Japanese Project

Japanese History

The first people to migrate into the islands of Japan arrived around 8000 B.C they probably lived in huts, caves and ravines. The people of Japan lived off the land, hunted, farmed and created unique cultures and beliefs in their small clans and tribes. Around 200 B.C invaders from the Asian mainland entered Japan using their super technology and weapons. These invaders were able to defeat the people of Japan. The newcomers started to marry some of the islanders and after a period of many generations they helped them to raise their standard of living and taught them new methods of farming and the uses of bronze and iron. Around 250 A.D another group of invaders entered Japan from the Asian mainland. These invaders were skilled at using horses in battle and their warriors were able to quickly defeat the people of Japan.

Clan life in Japan

The people of Japan lived in clans; these clans were ruled by a powerful chief who was also the priest of the group. The chief also acted as the military leader and trained the clan to protect themselves against outsiders and other clans. By the late 300s one clan was stronger and more skilled than all the other clans. They were called the Yamato clan. The Yamato clan was known for their bravery in battle and their advanced fighting techniques. The chief ofthe Yamato clan became the first emperor of Japan. Local clans still ruled their own land but were loyal to the emperor. By 400 A.D the emperor had become very powerful. By 500 A.D the emperor of Japan was mostly a ceremonial position. The people of Japan believed that only the emperor could talk to the gods on behalf of the people. The unbroken line ofemperors exists to this day which means the current emperor is a direct descendant of the original emperor of Japan. 

Japanese civilisation

By the 700s Japanese culture and civilization had reached a height, their beautiful capital city of Nara mirrored that of China’s capital city. In 794 A.D the leaders of Japan setup a new capital city. They named it Heian kyo which was later shortened to Kyoto. This city was the capital of the Japanese empire for over 1,000 years. Between 800 A.D and 1200 A.D the Japanese aristocracy developed a new cultural movement known as the Heian culture. The focus of this movement was to find as much beauty as possible. Every aspect of life was modelled around trying to find beauty including handwriting, dress, appearance and gardens and homes. During the Heian period some of the most beautiful Japanese poems were written, it was not uncommon for individuals to spend hours writing poetry. All this attention to beauty did have a downside. Because all of their energies were focused on beauty the Japanese government grew weaker and ambitious warlords began to grow more independent of the central government.

Japanese feudalism

In 1185 a powerful aristocrat by the name of Yorimoto Minamoto defeated all other opponents and became the defacto ruler of Japan. The emperor remained in Coyoto where he carried out religious and cultural rituals. The emperor was named Yorimoto the Shogun which means‘General’ in Japanese. As the Shogun Yorimoto had all the political and military power in Japan in 1336 civil war broke out in japan both the Shogun and the Emperor remained in office. But both became nothing more than figure heads having no real political power Japan fell into a Feudal system similar to that of Europe. Land owning warriors known as Samari pledged their allegiance to lords known as Daimyos and fought to protect their lands. In exchange the Daimyos used his Samaris to protect these poor farmers.