Korea and
Japan
During the
Middle
Ages
500-1500
C.E.
I. Korea:
• 70% of Korea is
mountainous,
making farming
difficult. Thus
most Koreans
live along the
western coastal
plain. This is
Korea’s major
farming area.
• Korea has a
5,400 mile of
coastline with
hundreds of
good harbors.
Since the
earliest of
times seafood
has been
important to
the Korean
diet.
• Located as a peninsula of northern
China, the Chinese have played an
important part in Korea’s history and
development.
A) Korean Prehistory (up till 918 C.E.):
• Korean legend states that the first great
ruler emerged in 2333 B.C.E., his name
was Tan’gun Wang’gom. His capital was
located at present day P’yong’yang, and
he called his kingdom Chuson (meaning,
“land of the Morning Calm.”)
B) Chinese Influence:
• In 108 B.C.E. the Han Emperor Wudi
conquered Korea.
• During this time the Koreans absorbed
many Chinese traditions, but it also
preserved it separate and distinct culture.
–Chinese farming techniques, Confucian
teachings, Buddhist influences, Chinese
writing style, and China’s civil service
examination were all adopted by the
Koreans; however, the Chinese
language was rejected.
• Koreans
learned to
make porcelain
from China, but
then perfected
the technique
of making
“celadon” , a
porcelain with
an unusual
blue-green
glaze.
C) Era of the Three Kingdoms:
• Between 300 – 600 C.E., three
powerful kingdoms emerged:
Koguryo, Paekche, and Silla.
• Constantly at war, each kingdom tried
to gain dominance over the region.
• Silla was finally able to dominate the
region and establish the first dynasty,
due to the aid of Korea’s warrior
knights called Hwarang.
• The Hwarang were a
group of aristocratic
young men who
intensely studied the
arts of war.
• The Hwarang is
actually a warrior code
not a fighting style.
• Though part of the
regular army, their
spirit and devotion set
them apart from other
soldiers.
Hwarang
Principles:
1. Loyalty to one’s country.
2. Obedience to one’s
parents.
3. Loyalty to one’s friends.
4. Refusal to retreat from
enemy attack.
5. Abstention from
senseless killing of any
living thing.
D) Koryo Dynasty
(918-1392 C.E.)
• The Koryo
dynasty
succeeded the
Silla. It saw the
development
Taekwondo, which
became more
systematic and
made a required
part of military
training.
E) Yi Dynasty (1392-1910 C.E.)
• The Mongols
ruled Korea from
1231-1392 C.E.
• In 1392 C.E., the
Koreans
overthrew their
Mongol
conquerors and
set up the Yi
Dynasty.
Yi contributions to
Korean culture:
–They reduced Buddhist
influence and set up a
government based
upon Confucian
principles.
–They developed the
“hangul” writing
system, which is
simpler than Chinese.
Hangul increased the
number of people who
could read and write.
• The Yi Dynasty is regarded as the last
traditional kingdom of Korea. It lasted
until 1910 C.E.
• Japan controled Korea from 19111945 C.E.
II. Japan:
• Japan is an
archipelago, about
100 miles off the
Asian mainland. It is
4/5th mountainous,
and most Japanese
settled in the narrow
river valleys and
along the coastal
plains.
• The surrounding
seas have both
protected and
isolated Japan.
• Japan is close
enough to the
mainland to learn
from Korea and
China, but too far
away to be
conquered.
A) Japanese
Prehistory (till
500 C.E.)
• Japanese mythology tells of a divine
brother and sister who gave birth to
both the islands of Japan and to the
sun goddess, Amaterasu.
• The legend says that in 660 B.C.E.,
Jimmu Tenno, a descent of
Amaterasu, became the first emperor
of Japan.
• Actually, Japan was first
inhabited by an aborigines
people called the Ainu.
• The arrival of Asian people
from the mainland pushed
the Ainu into the northern
regions of Japan. The
Japanese called the Ainu
“kehito” (hairy men), they
were not allowed to
assimilate into the
Japanese culture.
• The Ainu are similar to the American
Indians; because they have been
determined to preserve and promote
their language and cultural heritage.
B) Japanese Religion:
• The native religion is
called Shinto meaning
“The way of the gods.”
