{"id":307,"date":"2014-08-17T20:12:24","date_gmt":"2014-08-17T20:12:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/worldhistory\/?post_type=chapter&p=307"},"modified":"2014-08-17T23:55:42","modified_gmt":"2014-08-17T23:55:42","slug":"10c-feudal-japan-the-age-of-the-warrior","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/worldhistory\/chapter\/10c-feudal-japan-the-age-of-the-warrior\/","title":{"raw":"10c. Feudal Japan: The Age of the Warrior","rendered":"10c. Feudal Japan: The Age of the Warrior"},"content":{"raw":" \r\n

10c. Feudal Japan: The Age of the Warrior<\/h1>\r\n
\"Female\r\nWhile most samurai warriors were men, some women were renowned for their skill in battle. A monument was erected to honor Nakano Takeko \u2014 a female warrior \u2014 at the Hokai temple in Fukushima prefecture because she asked her sister to behead her rather than die dishonorably from a gunshot wound in captivity.<\/div>\r\nBeing a warrior in feudal Japan was more than just a job. It was a way of life. The collapse of aristocratic rule ushered in a new age of chaos \u2014 appropriately called the Warring States period (c.1400-1600) \u2014 in which military might dictated who governed and who followed.\r\n\r\nThe samurai warriors, also known as bushi<\/i>, took as their creed what later became known as the \"Way of the Warrior\" (Bushid\u00f4<\/i>), a rigid value system of discipline and honor that required them to live and die in the service of their lords.\r\n\r\nIf commanded, true bushi were expected to give their lives without hesitation. Any form of disgrace \u2014 cowardice, dishonor, defeat \u2014 reflected poorly on the lord and was reason enough for a bushi to commit suicide by seppuku<\/i>, or ritual disembowelment. In return for this devotion, the lord provided protection, financial security, and social status \u2014 in short, a reason to live.\r\n\r\nThe bushi swore unwavering loyalty to their immediate masters in the chain of command. But this wasn't always easy. Frequently, switched loyalties and shifting alliances forced the bushi to decide between obeying the daimy\u00f4<\/i> (baron) or following their more immediate lord.\r\n
\"Japanese\r\nAlthough elegant and refined in appearance, Japanese castles were used as military installments. The wood used in their construction allowed these castles to withstand Japan's many earthquakes, but made them susceptible to fire at the same time.<\/div>\r\n

Sh\u00f4gun Might<\/h3>\r\nThe daimy\u00f4 reported to the sh\u00f4gun, more out of political and military necessity than out of loyalty. The sh\u00f4gun became the most dominant feudal lord by subduing the other daimy\u00f4 and receiving from the emperor the impressive title \"Barbarian-Quelling Generalissimo.\" Not that the emperor wielded any sort of political power \u2014 the awesome military might of the sh\u00f4gun often left the emperor little choice but to grant the title.\r\n\r\nThe shogunal rule of the bakufu<\/i>, (tent government) began in earnest with the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when the Minamoto clan defeated its bitter rival, the Taira family.\r\n\r\nWhen Mongol invaders tried to land in western Japan, they were repelled by the Kamakura bakufu \u2014 with the help of kamikaze, powerful storms thought to be of divine origin. Despite this seeming divine favor, though, the bakufu could not withstand the unstable political situation on the domestic front.\r\n
\"Kinkakuji\r\nThe Kinkakuji \u2014 or \"Golden Pavilion\" \u2014 was originally built as a villa for the third Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimitsu. Upon his death, the eye-catching structure became a Zen Buddhist temple \u2014 creating an unusual combination of extravagant decor and minimalist doctrine.<\/div>\r\nThe next to ascend to power were the Ashikaga, who established the Muromachi bakufu (1336-1573). The third Ashikaga sh\u00f4gun, Yoshimitsu (1358-1408), was a patron of the arts and oversaw such cultural achievements as the construction of the picturesque Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) and the flowering of N\u00f4 drama as the classical theater of Japan. The greatest figure in N\u00f4 was Zeami Motokiyo (1363-1443), whose aesthetic and critical theories defined the genre and influenced subsequent performing arts.\r\n\r\nThe downfall of the Ashikaga came about with the rise of the first of three \"Great Unifiers\" who sought to consolidate power. Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) was a minor daimy\u00f4 who embarked on a ruthless campaign for control that culminated in the removal of the last Ashikaga sh\u00f4gun.\r\n

