Unit 3, Chapter 12

Vocab

Ainu- Japan indigenous people

Arable- land suitable for farming and agriculture

Archipelago- a long chain of many islands

Assimilation- forcing a group to acquire similar characteristics of a majority group

Homogenous- same

Monsoon- strong winds in Aisa

Rituals- a celebration or ceremony observed with regularity

Stoic- describes a person who can control their emotion and endure difficult circumstances with patience

Tsunami- a strong, destructive wave caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions on the ocean floor

Japan’s Origin Story

According to Japanese mythology, two divine beings, the male Izanagi (Ee-zuh-nuh-ghee) and the female Izanami (Ee-zuh-nuh-mee), stood on the bridge of heaven and churned the ocean with a spear to make a small island of curdled salt. From that mystical beginning grew a string of islands— Japan. Izanagi and Izanami looked at their creation and said, “Why should we not produce someone who shall be lord of what is below Heaven?” So they went on to bear the deities called kami (kuh-mee) who inhabited the land from that time forward. For most of their long history, the Japanese have believed that those gods favored and protected their country. In 1274, Mongol rulers sent a large fleet from Asia that landed on Kyushu, the southern island of Japan. However, a typhoon forced the invaders to retreat. In 1281, the Mongols returned with thousands of ships and more than 100,000 men. The Japanese defended their island well in their smaller, swifter boats, but again a ferocious storm destroyed most of the Mongol fleet. The Japanese called the storm kamikaze (kuh-mee-kuh-zay), a divine wind sent by the gods to defend their islands.

How did Japan’s geography contribute to their isolation?

  • The ocean between China and Japan makes traveling difficult

  • Along the sea of Japan (western coast), there are few harbors

  • European navigation before the 1500s did not have the proper resources; even then, it would take several months and be extremely dangerous.

Cherry Blossoms

They represent new beginnings, beauty, and the shortness of beauty and life

Shinto

  • The ancient religion of Japan

  • Based on the belief that sacred spirits take the form of objects in nature such as mountains, trees, and stones

  • Amaterasu (sun goddess) is considered the most important Kami (god)

  • Humans become Kami when they die and are honored by their families

  • Shinto doesn’t have any religious values, making it more of a cultural practice than an organized religion

Factors That Allowed Japan to Remain Self-Sufficient and Prosperous

  • The land was arable and very fertile

  • dependable rainfall

  • brief winter

  • many forests (fuel and fires)

  • silkworms and cotton plants for clothing

  • A steady supply of fish

Some Borrowing

  • The Japanese originally borrowed the Chinese system of writing called kanji. (pictograph)

  • They combined Chinese characters with the Japanese language in a new system called kana

Rice

  • Rice is the food most associated with Japan

  • Rice is not easy to grow. It is a labor-intensive process that depends on the right amount of moisture

  • Monsoons bring rain in the summer, and if it doesn't, the crops will fail

  • In the past, rice was an important part of Japan’s economy. Rice production determines the value of the land and a person’s worth is determined by the amount of rice they can produce

Despite the geographical barriers in Japan (mountains), the people are a very homogenous society

The Ainu

The indigenous group has lived in the northern part of Japan for several thousand years

They had their own separate society and territory, but Japan began to take over

There were many conflicts and wars of resistance, but eventually, the Ainu territory was taken over and became present-day Hokkaido

The government forbade the Ainu from speaking their language, and practicing their customs and restricted where they could live

This is an example of assimilation