japanese history

1. Japan
“History and Stuff
Related to History”
Hey, there’s Samurai Jack! Is that a
glass of milk? Aw man, that stuff’s
real good for you!

2. Ancient History
• Before 500 BC
• Small clans warring with
each other.
• Rice farming, pottery, art
emerge
• Periods of ruling elites
(up to 1185AD)
• Small tribal wars for power
• Lots of different groups
fighting for control.
• Pretty much isolated
from the rest of the
world.

3. Feudal Japan
• Starting 1185,
Samurai become
dominant
• Shoguns, ruling
governors over large
areas, rule with their
Samurai, the fighting
elite.
• Samurai are like
Knights, but there are
a lot of them…
• Sworn to keep the
Shogun’s peace and
justice, to protect the
land and people, and
to do whatever is
asked of them.

4. Way of the Samurai
• “Honor” becomes
important
• Doing the right thing
(what you are
required to do based
on your position in
life).
• Shame requires
“Seppuku”
• Ritualistic suicide where
the Samurai carves out
their own stomach to die
and reclaim their honor.
• Honor, Duty, Service
• More important than life.

5. Way of the Samurai
• Bushido: The Way of the Warrior
• Loyalty
• Frugality (living an inexpensive life)
• Mastery of Martial Arts
• Honor to the Death
• Honesty
• Respect
• Benevolence (charity)
• Courage
• Rectitude (righteousness)
• Did not change much over 700 years.

6. Isolation
• 1500s, Emperor
Hideyoshi unified Japan
into one Shogunate.
• Samurai, Shoguns, and
Emperors existed for
hundreds of years
without the rest of the
world becoming
involved.
• Jesuit Missionaries
arrived from Portugal in
1600s, first time
outsiders saw Japan.
Missionary being beheaded.

7. Isolation
• Emperors worried that outsiders would ruin their culture and
take their land.
• Started “sakoku” or isolation from the rest of the world.

8. 1854-CommodorePerryofUSAforcesJapantoopenupordie!
Japan forced to see how far behind they are compared to everyone else. No guns, no ships,
very poor without trade, no industry.

9. Meiji Restoration
• Tokugawa ends
Shogunate, begins a
period of
modernization.
• Moves capital from
Kyoto to Tokyo
• Abolishes Shoguns,
Samurais.
• Establishes a modern
government with a
legislative branch and
a constitution.
• Within 50 years, Japan
goes from the least
advanced nations in
the world to one of the
most modern.
• Industry and trade
thrives
• Build exceptional
military weapons…
• And now just itching to
try them out…

10. Russo-Japanese War 1905
• Japan and Russia
debating over mutual
land off Chinese coast.
• Russia (world’s largest
empire, thought to be
greatest power)
declares war on little
Japan.
• War assumed would
be a landslide victory
for Russia.

11. Big MISTAKE!
• Japan totally
dominates Russia
• Land and at sea.
• Russia seen as
incompetent, Japan
considered a global
power.
• Sets stage for Japan
to start becoming a
major empire.

12. Before WWII
• Japan aggressive in
building an empire
• China, Korea, Vietnam
are all areas that Japan
has its fingers in.
• Want to control all of
the Pacific.
• Rape of Nanking 1937-
38
• 250,000+ murdered in
China
• “Forgotten WWII
Holocaust”

13. World War II
• America as “neutral”
• Refused to sell oil to
Japan
• Pearl Harbor Attack
• Dec 7th, 1941
• Japan assaults
American ships off
coast of Hawaii
• “Awakens a sleeping
giant”

14. World War TOOOOO
• America vs. Japan for
the Pacific.
• Japan a tremendous
enemy
• No surrender, no mercy
• Most of Japanese navy
destroyed at Midway,
Japan continues to
fight without arms or
ammunition.

15. Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• America develops
Atomic Bomb
• Strongest weapon in the
world.
• 100,000+ tons of
dynamite
• Only made 2
• Asks Japan to
surrender or be
bombed.
• Japan refused.
• Hiroshima, a civilian
city, bombed.
• 75,000+ dead instantly
• Next day, Japan asked
to surrender, they
refuse.
• Nagasaki, civilian city,
bombed.
• 75,000+ dead instantly

16. Hiroshima Nagasaki

17. Japan Surrenders, Review
• How was early Japan
ruled?
• What was the purpose of
the Bushido code? What
were some of the ideas?
• Why did Japan start
trading with the rest of
the world?
• What was the Meiji
Restoration?
• What did the Russo-
Japanese War show the
world?
• Why did Japan attack
America at Pearl Harbor?
• What would you have
done if you were Truman
and the “go or no go”
bombing order came
across your desk?