Japan in the Postclassical Period

   By 7 th /8 th centuries Japanese court at Nara already full of Chinese imports and Japanese borrowing from China high Shinto views remained central to Japanese cultural development Taika reforms in 646 aimed at revamping bureaucracy along Chinese lines

Japan: The Imperial Age

◦ ◦ Growing Buddhist monastic influence began to threaten imperial court After clever Buddhist prelate tried to marry in the royal court, emperor fled to Heian (Kyoto), where he tried to oust Buddhist influence

Crisis at Nara and the Shift to Heian (Kyoto)

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Basis of imperial power eroded Emperors, however, lived in luxury and aesthetic delights- beauty a focus Writing verse the most valued art form Lady Murasaki’s The Tale of Genji (first novel in any language)

Court Life in the Heian Era

◦ ◦ Fujiwara family (aristocratic family that exerted influence over imperial affairs by mid-9 th century) Increase in power of aristocrats and Buddhist monks- but also local lords, which they competed with

The Decline of Imperial Power

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Pursuit of landed estates taken up by elite families in the provinces who eventually came to control the land and labor and deny these resources to the court- they gradually carved out little kingdoms Warrior leaders or bushi- built up own armies, samurai When emperor could not protect himself, samurai were called in. Soon the court and high officials hired provincial lords and their samurai to serve as bodyguards and this proved critical to the emergence of a warrior class Warrior code that stressed family honor and death rather than retreat or defeat (seppuku- literally disembowelment- in west- belly-splitting)

The Rise of the Provincial Warrior Elites

◦ ◦ As power of provincial lords grew, imperial household and court aristocracy declined Mid-12 th century competition between two most powerful families- Taira and Minamoto

The Era of Warrior Dominance

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ As power of imperial house weakened the relevance of Chinese precedents and institutions diminished Gempei wars (5 years) Honshu Minamoto emerged victorious and established the bakufu (military government) Beginning of feudalism in Japan

The Declining Influence of China

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Yoritomo was the leader of the Minamoto. Capital at Kamakura. He greatly weakened the government because he feared being overthrown, so kicked out relatives Shoguns- military leaders of the Bakufu After Yoritomo’s death the Hojo (another warrior family) dominated the Kamakura regime 14 th century- Ashikaga Takuaji- led revolt of the bushi that overthrew the Kamakura regime and established the Ashikaga Shogunate (1336 – 1573) Long period of civil strife weakened the authority of the emperor 1467-1477 full-scale civil war Breakdown and eventually Japan was divided into 300 little kingdoms whose warlord rulers were called daimyos

The Age of the Warlords

◦ ◦ ◦ 15 th -16 th centuries- deterioration of chivalrous qualities of the bushi- replaced by sneaky armies and betrayals- samurai marched around fighting overlords’ battles. This upset the peasantry, which unsuccessfully tried to revolt. However, there was economic and social growth. Daimyos tried to stabilize village life with the introduction of regular tax collection, irrigation systems, public works, incentives to occupy new land, guild organization Growth in handicraft gave some women more opportunities but overall women’s status declined as they became mere appendages of warrior fathers or husbands

Toward Barbarism? Military Division and Social Change

◦ ◦ Zen Buddhism’s simplicity played large role because it balanced out the destruction in reality Development of tea gardens and tea ceremonies

Artistic Solace for a Troubled Age