EthicalMUN II The Age of Warring States: The Fall of the Ashikaga Shogunate Chairs: Halle Friedman and Leilani Elkaslasy Crisis Director: Hannah Platt EthicalMUN II Dear Delegates, We’re excited to welcome you to the Ethical MUN II conference! Moreover to this committee, the Shogun War crisis. We look forward to two full days of engaging debate and crisis simulation. We hope that through this topic you can Theo Dassin channel your creativity to find fun and exciting solutions. (Maybe involving Co-Secretary General ninja’s?) Now, for a little about us. Leilani is a sophomore at fieldston whose been doing Iva Knezevic MUN for five years. Her favorite part of model united nations is teaching it to the Co-Secretary General beacon afterschool program; to her, imparting the invaluable skills and knowledge acquired from MUN to other students is a pay-it-forward obligation, and something Alex Keswani that has further whet her appetite for the high school MUN experience. Chief of Staff Extracurricularly, Leilani enjoys swimming and kitesurfing, seafaring, and other exotic, adventurous pursuits–which will, in the future, include skydiving–and her Jacob Greene spontaneous and exuberant disposition is what she will bring to committee in order Chief of Staff to enhance the experience for all delegates. As such, she immediately capitalized on the opportunity to chair this committee, in which a historically fantastical world of Ryan Kelly samurais, ninjas, and daimyos will come to life! Halle is a sophomore at fieldston whose been doing MUN for five years, she Vice-Secretary of enjoys teaching at MUN at the beacon afterschool program and writing quality Committees directives and resolutions. In her free time she enjoys tennis and painting. She will bring her creative, strategic, and engaging disposition to this committee, and she is Olivia Becker particularly fascinated by the idea of launching a series of Japanese warrior-centric Vice-Secretary of crises throughout the course of committee. Administration This committee will take place in the year in 1568 and move quickly through the real events of this war’s history and the events created by you, the delegates. We Halle Friedman hope to see you work closely with crisis and use the full capabilities of the roles Vice-Secretary of you’re given to accomplish what you’re assignment would want if they were in the Outreach actual crisis. Although this is a formal conference, remember to have fun with your roles. Leilani Elkaslasy Community Service Best, Director Your chairs, Leilani Elkaslasy ([email protected]) Halle Friedman ([email protected]) Feudal Japan EthicalMUN II Crisis Committee Description neighbors or even those they love most. Councilmen who have personal desires and The year is 1568, and the Island of Japan is aspirations to achieve must do so quickly ravaged by a multi-sided civil war. The and quietly or risk serious and deadly country has shattered into dozens of consequences. The labyrinth of Japanese provinces ruled by multiple clans after the politics is a cutthroat and damning game. fall of the Ashikaga Shogunate. Warlords Tread carefully and make each move count and their samurai are razing the countryside, to gain or lose everything. killing thousands, and tearing the island apart as they fight for the right to claim the Background Information title of the Shogunate. As the conflict Japan has been inhabited by humans for continues to grow with no end in sight, the over 30,000 years, when they crossed the Emperor calls for an emergency meeting. He Bering Strait to the island during an Ice Age. summons the heads of the various clans, The first period was the Jomon Period, ambassadors of foreign lands, and where people gradually learned how to live representatives from religious sects in the by hunting and gathering. The clans within hopes of restoring peace. It is impossible to Japan slowly started to unite in the Kofun tell if this gathering will end the conflict, but Period (300 AD to710 AD). This period it is the only hope to bring peace and marked a timeof growth and learning in tranquility back to the Sunrise Land. Japan. TheJapanese took inspiration from Chinaand acquired many of their The council must juggle a multitude of techniquesto model different types of issues, including uniting the multiple clans materialincluding paper, porcelain, and across Japan, keeping Japan from bending to silk. Around 552 AD, a Korean king brought foreign powers, and deciding on a stable priests to convert Japan to Buddhism. The form of government. They must guard the native religion at the time was Shinto. With sovereignty of Japan and its unique culture. the arrival of Buddhism, the Japanese people Many of the visiting foreign powers will be prospered peacefully as Shinto and trying to gain a foothold in Japan and turn it Buddhism were both practiced amicably against itself. The