• There is no complex
rituals or philosophy to
the Shinto religion.
Believers strive to find
beauty in “kami” (the
forces of nature)
C) The Yamato Clan:
• Recorded Japanese history
begins around 500 C.E.,
when the Yamato Clan take
over most of the main Island.
• They are the first and only
dynasty of Japan, tracing
their roots back to the
legendary sun goddess.
Thus their kingdom is called
the “Land of the Rising Sun.”
• Many aspects of the imperial
court were adopted from the
Chinese Influence on Japan:
1. Chinese ideas about
government.
2. Chinese fashion.
3. Chinese language and
characters.
4. Chinese food.
5. Confucian ideas and
ethics.
6. Chinese architecture.
• Overtime, the
Japanese lose
their enthusiasm
for Chinese
culture, as a new
cultural identity
develops which
supported the
idea that the
Japanese culture
is superior to the
Chinese.
D) The Heian Period:
• From 794 – 1185 C.E.,
the imperial court was
dominated by the
Fujiwara family. Since
it was located at Heian
(present-day Kyoto) it is
called the Heian court.
• Elegance and culture
blossomed at the Heian
court, as the nobility
lived in an artificial
• Elaborate rules of etiquette governed
court ceremony. As the court’s focus
turned not to civil administration, but to
poetry, literature, and the arts.
Heian Literature:
Sei Shonagon;
created “The Pillow
Book”, a series of
anecdotes and
observations about
court life.
2. Lady Murasaki;
created “The Tale of
Genji” which was the
world’s first full-length
novel.
1.
E) Japanese Feudalism:
• By the 11th century
C.E., large
landowners (daimyo)
had created private
armies and were
declaring their own
authority independent
of the Emperor.
• Peasants gained security by pledging
their lands to a daimyo in exchange
for protection. Thus, Japanese
farmers were reduced to the status of
serfs.
• The Heian Court
was powerless to
stop them, as they
were too involved in
luxurious living and
making fortunes.
• During this
period, Japan’s
central
government
deteriorated,
which led to a
series of civil
wars known as
the Gempei
Wars (11801185 C.E..)
F) Kamakura Period
(1192 – 1333 C.E.)
Gempei wars ended
in 1185 C.E. when the
leader of the Minamoto
daimyo Minamoto
Yoritomo became the
first shogun in Japanese
history. His capital was
located in Kamakura,
thus his dynasty begins
the Kamakura period.
• The
Japan’s Social
Structure:
• In theory, the emperor
was the head of
Japanese feudal
society. But in fact, he
was powerless. Real
power lay in the hands
of the shogun
(supreme military
commander.)
• The shogun
distributed land to
vassal lords (the
daimyo) who
agreed to protect
their lands and
remain loyal to
the shogun.
They, in turn,
granted land to
lesser warriors
called samurai.
• The samurai class was an
hereditary membership.
They were highly trained
and received special
privileges in Japanese
society.
–They were allowed to
carry swords.
–They were allowed to
wear special headdress
–They were exempt from
imperial taxes.
The Way of the Warrior:
• Samurai followed an unquestionable
code of obedience called “Bushido”
(The way of the Warrior.)
1. Absolute loyalty to one’s lord.
2. Honor is more important than wealth.
3. Death before dishonor (no surrender
in battle.)
4. The practice of “seppuku” a ritual
suicide.
G) Zen Buddhism:
• Zen is form of
Buddhism introduced
into Japan by a monk
named Eisai. He taught
that meditation and
prayer are important for
spiritual growth.
• It emphasis on physical
and mental health, was
widely popular among
the Samurai class; and
was spread because of
their support.
• Its popularity was also due to the fact that
it co-existed easily with the Shinto beliefs
of unity with nature.
• Buddhist monasteries became centers of
Zen learning and art (landscape gardening
& flower arranging.)
H) Mongol Invasion:
• In 1268 C.E., Kublai
Khan sent a letter
demanding the
submission and tribute
of Japan. The Kamakura
shogun refused.
• So Kublai Khan sent two
armies to invade Japan,
by landing along the
coast of Hakata Bay at
Fukuoka;
• The first invasion (1274 C.E.) consisted of
900 ships and 40,000 men. It was
destroyed by a typhoon that the Japanese
called “kamikaze” (divine winds.)
