature, philosophy, the arts and the tea ceremony.
Isolation Begins
In 1633, a later Tokugawa Shogun, Iemitsu, forbade Japanese people to
travel abroad. By 1639, he had almost completely isolated Japan by
reducing virtually all contact with the outside world.
This period of isolation didn't dampen the flowering of Japanese
culture, however -- it encouraged it. During the so-called Genroku
era, new art forms like Kabuki and Bunraku (theater) and Ukiyo-e (a
special kind of wood-block printing) became popular, as did music.
Domestic trade and agricultural production also grew.
The most important philosophy of Tokugawa Japan was Neo-Confucianism.
This stressed the importance of morals, education and hierarchical
order in government and society. A strict four-class social system
existed. At the top stood the Samurai, followed by peasants (farmers),
artisans and merchants. People were not allowed to change their social
status.
The Tokugawa government remained stable over several centuries, Its
position eventually declined due to higher taxes among farmers and
years of natural disaster and famine. The social hierarchy began to
break down as the merchant class grew more powerful and some Samurai
even became subservient to them.
Isolation Ends
 In 1792, the Russians unsuccessfully tried to establish trade
relations with Japan. In 1854 U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry forced the
Japanese government to open a limited number of ports for trade. The
period of isolation was coming to an end. Throughout the Edo Period,
the development of commerce, the rise of cities and the pressure from
foreign countries changed the environment in which the Shoguns and
Daimyo ruled. In 1868, following the Boshin War, the shogunate
collapsed and a new government formed around the emperor.
Some historians consider the Edo period the end of Feudal Japan.
Others consider it the beginning of early modern Japan.
YouTube Video Instruction
*Availability of You Tube video links may vary. eTAP has no control of these materials.
Reading List
|
Craiger, J.G.,
Mason, R.H.P:
A History of Japan |
Meyer, Milton W. :
Japan: A Concise History |
for Students, Parents and Teachers
Now let's do Practice
Exercise 5-1 (top).
Next Page:
Shoguns, Samurai, and Japanese Culture (top)
|