Western Influence, Feudal Struggle<\/h3>\r\n
\"Map\r\nJapan was a land of mystery to foreign explorers such as the English and Dutch, as shown by this somewhat inaccurate 17th-century map.<\/div>\r\nIt was under Nobunaga's watch that Europeans first arrived in Japan, and he took full advantage of their presence. Part of his military success came from his use of firearms, brought to Japan by the Portuguese, which allowed him swift and complete dominance.\r\n\r\nNobunaga's hostility toward Buddhism, which he expressed by burning countless monasteries and slaughtering monks, made him receptive to the influx of Jesuit missionaries from Spain and Portugal.\r\n\r\nWhen Nobunaga's tenure ended in betrayal and death, the next leader who rose from the ensuing chaos was Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), one of Nobunaga's loyal vassals.\r\n
\"Japanese\r\n
Urasenke Foundation<\/div>\r\nThe Japanese tea ceremony, otherwise known as chad\u00f4<\/i>, has very precise steps to follow. This participant demonstrates the correct way to hold a teacup; in her left hand while steadying it with her right.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nOriginally a peasant of humble origins, Hideyoshi surged through the ranks to become a leading general. His hunger for power knew no bounds. He organized two invasions of Korea (both failed) and schemed to make the Spanish Philippines, China, and even India part of his empire.\r\n\r\nHideyoshi's obsession with complete control pushed him to execute Christian missionaries and even to order the great master of the tea ceremony, Sen no Riky\u00fb (1522-91), to commit suicide for no apparent reason. But because of his peasant origins, Hideyoshi was never able to become sh\u00f4gun, and instead he became regent to the emperor.\r\n\r\nAfter Hideyoshi's death, another power struggle ensued, in which two factions battled over the realm. The side led by the powerful daimy\u00f4 Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) prevailed, and within a short time the mighty Tokugawa bakufu was established in Edo \u2014 now known as Tokyo. Centuries of strife were finally over; for the next 300 years, peace and order would rule the land.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Tenn\u00f4<\/i> (Emperor)<\/td>\r\nSymbolic ruler of Japan, descended from and representative of Shint\u00f4 deities; during the feudal period, mostly a figurehead.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Sh\u00f4gun<\/i> (Generalissimo)<\/td>\r\nHead of bakufu<\/i> military government, with the power to oversee national affairs; receives title from emperor; usually the strongest daimy\u00f4.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Daimy\u00f4<\/i> (Lord of a domain)<\/td>\r\nPowerful warlord with control over territories of varying size; strength frequently determined by the domain's kokudaka<\/i> (tax based upon rice production).<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Kerai<\/i> or Gokenin<\/i> (Vassal)<\/td>\r\nLoyal to the daimy\u00f4; receives fiefs or rice stipends from the daimy\u00f4; some comparable in strength to lesser daimy\u00f4.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Bugy\u00f4<\/i> (Magistrate)<\/td>\r\nAppointed by the sh\u00f4gun to oversee a specific government post (e.g., finance, construction), a large city (e.g., Edo, Nagasaki), or a region.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Daikan<\/i> (Intendant)<\/td>\r\nAppointed by the daimy\u00f4 or the sh\u00f4gun to collect taxes and oversee administration of local regions.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Sh\u00f4ya<\/i> (Village headman)<\/td>\r\nCommoner appointed by the daimy\u00f4 or the sh\u00f4gun to represent the bakufu<\/i> at the village level.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n
The content of this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License<\/a> except for any elements that may be licensed differently. The content of this page includes:\r\n