3. Background
• It took about 1000 years for Japan to be unified into one country. In the
2nd century AD, there were about 100 tribes in Japan, and it was not
until about the 4th century, in Kansai Place, some large tribes
eventually annexed other tribes and formed the unified country. Many
well-known traditions such as kimonos, bushido, suno and cherry
blossoms are carried to today
4. Ancient Japan Social Structure
• Japan borrowed the idea of centralized
power from ancient China and the
emperor had omnipotent power. But
the samurai, a class of warriors, and
shogun, a commander also had strong
influence in the feudal Japan. Below
them were the ordinary people who
were at the bottom of the society.
5. Housing
• There were different kinds of houses developed for common people
to live. One typical house was built in gassho style in Shirakawa-go.
Some farmer houses also had space to keep cattle and horses indoor.
Japanese rooms and houses are very different from Western ones,.
While you probably dine sitting on a chair at the dining room table, in
Japan people sit on the floor.
6. Food
• The first people who settled in Japan came from Central Asia around
250 BC, bringing with them the art of growing rice in paddy fields.
From that time right up to the present, rice has been the basis of the
Japanese diet.
• In heian times (AD 800-1200), as we learn from the Tale of Genji, the
aristocrats ate polished white rice while poorer people made do with
brown. They ate a lot of fish, which they boiled, baked or pickled.
They did not eat raw fish, however, which is popular today.
7. Food
• Japanese food has distinctive features. It looks good, and tastes delicious. The
two main foods are Sushi and noodles. Sushi is one of Japan’s most popular
dishes. Most types of sushi consist of small mound of vinegary rice with a piece
of raw fish on top and a dab of Japanese horseradish in between.
• The Japanese drink is also good, If you visit a Japanese home , you will be given
pale green tea in a small cup without a handle. Green tea is made from the dried
leaves of the tea plant, which is originally from China.
8. Family Life
Female- a man can control the hole family, and he needs to get
a job and making the money to live.
Male- a woman can just stay at home, do all the
housework, and take care about their kids
Child- they would study some skill for their over
coming, and the girl would study some house works,
like how to sew, cook, and wash.
9. Marriage
• “Muko-iri” was a popular marriage system in Japan during the age of
aristocracy. The bridegroom visited his bride at her home. After the
birth of a child or the man’s parents were lost, the bride would then be
accepted into the man’s home. In the period of “Bushi” warriors, about
the 14th century, “Yome-in”, the woman was married into the man’s
house, became popular.
10. Childhood
• In Ancient Japan, children had a very simple life . They
usually helped their parents in farming. Girls might be
taught by their parents about how to be good wives.
Some boys might have the chance to have good
education, and they then might have a good life.
11. Education
• Japanese children are taught a reverence for learning and are trained in the
traditional arts both within the school system and outside. Instruction in music,
calligraphy, flower arrangement, and the tea ritual may begin at home, but soon
the child studies with a skilled practitioner. Only the martial arts, such as judo or
Japanese fencing ( kendo ), are generally limited to men. Such early introduction
to, and widespread participation in, different expressions of Japanese heritage
lead to support for traditional cultural values and the appreciation throughout
society of artistic qualities.
12. Religion
• The most popular religions in Japan are Shinto and Buddhism. Many
Japanese follow both religions. Babies and marriages are blessed at
Shinto shrines and funerals are held in Buddhist temples.
13. Clothing
• The mainl clothing of ancient Japan is wafuku, and now it is a
feature of Japan. It is a little bit like ancient Chinese clothing,
but not at all. It has its own style, and when we see the wafuku,
we will connect it with cherry blossom. It has two kind, girl’s
and boy’s.
14. Wafuku
• Girl’s wafuku has a lot of patterns, which are
really nice, and more complex than boy’s.
• Boy’s wafuku is
then plain, and
less complicated .
15. Art
and
Mmusic
In the past, paintings documented everyday life and the passing
seasons. A single scroll depicting flowers, birds, or other seasonal
topics was kept in the main room of the house and changed several
times a year. Many people still observe this custom..
16. Art and Music
The Ancient Japanese Music was most probably involved in two areas of
Japanese tradition; Ritual/spiritual and Elite entertainment. Early Japanese
music was heavily influenced by Chinese music, and then began to take on
a unique shape of its own. In the Nara period (beginning in 710) we begin
to see not only folk and working music from the countryside, but Japanese
Court Music (known as Gagaku) and Buddhist music began to spread.
17. Conclusion
• I really enjoy doing this project as I learned a lot about ancient Japan.
Japan has a long and interesting history. I love wafuku, Japanese food,
the nice cherry and the traditional house.
I really want to go to Japan for a trip!
