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The first records of Japan are from the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 AD) and refer to Japan as the country of Wo. According to the Wei Chih (Chinese Chronicles), many of Japan’s states had been united by a Sorceress-Queen named Pimiko. Pimiko believed highly in culture and had diplomatic relations with the Wei Dynasty in China (220 – 264 AD) In the 4th – 5th centuries Japan was under strong leadership of Yamato, and was at war against several Korean Kingdoms. In 552 AD the Korean Kind sent the Yamato an image of a Buddha, Buddhist scriptures and a letter praising Buddhism. These gifts were sent when Paekche requested help from Yamato in war. The gifts caused the Japanese to have great interest in Buddhism. The Soga family regained its power in Japan after the minister, Shotoku died in 622 AD. The Soga’s then slaughtered the remaining member’s of Shotoku’s family, including his son. This started a raging civil war against the two clans. In 645 AD, Prince Nakano of the Imperial Family and a clan chief of the Fujiwara Family drove the Soga out of power. A new centralized government was created by the Emperor which made him the absolute ruler. He made it so that clan families could no longer own private land and men. In 710 AD Japan’s capital had moved to Nara, and Japan had established an efficient, complex and smooth running government. During the Nara period Buddhism reached its high point. The Emperor joined Buddhism to promote his subjects with happy, productive lives. The culture of Japan has highly influenced by other Asain civilizations including, China, Korea, and India. Although these were great influences, Japan still continued with its traditional ways.
 * Imperial Japan Culture **


 * Imperial Japan Samurai (bushi) **

In Japan the entire population was divided into one of four status ranks. The population was just over 30 million and of that 2 million were Samurai, which means Servant. Only Samurai were allowed to carry a sword, the town’s people were only allowed to carry a short sword for protection. The sword was the symbol of the samurai although they were allowed, bows, arrows, spears and guns. Warriors and Samurai were not paid in money but in rice. The amount of rice they received had to do with their rank. During ceremonial occasions, Samurai wore different clothing depending on rank. The lower ranking Samurai wore kami-shimo, and the higher ranking Samurai wore naga-bakama. A girdle was worn under both outfits that held there swords. After defeat some Samurai would commit Seppuku, a ritual suicide. They would cut their stomachs with their swords. They would do this rather then being captured or facing their master after being defeated. (Dunn, 13-35) The Samurai class originated in the 700’s when powerful landowners hired private warriors to protect their property. In 1333 the demand for Samurai became very high because Japan independent states were at war against each other. Between wars many samurai worked on farms. In 1573 Toyotomi Hideyoshi made it so that samurai could not live on a farm and be a samurai and they must choose only one. In 1603 Samurai stood at the top of the social cast. All Samurai were forced to live in castle towns. If a Samurai did not have a master they were called Ronin. They had the ranking of Samurai but did not have the duties and were free to live their lives as they wanted to. In 1615 Tokugawa’s last rival, Osaka Castle fell and the war had stopped. There was peace in Japan for 250 years. Without war Samurai were no longer needed.

In 1868 the feudal era came to an end, and so did the Samurai class.

**__ Ancient Japan Government __** **__ History __** The Ancient Japanese had provinces just like Canada and was controlled by different clans. The most powerful clan was the Yamoto. The Yamoto said there should be an emperor and that was around 600 A.D. The clans who ruled their land weren’t allowed to control their own land. The emperor put the clans into farms with only maximum of 50 houses and was controlled by an overseer. The overseer was responsible for collecting the taxes and if they didn’t pay they would be sold to slavery **__ The Emperor __** The civilians thought that the emperor was able to use magic with the gods. Every clan thought the royal family or clan’s ancestry were the most dominate or the most important ancestry. The emperor was in control of the taxes, decisions, farms and the slavery. **__ Shogun __** The word definition of shogun is military commander. The shogun took power in the year of 1185 right after the Minamoto defeated Taira clan after the Genpei War. The shogun was the second highest ranked in Ancient Japan. He was in charge of the military. The wars that they did were usually about fighting over territory. The shoguns were in control of there own territory.


 * Ancient Japan Clothing **
 * Japanese clothing includes a lot of colours and creativity. Today people of Japan wear certain colours based on the season, for example if it is summer they will wear bright colours and in fall they will different colours. **


 * One of the Samurai clothing is Samurai armour was made with a turtle shell and some fur but later on they started using leather and bronze. Samurai armour is very heavy and even the best warrior needed to be well conditioned to wear it. The earliest information about Samurai armour was written in the 8th century and can be found in the ancient chronicles of Kojiki and Nihongi. **


 * The Jomon Period was the earliest time when someone found evidence of weaving. They say that the weaving started when someone found tracing of some fibbers and they think that some plants were used by the Japanese to make some clothing. Also on some pottery found imprints from a mat and they found bone needles that mite be used to sew dresses or other stuff together. **


 * Ancient Japanese clothing was mainly robes and sometimes dresses and was mostly had patterns of religious beliefs. And special robes wear made for emperors for example some had dragons on it, and others had many different things. **
 * So you can see that Japanese clothing is very interesting and started way back and is very important to them because they have many traditional clothes that they will only wear on certain days, and certain seasons. **


 * Ancient Japan Religion **
 * Both Confucianism and Taoism were developed in China but later on developed in Japan by the fifth or sixth century C.E. Both traditions were built to follow way. This means what you born like you stay like that for example, if your born poor you stay poor you do not try to move yourself up. **
 * Confucianism came to Japan to be a model of political and social organization. They taught about value and harmony. Confucianism talks about political and social order unlike Taoism, it talks about natural order. **
 * Buddhism started about the sixth century CE. It influenced Shinto beliefs and practices and also involved Shinto’s elements. **
 * Shinto started about 500 BCE, its name comes for the Chinese word “Shin Tao” Witch means “The Way of the Kami.” Kami means god or gods, 84% of the population followed two religions, those were Shinto, and Buddhism. **
 * Tokugawa is one of the two periods where it made very changes to Japan. Tokugawa was between the 1600’s and 1867 and was the time for “Formalism and Renewal.” **
 * In AD 522 a ruler of Paekche sent a letter that involved some Buddhist scriptures, and a letter praising Buddhism. **
 * Japanese has many religions, and they all have their own way and own things in believing. For example some believe in sacred sites and the natural order of things. **