Copy of Japan 24-25

What characterized the societal structure during Tokugawa Japan (1603-1867)?

A strict four-class system: samurai, peasants, artisans, and merchants, with no mobility between classes.

What was the Bushido code?

The code of the samurai which emphasized military honor, courage, stoic acceptance of hardship, and loyalty.

What ended the feudal system in Japan?

The Meiji Restoration in 1868 led to the abolition of the samurai class.

What major reforms occurred during the Meiji Restoration?

A centralized bureaucratic government, an elected parliament, a strong national army, and the establishment of a rapidly growing industrial sector.

Who were the Shishi?

Political reformists in Japan seeking change during the late Tokugawa and early Meiji periods.

What was the significance of Commodore Matthew Perry's arrival in Japan?

Perry's arrival in 1853 forced Japan to open trade with the West, resulting in the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate.

What does the term 'extraterritoriality' mean in the context of Japanese history?

Foreigners in Japan were subject to their own laws rather than Japanese law, significantly undermining Japanese sovereignty.

What led to the decline of the samurai class?

Urbanization, economic empowerment of merchants, agrarian distress, and the imposition of Western powers.

What is ukiyo-e?

A genre of Japanese art that flourished during the Edo period, characterized by woodblock prints depicting the 'floating world' of urban culture.

How did the Meiji Restoration impact class structure in Japan?

It dismantled the rigid feudal class structures, allowing for greater social mobility and the decline of the samurai's privileges.

What was the Satsuma Rebellion?

A revolt in 1877 led by samurai opposed to the Meiji government's modernization policies.

What were two main contributions of Harunobu to ukiyo-e?

Harunobu advanced the technique of color printing and introduced delicate, colorful representations of women.

What art form is associated with Wabi Sabi philosophy?

Kintsugi, which highlights the beauty of repaired pottery using gold dusted lacquer.

What are the principles of Wabi Sabi?

Simplicity, asymmetry, understated beauty, naturalness, subtle grace, freeness, and tranquility.

Why were early ukiyo-e prints not considered true art?

They were mass-produced and viewed as commercial products rather than high art.

What impact did Japanese woodblock prints have on Western art?

They influenced Impressionist painters and contributed to a craze for things Japanese in the West.

What was the primary class of samurai required to adhere to the Bushido code?

The military class that included samurai, daimyo, and shoguns.

What societal factors did Tokugawa Japan isolate itself from?

Foreign influences believed to corrupt traditional Japanese culture.

What was one significant consequence of the Treaty of Kanagawa (1854)?

It opened two ports for American trade, beginning Japan's integration into the global economy.

How did Zen influence the samurai mindset?

It emphasized detachment, fearlessness in battle, and the importance of living in the present.

What major change marked the end of Tokugawa Japan?

The Meiji Restoration, which ushered in rapid modernization and industrialization.