Japan in the Middle Ages
Japan is a large group of islands located east of the Asian mainland. Life in Japan has always been influenced by many factors. The islands' geography and location shaped how people lived there. Visitors from other lands also affected Japanese society.
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Teach TCI - History Alve
Lesson 19
Lesson 20 History Social Science Standards
7.5 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Medieval Japan. 7.5.1 Describe the significance of Japan’s proximity to China and Korea and the intellectual, linguistic, religious, and philosophical influence of those countries on Japan. 7.5.2 Discuss the reign of Prince Shotoku of Japan and the characteristics of Japanese society and family life during his reign. 7.5.3 Describe the values, social customs, and traditions prescribed by the lord-vassal system consisting of shogun, daimyo, and samurai and the lasting influence of the warrior code in the twentieth century. 7.5.4 Trace the development of distinctive forms of Japanese Buddhism. 7.5.5 Study the ninth and tenth centuries’ golden age of literature, art, and drama and its lasting effects on culture today, including Murasaki Shikibu’s Tale of Genji. 7.5.6 Analyze the rise of a military society in the late twelfth century and the role of the samurai in that society. |
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Teach TCI History Alive
Japan During Medieval Times:
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The gardens and architecture of the Heian period lasted from the late 8th century to the late 12th century. They reflect the process of Japanese reinterpretation and finally assimilation of Chinese culture.
A significant feature of Japanese gardens is their ability to arouse poetic emotions in the viewer and this was especially true of the Heian period. Rocks, flowers trees are not just inanimate objects but possess their own being and sensitivity. To be sensitive to their sensitivity is a prerequisite of Heian art. |
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Wars between lords and emperors were not uncommon in Japan after 1100. Closed off from society at Heian, emperors had lost touch with the rest of Japan. As a result, order broke down throughout the islands.