BlastFromthepast

TravelersGuide:FeudalJapan
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Thisguideisputtogethertohelpyouexperienceandunderstand thisamazingandinterestingtimeperiodinJapan.Wewillbesendingyou backasprobablyamerchant,peasantsorartisan.Rightoffthebatyouwill noticethatJapanisdividedinto,twodistinctclasses,therichorthenoble andthepoororthepeasants.Thenobleclassmadeup12%ofthe populationandthepoormadeuptherest.Thepeopleknewwheretheir placewasinsocietyandhowimportanttheirreligionwastodailylife.We wantourgueststoexperiencetheirculture,geography,military,social levelsandtoseewhatitwaslikebackthen.

Geography:HereatBlastFromthePast,wefeelitisvery
importantforourgueststounderstandthegeographytheywillbelivingin. Japanislocated120milesoffthecoastofAsia Volcanoes,earthquakes,andtyphoonsareaconstantdanger Japanisanislandcountrymadeupoffourmainislands 73%ofthecountryismountainous SomanymilesfromChinaandKorea BeingthatJapanisanIslandandveryisolatedthiscontributedtoits historyandculture.Forexample,thesystemofwritingwascarriedto JapanbytheKoreansandithappenedtobetheChinesesystem.In addition,thegeographyhelpedprotecttheislands.TheMongols attackedJapantwiceinthelate1200sandbothtimesatyphoonwiped outtheMongolfleetofships. Ourguestsneedtounderstandthecultureinthistimeperiod andwillhavetheopportunitytoenjoytheartsandtheatre.TheNtheatre,

isaplaceinwhichmenworedecorativemaskandperformedonstage. ThisreflectedBuddhistideasinresistingselfishbehavior.Also,the KabukitheatrewassimilartoNotheatreexceptthestorieswerecomedies andwereaboutnormal,everydaylife.WomeninfeudalJapanhadequal statuswithmen.Alsowomenwereallowedtoinheritthefamily'sestate. Duringthistimeperiodwomenhadequalrights,couldfight,couldjoin buddhistsconverts,howeverafterthistimeperiodwomenwerealotmore constrictedHaikupoemswasanotherformofartthatwasprominentin thefeudalperiod.Teaceremoniesandlandscapegardeningwereculture achievementsthathelpdefinetheJapanoftoday.Religionwasvery importantinJapan,justasitistoday.Therewasalotofceremonially practicesthatrelatedtoeverydaylifeandalifeofasamurai.Thereligion inthistimeperiodwasmostlyShintuismoraformofBuddhism

Thesocialstructureisthemostimportantpieceof
informationthatourguestsneedtounderstand.Thewaytheclasssystem brokedownwastheEmperorwasatthetop,followedbytheShogun,the DaimyoLords,theSamuraiandthepeasants.Themerchantswereatthe bottom.Thepeasants,orthefarmerswereabovethemerchants becausethefarmersproducedthefood,whilethemerchantswereviewed asparasites.Thisisbecausetheymadetheirmoneyfromthemore productivefarmers.Themerchantsactuallylivedinseparatesectionsof themajorcities.TheEmperorwasjustafigureheadwiththerealpower lyingwiththeShogun.TheS hoguncontrolledtheWarlordswhoweretheDaimyos.TheDaimyos controlledtheSamurai,orthearmiesofJapan. Themilitarystructureistightlywovenintothesocialstructure. ThisisbecausetheSamuraiwarriorclassdominatedtheJapanesefeudal society.TheSamurailivedbyawrittencodecalledthebushido.Thiswas averyhighcodeofhonorthatwouldresultinexpectedsuicideifbroken. TheSamuraiwerethemostrespectedgroupofpeoplewhoalsohadthe

leastamountofeducation.WomenwereallowedtobecomeaSamurai andpartofthearmy,butalwaysservedunderamansleadership.The ShogunwerethetruerulersofFeudalJapan.Theyheldallthepower throughthemilitary. *PleasenotewewillNOTbesendinganyofourguestsbackasa emperor,shogun,daimyoorsamuraiduetothemanyyearsof trainingthatwouldneedtotakeplaceandthepossibilityofbeing killed.

EnjoyyourtimeinFeudalJapan