Social midterm

Natural Disasters in Japan and their effect on Japanese people. 

Natural Disasters in Japan and their effect on Japanese people. 

• There are tsunamis, earthquakes, sometimes volcanic eruptions 

• After one of these happens more than once, they are most likely to be stoic and not care that much. They also learn how to rebuild fast after any natural disaster because natural disasters probably happen a lot. 

The Ainu and Homogeneous Japanese population 

• The Ainu people don’t have a spot on the hierarchy and have a small population compared to the homogenous Japanese people

• Ainu don’t have a spot on the hierarchy because Japanese people look down on them and they don’t give anything to anyone on the hierarchy. 

Self-Sufficient (Japan and Medieval) 

• Self-sufficient is when a group, such as a country, doesn’t need to rely on another group of people

• In Japan and in Medieval villages they didn’t need to rely on anyone because they both had enough resources to support everyone. 

Geography of Japan and connection to worldview (x2) 

• There are forests, mountains, and near the ocean

• Being near a forest can be connected to economy because they can produce many types of products with their resources

• Forests can also connect to geography because forests in Japan may be different than another country

• Being near mountains could be connected to geography because other countries may not have mountains

• Being near an ocean can connect to economy because there are many materials and food sources in the ocean. The ocean can also connect to geography because some areas in the world aren’t close to the ocean

Changes in the Meiji Period 

Japan started to let other countries into their land, they started to trade with other countries, they turned into a more western country, there was barely a hierarchy, anyone could be anything

Social Structure in the Meiji Period 

There wasn’t much of a hierarchy, and everyone was equal and the only one who was in charge of the whole country was the emperor. 

Reasons for Isolation in the Edo Period 

• The shogun wanted Japan to stay isolated because he wanted to stay in power and control Japan

• He also didn’t want any influence on the Japanese like christens telling them about their faith and the shogun didn’t want anyone knowing what the outside of Japan looked like. 

Criticisms of Westernization in Meiji 

Some people in Japan didn’t want anything to change because they believed if everything stayed the same, everything wouldn’t be chaotic, but if anything did change, Japan would go into chaos. 

Purpose and effect of the Exclusion Laws 

• The purpose was not let anyone in or out of Japan, so no one knows what the world outside is

• The effects were most people on the hierarchy had no purpose, like people like samurai didn’t have a job because they didn’t need to fight anymore

Confucianism and its role in Japanese Society 

• Confucianism is a religion that has no god but basically says if there's no changes there will be no chaos

• This means if people in Japan keep the same job and their kids have the same job, there will be no chaos. 

Significant result of the Meiji Restoration 

Japan became one of the most powerful countries in less than 100 years which might have been a lot to take in for the Japanese people because they were so used to isolation but now their exposed to the world. 

Difference in Social Structure from Edo to Meiji Japan (x2) 

Edo period  

• Emperor 

• Shogun 

• Daimyo 

• Samurai 

• Ronin 

• Peasant 

• Artisans 

• Merchant 

Meji period  

There barely a hierarchy and the only one in charge was the emperor. 

Westernization vs. Imperialism vs. Nationalism vs. Manifest Destiny vs. Militarization 

• Westernization – a country adapting into western ways 

• Imperialism – a country wanting more of something (ex: resources and land) 

• Nationalism – a country thinking they are better than everyone else 

• Manifest Destiny – USA believed they should spread their territory 

• Militarization – making you army bigger or stronger 

Japan’s involvement with the League of Nations 

They were invited because they were powerful and had a lot of territory but left because the league of nations declined their all is equal agreement thing, and the league of nations didn’t want to invade China unlike Japan. 

Change in social structure due to Floating World 

The merchants moved above the samurai because they started making more money than the samurai and the samurai had barely any money because they weren’t getting paid because they didn’t do much.

Matthew Perry’s Arrival and the effect on isolation 

Matthew perry intimidated Japan which forced them out of isolation. Matthew perry also forced them to trade with other countries and letting people into Japan.  

Feudalism (Japan and Medieval) 

• Higher class people give shelter, land, or protection to a lower class in return for something

• In medieval times, the king gave land to a noble which would give armies, taxes, and loyalty to the king, then give a smaller piece of land to a knight called a manor so the knight gave protection, loyalty, and taxes to the noble, then give a smaller piece called a fief to a peasant which would give resources, work the land, and taxes to the knight

• In Japan, they had the hierarchy which the lower classes worked for the higher classes. 

Crusades (What are they?) 

It was the fight between Jewish, Christians’, and Muslims for holy land because they all think that something with their religion happened there.

Effect of the Black Death on Europe 

60% of the population died of the black death and it affected peoples pay by more people dying and less people doing their jobs. It also affected them with many people going very poor. Also, the hierarchy started falling apart 

Effect of the Silk Road 

The silk road from Asia brought the black death to the Europeans which affected them very much because a lot of people died. 

Holy Land and its importance to the Crusades 

Everyone who had a religion thought something with happened there in that land like for christens, Jesus was born there, so everyone wanted to fight for it. Many of the people went on a pilgrimage. 

Goal of the Holy Wars (Crusades) (x2) 

It was to take over the land where something happened in their religion so they would all fight for it.  

Role of the Church during Medieval Times 

The church was to take taxes from peasants and also was sort of the government in their village. 

THE WORLDVIEW ELEMENTS (x6) 

Time, belief, geography, values, society, economy, knowledge