• By the time of the second invasion (1281
C.E.) Japanese samurai had built a stone
wall along the coast of Hakata Bay, and
were able to fight off the Mongols.
• Due
to regional
I) Ashikaga Period
factionalism,
(1333 – 1573 C.E.)
the Kamakura
shogunate fell in
1333 C.E.. It was
replaced by a new
shogun, Ashikaga
Yoshimitsu. However,
the new government
was not strong enough
to control the distant
regions of Japan.
To defend their lands during this
period, daimyo lords built massive
stone
castles.
The Warring States Period
(1467-1573 C.E.):
• The Ashikaga shogunate lost
control of the country during during
another series of civil wars called
the Onin wars (1467-1477 C.E.).
• The Onin Wars reestablished the
autonomy of the daimyos and
began 100 years of anarchy known
as the Warring States period
(1467-1573 C.E.)
J) Creating a Strong State
(1573 – 1600 C.E.):
1. The first leader to
move Japan out of
feudalism was Oba
Nobunaga. He was the
first to make use of
European firearms. With
them he deposed the last
Ashikaga shogun, and
began the process of
unification of Japan.
• European traders brought firearms to
Japan. The ability to manufacture &
use
firearms
helped
unify
Japan
and end
its feudal
period.
• Europeans also
brought
Christianity. In
1549 C.E., Jesuit
monks like
Francis Xavier
introduced
Christianity
throughout
Japan.
• Originally Nobunaga encouraged
Jesuit missionaries; because
Christianity was a counterforce to the
militant Buddhist monks who wanted
to remain independent of the
shogun’s authority.
• However, in the late 1580s his views
towards Christian missionaries
changed.
Why Nobunaga forbid
Christianity in Japan:
1. The Buddhist monks had been
crushed and were no long a threat.
2. He feared that the spread of
Christian missionary would led to an
invasion of Japan by Portugal.
2. Nobunaga was
succeeded by Toyotomi
Hideyoshi, as Shogun.
By 1590 C.E., Hideyoshi
had forced all the daimyos
of Japan to submit to his
authority.
• He wanted his son to
succeed him but upon his
death a vassal general
seized power.
3. That general
was
Tokugawa
Ieyashu,
who
became
Shogun in
1598 C.E.
K) Tokugawa Shogunate
(1603-1868 C.E.)
• Order and unity was finally restored
under the leadership of Tokugawa
Ieyasu.
• The Tokugawa shogunate was the
longest period of uninterrupted peace
in Japanese history.
Tokugawa
reorganized
daimyos
estates
calming
most of their
lands and
giving the
rest to his
family.
• He moved the capital to Edo (Tokyo),
where it became the political, cultural,
and artistic center of Japan.
• He and his
family
directly
controlled
most of the
lands in
Central
Japan,
around Edo,
in order to
avoid
rebellion.
• The daimyo were obligated to spend
every other year in Edo, and they had
to leave their families there as
hostages
whenever
they returned
to their
estates.
• He created an
effective
bureaucratic
system of
administration
concentrated in
the hands of his
loyal samurai.
• He divided society into four distinct
classes — samurai, farmers,
artisans, and merchants (in order of
prestige)
He established The Closed Country
Edict of 1635 C.E.
1. It banned Christianity in Japan.
2. It forbid Japanese ships to trade
overseas.
3. It banned Western books.
4. It confined foreigners to the city of
Nagasaki only.
• This policy of
isolationism, and
its governmental
schools of
national learning
were designed to
emphasize
Japan’s unique
and indigenous
culture. Thus
creating a social
conscience of
superiority.
L) Tokugawa Art:
• During the Tokugawa shogunate,
“bunraku” (puppet theater) became a
traditional art from in Japan. It involves
three puppeteers, while being
accompanied by music and narrative
song.
• Also popular during the Tokugawa
shogunate was “Noh theater.” It is a
form of musical dance drama. And is
the oldest theater art form in Japan.
• Created during the
Tokugawa period, Kabuki
is still the most popular
form of traditional
Japanese theater.
• It is characterized with
bright colors, exaggerated
acting, music and dancing.
• Similar to traditional
Shakespearian theater,
both male and female
characters are played by
men.
THE END!