Bushido, seppuku, samurai, Daimyo

1. EEaarrllyy JJaappaann
NNaarraa aanndd HHeeiiaann PPeerriiooddss
771100--11119922
A Mighty Fine Presentation by
Janet Pareja
Signature School, Evansville, IN

2. 4 Main Islands

3. CClloosseesstt NNeeiigghhbboorr:: KKOORREEAA
• 120 miles away at
closest point
• Tempestuous seas
• Spoken language-distantly
related to
Korean; unrelated to
Chinese

5. RReellaattiivvee IIssoollaattiioonn
 DDiissttiinnccttiivvee CCuullttuurree
– Interacted & traded sometimes
– Isolation by choice sometimes –
only in recent times open

6. SShhiinnttooiissmm
• “The way of the gods”
• Worship of KKaammii – nature & all forces of nature, seen
& unseen
• Goal – become part of Kami
– Follow ritual & customs
– Obedience & proper behavior
• Emperor as descendent of Sun Goddess, a main force
 Yamato stayed in power
• Yamato Clan – first and only clan to rule! … current
Emperor included

7. PPaattrriilliinneeaall PPaatthh ttoo tthhee
CChhrryyssaanntthheemmuumm TThhrroonnee
Her Imperial
Majesty
MMIICCHHIIKKOO,,
Empress of
Japan
His Imperial
Majesty
AAKKIIHHIITTOO, the
125th Emperor
of Japan
Crown Prince NNaarruuhhiittoo,,
PPrriinncceessss MMaassaakkoo ,, PPrriinncceessss
AAiikkoo

8. 11.. NNaarraann PPeerriioodd::
771100--779944
EEmmppeerroorr
AAggrriiccuullttuurree,,
VViillllaaggeess,,
FFiisshhiinngg,,
IIrroonn wwoorrkkiinngg..

9. Chinese Influence
Tributary
Relationship
•Aristocratic sons studied
Confucianism in China 
important positions in
Japan
– CCoonnffuucciiaanniissmm
– BBuuddddhhiissmm
– DDaaooiissmm
•CChhiinneessee ttaasstteess,, aarrttiissttiicc
ssttyylleess……

10. Sinicization
• Chinese aarrtt && lliitteerraattuurree
((TTaanngg ppooeettrryy))
• CCaappiittaall mmooddeelleedd
CChhaanngg’’aann
• CChhiinneessee SSccrriipptt aaddoopptteedd
• CCoonnffuucciiaanniissmm iinn uuppppeerr
ccllaasssseess;; BBuuddddhhiissmm iinn
lloowweerr ccllaasssseess..
Chinese culture
Arrived via Korea

11. Distinctive JJaappaanneessee CCuullttuurree
CChhiinneessee iinnfflluueennccee
NNEEVVEERR
RREEPPLLAACCEEDD
JJaappaanneessee ccuullttuurree

12. 22.. HHeeiiaann PPeerriioodd:: 779944 -- 1111885
NNOO cceennttrraall ggoovveerrnnmmeenntt ssttrruuccttuurree
NNOO pprrooffeessssiioonnaall bbuurreeaauuccrraattss
– NO Civil Service Exam
– NO Confucianism
WWHHYY??
NNoobbiilliittyy wwaass bboorrnn,,
nnoott ttaauugghhtt iinn JJaappaann!!
-- FFeeuuddaall LLoorrddss
-- HHeerreeddiittaarryy AArriissttooccrraattss,, RRooyyaallttyy..

