Social Structure
The leader of the military government in Japan during the Edo Period.
Who is the Shogun?
The name of the policy that set controls on interactions between Japanese citizens and foreigners.
What is the National Seclusion Policy?
The name of the centralized military government led by the Shogun.
What is the Bakufu?
The city where the Tokugawa Shoguns established their government base.
What is Edo?
This famous dormant volcano, which frequently appears in Japanese art from the Edo period, is located on the border between Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefectures.
What is Mount Fuji?
The hereditary warriors who occupied a prestigious position in society but struggled to find work as administrators during the 200 years of peace.
Who are the Samurai?
The only port where foreign ships were permitted to land in Japan after the borders were closed.
What is Deshima?
A feudal lord who governed a local domain (province) in Japan.
Who is a daimyo?
The Shogun who is credited with uniting Japan in about 1600.
Who is Tokugawa Ieyasu?
Farmers held a privileged position in society because they were responsible for producing this commodity, which was considered the most important in Japan.
What is rice?
The social class responsible for the production of rice, a vital commodity in Japan.
Who are the farmers?
The year the Closed Country Edict, which forbade Japanese ships from travelling abroad, was issued.
What is 1635?
The requirement that daimyo must spend every second year in Edo, which helped the Shogun control them.
What is the alternate attendance policy (or spending every second year in Edo)?
This early Shogun was nicknamed "Monkey Face" by his friends.
Who is Toyotomi Hideyoshi?
This term, derived from Confucian philosophy, refers to the code of behavior for samurai, emphasizing duty, loyalty, and moral development.
What is Bushido?
The outcast group forced to perform work related to death, such as tanning hides and removing corpses.
Who are the eta (or Outcasts)?
A primary reason the Shoguns feared European influence and decided to isolate Japan.
What is the spread of Christianity (or the fear that Christians would follow spiritual leaders over the Shogun)?
Approximately 73% of Japan's land is defined by this geographical feature, which creates natural barriers.
What are mountains?
This leader gained control of about one-third of the provinces by 1568, including Kyoto.
Who is Oda Nobunaga?
While farmers were esteemed for their work, they were strictly prohibited from doing this, as the daimyo did not want to lose the profits of their labor.
What is leaving their lands or village?
A Japanese measurement of rice (approximately 175 litres) used to determine the wealth and tax obligations of a landowner.
What is a koku?
The term for the "closed country" era, even though Japan was never entirely closed to the outside world.
What is sakoku?
The system of beliefs, introduced from China, that focused on morals, education, and strict societal order, which the Shoguns used to enhance their authority.
What is Confucianism?
This legendary quote explains the different leadership styles of the three great unifiers: Nobunaga would kill a nightingale that wouldn't sing, Hideyoshi would force it to sing, and this leader would wait for it to sing.
Who is Tokugawa Ieyasu?
During the Edo period, these professionals, frowned upon for living outside the rigid social hierarchy, provided entertainment such as acting, fortune-telling, and begging.
Who are the hinin (non-humans)?