Unit 2 The Asia–Pacific world – Option Japan under the shoguns Japan first became united as a country under an emperor at the end of the 6th century. Ever since then, Japan has been ruled by a long line of emperors. However, for almost 700 years – from 1185 to 1867 – the emperor of Japan had no real power. Instead, Japan was controlled by a series of military leaders, known as shoguns. The title shogun comes from the Japanese words sho (meaning ‘commander’) and gun (meaning ‘troops’). In 1868, the last shogun was overthrown and power was returned to the emperor. At this time, the capital was moved to a new location in Edo – now known as Tokyo. chapter Source 1 Matsumoto Castle was built in 1504 and is typical of most Japanese15 castles built during the rule of the shoguns in Japan. 15A 15B DRAFT15C What led to the rise of the How was Japanese society How did Japan change during shoguns? organised during the rule of the the rule of the shoguns? 1 Japan is a chain of islands, many of which are shoguns? 1 For a long period of time, Japan effectively shut so mountainous that only about 15 per cent of 1 Shoguns were military leaders and the heads of itself off from all contact with other countries, but the land can be farmed. How do you think these powerful Japanese clans. How do you think they in 1854 a trade agreement was reached between geographical features might have affected the way became more powerful than Japanese emperors, Japan and the USA. Do you think Japan’s policy of life of early Japanese people? even during times when there were no wars? of isolation was a strength or a weakness? 456 oxford big ideas humanities 8 victorian curriculum chapter 15 japan under the shoguns 457 15A What led to the rise of the shoguns? 1598 A statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder 15.1 Japan under the shoguns: William Adams, a sailor and of the Tokugawa shogunate navigator, becomes the fi rst Englishman to visit Japan; he 1603 befriends Tokugawa Ieyasu (a future Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes shogun a timeline Source 1 A timeline of some key events and shogun) and later becomes a key and establishes a base in the city developments in Japan under the shoguns advisor to him. of Edo (modern-day Tokyo); the Tokugawa shogunate rules Japan 1274 for the next 260 years. An artist’s impression of The Mongol army launches an a samurai, a member of a attack on Japan, landing on 1633 1867 warrior class that served lords the island of Kyushu; a typhoon 1467 Tokugawa Iemitsu The last known as daimyo. destroys many of their ships and A period of civil war, introduces a policy known shogun, the invasion fails. known as the Warring 1185 as sakoku (meaning Tokugawa The Minamoto clan seizes power from the States period, begins 1853 1337 ‘locked country’); under the Yoshinobu, emperor; Minamoto no Yoritomo becomes in Japan between rival Commodore Matthew Perry, a Ashikaga Takauji policy, no Japanese people steps down shogun and establishes his own capital city in warlords; it lasts for US naval offi cer, arrives in the seizes power from are permitted to leave and hands Kamakura; with support from daimyo (lords) around 100 years. city of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) Emperor Go-Daigo Japan and no foreigners power back and samurai (warriors) a series of shoguns to persuade the Japanese to to become the new are allowed to enter; the to the imperial rules Japan for the next 700 years open their borders to trade. shogun policy remains in effect family under until around 1853. Emperor Meiji 700 CE 800 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Tokugawa (or Edo) period 710–794 794–1185 1185–1333 1337–1573 1603–1867 Azuchi-Momoyama period 1573–1603 1724 1854 794 1281 1333 Timber harvesting in The Convention of Under orders from Emperor Kammu, The Mongol army launches Emperor Go- 1666 Japan has now been Kanagawa puts an the capital of Japan moves to the city a second attack on Japan, Daigo overthrows A policy is introduced to reduce logging reduced by 60 per cent; end to the policy of Heian-Kyo (modern-day Kyoto); it landing once again on the the Kamakura and increase the planting of trees; only it remains at low levels for of sakoku; Japan remains the offi cial capital of Japan island of Kyushu; for the shogunate, and the shogun and his daimyo are able to the next 30 years, allowing opens up trade with for the next 1000 years. second time a typhoon hits takes back power authorise the use of wood. Japan’s forests to recover. the United States. 