Social Studies 8: Feudal Japan

Edo/Meiji Japan Notes + Flashcards

Regions of Japan during Feudal times

215

Key cause of regional fighting in early Japan

Competition for land and wealth

Oda Nobunaga's action against religious groups

He separated religious institutions from political authority

Society created by Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Hereditary class

City where Tokugawa Ieyasu centralized power

Edo

Military commanders in early Japan

Daimyo

Civilization influencing Japan's early systems

The Chinese dynasties, especially the Tang

Year Feudal Japan started

1185

Structure of Japanese feudal society

A rigid hierarchical pyramid with clearly defined social divisions

Most real power in feudal Japan

Shogun

Primary responsibility of landholding nobles

Govern territory and lead private military forces

Code followed by Samurai

Bushido

Two swords carried by Samurai

Katana and Wakizashi

Focus of the Bushido code

Honour, loyalty, discipline

Beginning of Japan's feudal era

The rise of the shogunate and the establishment of military rule over the emperor

Lowest class in feudal Japan

Outcasts

Age samurai began training

7

Meaning of 'Samurai'

One who serves

Majority population group in feudal Japan

Agricultural workers and manual labourers in rural areas

What would happen if a samurai lost their honour?

C. They could commit ritual suicide

Which of the following were not a part of feudal society?

D. Haruko

What was the primary responsibility of peasants within the structure of feudal Japanese society?

C. Cultivating crops and providing tax payments to support higher classes

Feudal Japan ended when:

A. Political authority was restored to the emperor

What was one major consequence of the rigid social class system in feudal Japan?

C. Individuals were not allowed to move between social classes or change professions

The Edo period began around what year?

B. 1603

The city of Edo is now known as:

C. Tokyo

Who held the most power during the Edo period?

C. Shogun

What family ruled Japan during the Edo period?

C. Tokugawa

What did powerful landowners have to do under the alternate attendance system in Edo Japan?

B. Spend every second year living in Edo under government order

What was the primary goal of Japan's National Seclusion Policy during the Edo period?

A. To prevent foreign influence and maintain cultural control

What religion was banned during the Edo period?

B. Christianity

What was the Bakufu in the context of Japanese political structure?

C. The centralized military government administered by the shogun

How many main islands make up Japan?

B. 4

What class were geishas a part of?

B. Entertainers

What was a major factor contributing to the growth of urban centers during the Edo period in Japan?

A. The regular movement of daimyo and their large retinues to the capital

Commoners in Edo Japan had to:

B. Remain in their class

Control over religion

The regulation and management of religious practices and beliefs by the government.

Lack of natural disasters

A period characterized by minimal occurrences of natural disasters affecting society.

Expansion into Korea

The process of extending Japanese influence and territory into the Korean peninsula.

Inviting new settlers

The act of encouraging people from other regions to move and establish themselves in Japan.

Illegal practices in Edo Japan

Activities that were prohibited, such as leaving the country.

Unclean group in Edo Japan

Social outcasts assigned tasks viewed as spiritually or physically impure.

Treatment of unauthorized foreign ships

Subject to strict punishment or military force if entering illegally.

Dangerous perception of missionaries

They were seen as a threat because they challenged Japanese authority.

Goal of Tokugawa shogunate's social class system

To maintain control and order in society.

Higher class in Edo Japan's social hierarchy

Samurai.

Primary role of the samurai

Serving as warriors and government officials.

Control of communication among daimyos

They restricted travel and required permission for major actions.

Consequences for leaving Japan

Punished severely or sometimes executed.

Reason for limiting shipbuilding

To stop people from fleeing the country.

Effect of urbanization in Edo Japan

Cities grew larger and developed complex social systems.

Purpose of sankin-kotai

To ensure loyalty by monitoring the actions of daimyos.

Description of the Tokugawa shogunate

A military-led government that emphasized peace and order.

Haiku

A 17-syllable poem that captured themes of nature and simplicity.

Meiji period

The period that began in 1868.

Goal of the Meiji Restoration

Westernize and modernize Japan.

Commodore Perry

Sent by the United States to Japan.

Treaty of Kanagawa

Opened Japan to U.S. trade.

Reason Christianity was banned in Edo Japan

It was seen as a threat to political control.

Urbanization effect on Edo Japan

Cities became more crowded and socially complex.

Change affecting the samurai class during the Meiji period

They lost their traditional privileges, status, and role in society.

Ainu people

Lived mostly in Hokkaido.

Meiji government's treatment of Ainu people

They were pressured to abandon their culture and assimilate.

Ainu people in historical context

An Indigenous population primarily from northern Japan with distinct cultural traditions.

Ainu belief in spiritual energy

Called Kamuy.

Greatest trade threat to Japan in the 1800s

Russia.

Japan's main fear about foreign countries

Threat to sovereignty.

Language studied by Japanese officials in the Meiji era

Dutch.

Japan learned about Western science through

Books and translations.

Japan's trading partners during the Meiji period

Western powers.

Group responsible for translating Western texts into Japanese

Government scholars and officials.

End of the Tokugawa period

Marked by the Meiji Restoration.