1) Medieval Japan was ruled by powerful military rulers called shoguns after a period of feudalism dominated the country.
2) Samurai warriors gained power and formed private armies to serve powerful nobles called daimyos. Eventually, one daimyo became the most powerful and took the title of shogun in 1192.
3) In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa Shogunate and divided Japan into 250 regions controlled by daimyos loyal to the shogun in order to bring order and end fighting between daimyos. The shoguns then isolated Japan from foreign influence by banning travel outside the country.
2. VOCABULARY
⢠Archipelago: A group or chain of many
islands
⢠Estate: Large tract of land
⢠Feudalism: A system in which poor
people are legally bound to work for
wealthy landowners
⢠Samurai: Japanese warriors
⢠Shogun: The supreme military
commander of Japan
3. JAPANESE GEOGRAPHY
⢠Japan is an archipelago in the Pacific
Ocean (Map Page 101)
⢠It is 500 miles off the coast of China
4. JAPANESE GEOGRAPHY
Continued
⢠Islands were formed by volcanoes
⢠Mt. Fuji is Japanâs largest volcano
⢠Earthquakes are common in Japan
5. JAPANESE GEOGRAPHY
Continued
⢠Japan is made up of 4 major islands
⢠Hokkaido
⢠Honshu
⢠Shikoku
⢠Kyushu
7. JAPANESE GEOGRAPHY
Continued
⢠All of Japanâs islands are mountainous
⢠This makes travel by land difficult
⢠Because Japan is surrounded by ocean:
⢠It has been protected from attack
⢠It has been isolated
9. THE HEIAN EMPIRE
⢠Heian Emperors ruled Japan from 794-
1185 AD
⢠Kyoto was the Heian capital city
⢠This was a period of peace for Japan
10. FEUDALISM IN JAPAN
⢠Japanese emperors begin to lose power
and wealth
⢠Nobles who own their own fancy estates
begin to gain power and wealth
⢠Nobles live luxurious lifestyles
⢠Believe they are superior to others
13. FEUDALISM IN JAPAN
Continued
⢠Nobles force poor peasants to work on
their estates
⢠This makes for an upper class of rich
nobles and a lower class of poor
peasants = Japanese feudalism
15. SAMAURI WARRIORS
⢠Rich nobles become so
independent that they
would often disobey the
emperor
⢠Nobles hire their own
private armies for
protection
⢠Warriors in these private
armies were called
samurai
18. SAMURAI WARRIORS
Continued
⢠Samurai warriors took an
oath to follow a strict set
of rules for behavior
called bushido
⢠Honor is all important
⢠Never surrender or
show weakness / fear
⢠Commit ritual suicide
before defeat
19. THE SHOGUNS
⢠Over time the
samurai grew in
numbers and
power and formed
their own clans
⢠Each clan
promised loyalty to
a powerful warlord
called a daimyo
22. THE SHOGUNS
Continued
⢠Eventually one daimyo becomes more
powerful than the others
⢠In 1192, the emperor gives this daimyo
the title of shogun or supreme military
ruler of all of Japan
23. THE TOKUGAWA SHOGUNATE
⢠In 1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu became
shogun
⢠He was determined to end all fighting
between the daimyos and bring order to
the country
24. THE TOKUGAWA SHOGUNATE
Continued
⢠Divided Japan into
250 regions
⢠Daimyo of each
region must swear
loyalty to the shogun
⢠Daimyos must live in
the shogunâs capital
city of Edo for part of
the year for proof
32. THE SHOGUNS ISOLATE JAPAN
⢠Shoguns do not want any foreign
influence in Japan
⢠Forced all foreigners to leave Japan
33. THE SHOGUNS ISOLATE JAPAN
Continued
⢠Closed ports and banned travel
outside of Japan
⢠Stopped the building of large ships
that could travel long distances