17. HHeeiiaann PPeerriioodd
• Chinese influence
lessened &
disappeared…
replaced by Japanese
FEUDALISM
• FFuujjiiwwaarraa FFaammiillyy
– Intermarried w/
Royalty… ran country
– Emperor as Figurehead

18. BBOOKKUUFFUU
• “Tent Government” – temporary
• Title of Sei-i Taishōgun = “Commander-in-
Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against
the Barbarians”
• Minamoto Muromachi
• Yorimoto Tokugawa
• Kamakura

19. FFeeuuddaall SSyysstteemm
• 1192- 1864
• SSHHOOGGUUNN
– Title given by
emperor
– Real power;
Emperor as
figurehead

20. DDaaiimmyyoo
• “Counts” – warrior /
noblemen
• Huge landowners
• SSaammuurraaii

21. SSaammuurraaii
• Vassals to Daimyo
• Land (& Protection)
for Loyalty
Exchange
– Peasant farmers
– Artisans
– Soldiers

22. Bushido
• “The Way of the Warrior”
• Strict code of Conduct
– Loyalty
– Courage
– Honor
Japanese ladies were not esteemed. No chivalry, no religious overtone in Bushido.

23. SSeeppppuukkuu
“Hari Kari”
-Avoid falling into Enemy hands
-Avoid punishment / torture/
execution
-Avoid Shame of letting
down one’s Lord
-Assumed / Ordered by their Lord
Ritual
Disembowlment

24. Chivalry vs. Bushido
• King – ruled
• Lord-
– landowning warrior
– Vassals
• Knights
• Women:
– Few rights, but
protected
– Romantic love
• Religious values
important
• Emperor – figurehead
• Shogun ruled
• Daimyo –
– landowning warrior
– Vassals
• Samurai
• Women –
– NOT held in high esteem,
but some rights
• No Religious overtones

25. Bushido vs. Confucianism
• Emperor – figurehead
• Shogun ruled
• Daimyo –
– landowning warrior
– Vassals
• Samurai
• Women –
– NOT held in high esteem,
but some rights. Heian
court women.
• No Religious overtones
• EEmmppeerroorr
– Ruled China as Middle
Kingdom, Tributary States
• SShhii // SScchhoollaarr BBuurreeaauuccrraattss
– Confucian Junzi /Scholars
• GGeenneerraallss reported to Emperor.
• WWoommeenn
– NOT held in high esteem –
patriarchal Confucian society.
Footbinding.
• FFiilliiaall PPiieettyy,, RRiittuuaallss,, EEdduuccaattiioonn::
CCoonnffuucciiaanniissmm,, BBuuddddhhiissmm &&
DDaaooiissmm OOKK..

26. Heian Women

28. TTwweellvvee LLiinneedd RRoobbeess
Made of?

29. HHeeiiaann PPeerriioodd Kyoto: JAPANESE
794 – 1185 CE Imperial Court Culture

30. Upper Class Heian Women
Could inherit and keep property,
although usually a man administered it.
Law protected them from physical
violence. (?)
 Most married women continued living in their birth
homes, preventing husbands or mothers-in-law from
holding too much power or influence over their day-to-day
lives.
Education of Court Women: poetry,
letter writing, calligraphy, music, the
preparation of incense and perfumes,
and fashion.
Did not have the right to choose their
husbands, nor was strict monogamy practiced. http://gallery.sjsu.edu/heia
n/images/coutesan.jpg

31. • ““GGoollddeenn AAggee ooff JJaappaanneessee
LLiitteerraattuurree””
• Court Women:
– Poetry
–PPiillllooww BBooookk-- SSeeii SShhoonnaaggoonn
–TTaallee ooff GGeennjjii-- MMiirraassaakkii SShhiikkiibbuu
–TTaallee ooff HHeeiikkee
• Epic of intra-family warfare
• Various authors, probably

32. TTaallee ooff GGeennjjii

33. SSeeii SShhoonnaaggaann aanndd
LLiiffee aatt tthhee HHeeiiaann CCoouurrtt

34. LLoowweerr CCllaassss WWoommeenn
• No writing and not many
images survive.
• “Illness sketches”
– Fat woman as an example
of a disease.
– conservative white robes -
completely unlike court
women's Juni-Hitoe (twelve
unlined robes) .