Medieval Japan – Flashcards
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Why did Japanese people live on coastal plains?
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Japan has mountainous slopes that are difficult to live on and farm.
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What supported the spread of Chinese culture in Japan?
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Japan's proximity to China, visits from Chinese citizens, and eagerness from Japan's rulers
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Who wrote many of the great works of early Japanese literature?
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noble women
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What are ways that the samurai tradition survives in Japan?
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practicing self-discipline and sacrifice, working hard, and showing loyalty to companies and sports teams
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What describes Heian paintings?
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scenes from nature or court life; bright and bold colors
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A form of Buddhism popular with Japan's common people
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Pure Land Buddhism
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Author of The Tale of Genji
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Murasaki Shikibu
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A form of Buddhism that stresses self-discipline and meditation
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Zen Buddhism
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An emperor who ruled in the name of the emperor
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Shogun
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A type of drama that tells of Japan's heroes
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Noh
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A person who rules a country for someone who is unable to rule alone
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Regent
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Wealthy landowners who controlled large amounts of land
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Daimyo
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A group of nobles who live near and serve or advise a ruler
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Court
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The native, traditional religion of Japan
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Shinto
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Professional warrior who served his or her lord
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Samurai
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What role did the emperor have during the shogun period?
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Figurehead
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Why did many samurai adopt Zen Buddhism?
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It stressed self-discipline and meditation
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What did the raked rock garden help Zen Buddhists do?
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Meditate
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What did Samurai warriors fight with?
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two swords
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What did the Yamato rulers govern before they called themselves emperors of Japan?
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a clan
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Why did Japanese nobles put aside their differences and unite in 1274?
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to fight the Mongols
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Who unified Japan in the 1500s?
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Oda Nobunaga
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What was the main reason the emperor lost control of Japan to the Minamoto shogun?
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The emperor was too busy with courtly life in Heian.
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Why did the samurai period in Japan last until the 1800s?
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Japan was isolated, and Japan's rulers limited technology and banned guns.
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Describe the social structure of Japan during the 1400s.
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Divided, with many daimyo controlling different territories.
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The efforts of Prince Shotoku led to the spread of this.
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Buddhism
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The rules of daily behavior followed by a samurai.
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Bushido
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With what were samurai repaid for their military service?
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Land or food
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Name some ways that samurai warriors improved their discipline.
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Flower arranging, tea ceremonies, and Zen Buddhist meditation
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What are some ways that a samurai could lose his honor?
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Losing a fight, disobeying an order, or failing to protect his lord
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Why was The Tale of Genji so influential?
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It was an accurate depiction of the lives of nobles and it influenced painters of the period.
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According to Confucius, list the family sequence of two parents and two sons in order from most power to least.
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Father, mother, older brother, younger brother
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How was the Buddhism of the Japanese nobles different from the Buddhism of the common people?
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Elaborate rituals were practiced by nobles but not by common people.
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What was one way Prince Shotoku helped spread Buddhism in Japan?
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He built a grand Buddhist temple.
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What Japanese people spoke a unique language that was eventually lost?
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Ainu
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What is one reason why different forms of Buddhism developed in Japan?
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People from different classes practiced their religion differently.
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List the following members of Samurai society in order of most power to least power: samurai, shogun, peasant, daimyo
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shogun, daimyo, samurai, peasant
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Why was Japan isolated from Korea and China in ancient times?
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Its island location
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What did the two Mongol attacks on Japan have in common?
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The Japanese were aided by the weather
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What did samurai warriors receive in return for their military services?
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land
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How did contact with China and Korea influence Japan?
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sharing written language, philosophy, and a new religion
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How did Noh differ from earlier forms of Japanese drama?
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It was more serious.
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What did Zen Buddhists believe?
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in regular meditation; in self-discipline; and that wisdom can be found in quiet thinking
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Because of the geography of their country, what did the diet of Japanese people mainly consist of?
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seafood
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Who would protect the home of a samurai family while the men were at war?
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a female samurai
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What are some things that a samurai could NOT do?
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attend the theater, trade, take part in commerce
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What was the main duty of a samurai warrior?
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defend his daimyo and his daimyo's property