council must stay strong within households. Towards the end of the and true to Japan and their convictions in a Kofun Period, the Emperor accumulated time when they can barely trust their 1 Feudal Japan EthicalMUN II Crisis enough power to impose a tax that required people to pay the royalty a tax, as the The Muromachi Period in Japan took place Emperor owned all the land in Japan. from 1333 to 1573 and marked the age of The Heian Period (794 AD to 1185 AD) the rule of the Ashikaga family over much marked a cultural period in Japan. Arts and of Kyoto. The Ashikaga family, which once learning flourished. During this time, the worked for the Emperor, overthrew him and Emperor grew increasingly weak, resulting captured Kyoto in 1336. The previous in landowners becoming powerful and Emperor was able to flee and started his own buying private armies. These landowners imperial family in the south. This nurtured became the first samurai. In 1180, a civil confusion and riots between provinces. The war erupted between two rival families in two courts (Northern and Southern) Japan; the Taira (Heike) and Minamoto prospered, but slowly lost control of their (Genepi) families. The war ended with the provinces due to many wars between clans. Minamoto clan as victor. After the civil war, the government divided into two pieces: the During the 1460s, daimyōs, or warlords, Shogunate and the Emperor. The Shogun furthered these instabilities between the controlled the military and enforced rulings provinces, causing the Onin War (1467 to in the Emperor’s name throughout Japan. 1477). This immersed the country in a Between 1274 and 1281, the Mongols century-long war called Sengoku, the Age of attempted to invade Japan from the Korean the Country at War. Over the course of this Strait. The Mongols were on the path to age, the most powerful families were the victory, as they had better weapons than the Takeda, Uesugi, and Hojo in the East and samurai, when a sudden storm destroyed the Ouchi, Mori, and Hosokawa in the West. almost all of their fleet, stranding them in Around 1542, the first Portuguese traders Japan. This caused them to lose. Seven years and Christian missionaries arrived, bringing later, the Emperor of China, Kublai Khan, a new religion and firearms to Japan. Even tried to conquer Japan again. His forces though Buddhists were opposed to sailed with more reinforcements against Christianity, the Western warlords storms, but ultimately lost again when welcomed it for its military trading typhoon season struck the ships only months opportunities. This brings Japan to the late into the war. 2 Feudal Japan EthicalMUN II Crisis 15th century, where Oda Nobunaga is declared the official religion of Japan by planning the path of unification for Japan. Prince Regent Shotoku. Buddhism and Shinto have continued to coexist eversince. Hundreds of temples and schools dedicated toBuddhism were commissioned by the government.Buddhist teachings are entrenched in Japanese society,and will not be easily removed. Unification However, Buddhism in Japan is divided into The Civil War has divided the clans into two multiple sects: Pure Land, Nichiren, factions: The Reformists and the Shingon, and Zen. Each sect focuses on a Traditionalists. The Reformists seek to make different discipline, and clans belonging to Japan more like Europe—to embrace different sects are often at odds with each Western ideals and beliefs. The other. Japan also faces a rebel crisis from the Traditionalists seek to maintain the status Ikko-Ikki, a Buddhist movement that causes quo and continue to follow old customs. The uprisings all across Japan. victor of the Civil War will undoubtedly change the culture of Japan, as they have to Christianity has only recently appeared in power to decide if Japan will reform or not. Japan through the arrival of the Portuguese missionary Francis Xavier in Satsuma in Religion 1549. He and his Japanese Catholic converts Buddhism was officially introduced to Japan are beginning to convert and baptize locals. in 538 AD when a ruler from the Korean However, this process is quite slow, as most peninsula gifted Emperor Kimmei with an Japanese are already either Shinto or image of the Buddha along with scrolls and Buddhist. Many Japanese do not like the ornaments. Since Japan already followed the concept that their ancestors may be living in teachings of Shinto, controversy erupted, as Hell, and they do not believe that one God clans became divided on which religion they can be good because He also created evil. should follow. 40 years later, Buddhism was Reformists see this as an opportunity to establish closer connections with the West. 3 Feudal Japan EthicalMUN II Crisis By adopting their religion, Japan to receive Isolation would also prevent converted clans goods from Europe, including new military from obtaining outside help in order to gain equipment.