These comprehensive class notes offer a detailed exploration of three key ancient civilizations: Japan, Greece & Rome, and Byzantium.
Japan: Discover how culture, tradition, and leadership shaped this unique society.
Greece & Rome: Witness the rise and fall of these empires, from philosophica...
WORLD HISTORY ● The nation must import 90 percent of its oil from
LESSON 2.1: ANCIENT JAPAN the Middle East .
● This scarcity of minerals led Japan to become
JAPAN CIVILIZATIONS an imperial power in the late 1800s and first half
from the Beginning up to the Tokugawa Shogunate of the 1900s.
● Japan’s imperialism led it into military conflicts,
Did you know? including World War II.
● Seiko Usui, also known as O Sei San, was a B2. Human Resources
Japanese samurai's daughter. She was 23 years ● Japan’s most valuable resources has been its
old when she first met Jose Rizal. people and their ability to industrialize on a small
● Jose Rizal had moved to a Spanish Legation in area land.
the Azabu district of Tokyo where she regularly ● A leading export of Japan is its technology,
worked. She served as his interpreter during his which has made it one of the world’s leading
stay in Japan. economic powers.
● Japan’s proximity to the Asian mainland has
A. GEOGRAPHIC SETTING OF JAPAN allowed them to assimilate, or adapt certain
A1. Major Facts Asian cultural ideas to fit their own culture,
● Japan is an archipelago, located east of the through the process of cultural diffusion.
Asian mainland.
● It has four main islands namely, Honshu (the C. HISTORIC SETTING
largest), Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu. C1. Time Frame
● It is the most densely populated nation in the 660 B.C.E.-1185 C.E. Imperial Period
world with roughly 844 people per square mile.
1185-1600 Feudal Period
A2, Topography
● Japan’s island location helped it isolate it from C2. Overview
the Asian continent and protect it from outside ● As an island nation located near China, Japan
invasion. benefited from cultural diffusion.
● The Japanese developed a sense of cultural ● By establishing an early pattern of selective
unity and distrust of foreign influences. borrowing.
● Japan acquired many Chinese cultural elements
A3. Mountains and Volcanoes without being overwhelmed by them.
● Mountains cover about 85 percent of Japan. ● Japan has modernized by selectively borrowing
● To maximize the area available for farming, the from Western technology and culture.
Japanese use terrace farming.
● About 200 volcanoes are found in Japan. D. JAPAN AND THE THEORY OF DIVINE ORIGIN
● The most famous of these is Mt. Fuji, which is ● Japan comes from the Chinese word which
not active. means “origin of the sun”
● More than 1,500 tremors shake Japan each ● its geographic location shaped its history and
year, and earthquakes are not uncommon. prevented foreign invasions
● Japanese believe in Theory on Divine Origin
A4. Rivers wherein their emperors are descendants of
● Short, fast rivers flow out of the mountains and the sun goddess named Amaterasu-omikami.
into the surrounding bodies of water.
● These rivers are not very useful for E. THE GROWTH OF JAPANESE CIVILIZATION
transportation, but the Japanese have ● original inhabitants of Japan were the Ainus
harnessed them for irrigation and for generating ● written language is derived from Chinese
hydroelectric power. ● Japanese traditions were recorded in Kojiki
(records of Japan’s ancient history) and Nihon
A5. Coastline Shoki/Nihongi (or The Chronicles of Japan)
● The Japanese coastline is irregular, or jagged, ● Jimmu founded the Yamato clan and became
and has many good harbors for trade. the first emperor of Japan.
● Its coastline has made it easy for the Japanese ● Jimmu was given the title Tenno which means
to turn to the sea as a valuable resource. Japan “Son of Heaven”
is one of the leading fishing nations in the world, ● Japanese emperors generally became
and fish is a mainstay of the Japanese diet. figureheads as leading clans control Japan in
● More than 75 percent of the Japanese the name of the emperor
population lives in the cities along the coast. ● Each early Japanese clans worshiped nature
gods and goddesses which were later called as
A6. Climate Shinto
, ➔ From the mid-9th century the court was
dominated by members of the FUJIWARA
FAMILY
◆ who controlled the imperial line as
regents by marrying their daughters to
imperial heirs.
➔ characterized by highly refined court society
(including the etiquette)
➔ A new center of authority emerged in 1086 when
Emperor Shirakawa retired early and
established a cloistered regime (insei) to rule
E1. NARA PERIOD behind the throne, a system continued
➔ (710–784 CE) sporadically by later emperors.
➔ The imperial government was at Nara, and ➔ characterized by highly refined court society
Sinicization and Buddhism were most highly (including the etiquette)
developed. ➔ also known as Japan’s Golden Age
➔ Nara, the country’s first permanent capital, ➔ The period was characterized by the flourishing
was modeled on the Chinese T’ang Dynasty culture of the court aristocracy, which actively
(618–907) capital, Ch’ang-an. engaged in the pursuit of aesthetic refinement,
➔ Nara artisans produced refined Buddhist leading to new developments in art and
sculpture and erected grand Buddhist temples. literature.
➔ A network of roads connected the capital with ➔ Lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote The Tale of Genji
remote provinces. ◆ an account of the life of a prince in the
➔ Chinese language and literature were studied imperial court and considered to be the
intensively; the Chinese characters were world’s first novel)
adapted to the Japanese language; and ➔ Sei Shonagon wrote Pillow Book
numerous Chinese manuscripts, particularly ◆ a book that contains the things that gave
Buddhist scriptures, were copied. her pleasure
➔ During the Nara Period, Buddhism had been ➔ The central government raised heavy taxes that
brought to Japan by the Korean travelers. caused the landowners and clan chiefs to rebel
➔ Prince Shotoku drew up “The Seventeen and led to the rise of the Japanese military
Article Constitution” that is regarded as government.
Japan’s 1 st written code of laws.
➔ code of moral precepts for the ruling class, F. THE THREE MAJOR SHOGUNATES OF JAPAN
issued in 604 CE,
➔ Adopted the Chinese pattern of centralized ★ Kamakura Shogunate
government ★ Ashikaga Shogunate
➔ which set the fundamental spirit and orientation ★ Tokugawa Shogunate
for the subsequent Chinese-based centralized
reforms. The shogunate was the hereditary military
➔ stressed on the Chinese Confucian concepts of dictatorship of Japan (1192–1867). Legally, the shogun
a unified state ruled by one sovereign; the answered to the emperor, but, as Japan evolved into a
employment of officials on the basis of merit, not feudal society, control of the military became tantamount
heredity to control of the country.
➔ The Prince also sent missions to China to learn
Chinese practices.
➔ The Japanese also established the city of Nara, F1: KAMAKURA SHOGUNATE
the first capital in Japanese history. ➔ Minamoto no Yoritomo became the first
➔ The Japanese adopted Chinese ways while shogun and founder of Japan’s military
successfully retaining their own culture. government known as SHOGUNATE.
➔ Shogunate is also known as BAKUFU (Tent
Government)
➔ The shogun capital was at Kamakura
➔ The emperor remained in Kyoto.
➔ Under Yoritomo, Japan entered the Age of
Feudalism
◆ Feudalism is a political system based
on reciprocal relationships. (give and
E2, HEIAN PERIOD take)
➔ (794-1185 CE) ● is a type of social and political system in
➔ Japan’s capital city was moved from Nara to which landholders provide land to
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