710 destroying almost all Mongol from the shogun The fi rst offi cial capital of Japan is based ships and the invasion fails for a brief period. in the city of Nara; the imperial family – led Check your learning 15.1 by a series of emperors or empresses – rules over Japan during this time. An artist’s impression of Japanese fi ghters facing the Mongol Remember and understand this overall period into fi ve further periods, commonly army during the attempted invasion of Japan known as: 1 In what year was the city of Heian-Kyo built? What Heijo Palace in the city of Nara was the Imperial • the Heian period name is this city known by today? Palace, and seat of power, from 710–784 • the Kamakura period 2 How many times did the Mongol army attempt to DRAFT • the Muromachi period invade Japan? Were these attempts successful? • the Azuchi-Momoyama period Apply and analyse • the Tokugawa period. 3 Explain the policy of sakoku. Use the dates provided a Conduct some Internet research to discover why on the timeline to calculate how many years this each of these periods was given its name. policy was in place. b For each period, generate two questions that you would like to fi nd the answers to. As you work Evaluate and create your way through this chapter, check back on 4 The timeline shows that the shoguns ruled Japan these questions and provide the answers to them from around 794 to 1867. Many historians break when you can. 458 oxford big ideas humanities 8 victorian curriculum chapter 15 japan under the shoguns 459 15A What led to the rise of the shoguns? Life before the shoguns The earliest settlers keyconcept: Signifi cance 15.2 Archaeological evidence suggests that people travelled to the Japanese islands The Shinto creation myth around 30 000 BCE. These people were Shinto is the oldest religion in Japan and has played a signifi cant followed by a second group of settlers in Archaeologists believe that Japan was initially role in the way Japanese society has evolved. According to a around 14 000 BCE. Historians refer to settled by humans around 30 000 years ago. Over Shinto creation myth, in the beginning there were two gods – these early people as Jomon because of the time, groups of settlers from the nearby mainland Izanagi and his wife, Izanami – who were asked by the spirits to artefacts they discovered. Jomon translates (particularly China and Korea) continued to arrive create a new land. They were given a spear, which they plunged roughly as ‘cord patterned’, which refers in Japan. The fact that Japan is made up of many into the ocean. As they pulled the spear from the ocean, drops to the distinctive pottery with rope-like islands, and that each island is very mountainous, fell from the tip forming the fi rst Japanese island. Izanagi and patterns that has been found. Other meant that many different groups of settlers formed Izanami settled on this fi rst island and artefacts from this time that have been isolated communities. Over time, these communities gave birth to all of the islands that now found across Japan include tools, weapons developed very different customs and traditions. form Japan. They also gave birth to a and fi gurines. These artefacts suggest that range of different gods to inhabit each The infl uence of geography there were settled communities in the of these islands, such as gods of the north of Japan at this time. trees, winds, rivers and mountains. Japan is a chain of islands in the Pacifi c Ocean While giving birth to the god of fi re, formed by the peaks of underwater mountain ranges. The clan system Izanami died. Izanagi followed her to More than 3000 islands are today part of Japan, Over time, small, independent societies the Land of the Dead, to bring her but most Japanese people have always lived on the and states formed on the islands of Japan. back, but she refused. He returned four largest. These are known as Honshu, Shikoku, Each of these states was made up of alone, but by doing so brought many Kyushu and Hokkaido (see Source 2). Japan’s rugged different clans – groups of families related impurities back to Earth with him. These landscape means that only 15 per cent of the land by blood or marriage. Each clan honoured impurities cause human wrongdoing can be farmed effectively. As a result, Japanese people a range of different gods. Some were and suffering. tended to settle in the valleys and coastal regions spirits of the wind, trees and mountains, Izanagi washed himself clean, that were fl atter, and more suited to agriculture. while others were spirits of dead ancestors and the water drops that fell from Crops commonly grown were soya beans, wheat, Source 1 Japan’s mountainous landscape left little fl at land of clan members.