The Samurai Era
This class of professional warriors ruled Japan for nearly 700 years.
What is the samurai?
Samurai were trained to fight not just with swords, but also with these weapons used in hand-to-hand combat.
What are spears and bows and arrows?
This navigational tool allowed Chinese sailors to find direction even when skies were cloudy.
What is the magnetic compass?
These items, now used in games like poker, were invented in China during the Tang dynasty.
What are playing cards?
He was the first shogun of Japan, establishing a military government in Kamakura in 1192.
Who is Minamoto Yoritomo?
This form of writing, practiced by samurai, involves creating beautiful characters with a brush and ink.
What is calligraphy?
First used in flamethrowers, this explosive substance revolutionized warfare.
What is gunpowder?
The Chinese used this printed currency starting in the 8th or 9th century.
What is paper money?
This code of conduct demanded absolute loyalty and honor from the samurai.
What is Bushido?
A samurai had to be prepared for anything—even while writing. In one story, this liquid saved a samurai from an attacker.
What is ink?
Before the printing press, this method involved carving characters into wooden blocks.
What is woodblock printing?
This Chinese clock invention used dripping water and chimes to tell time.
What is the mechanical clock?
In this type of ritual suicide, samurai would kill themselves to preserve honor.
What is seppuku?
This form of cultural ceremony promoted calm and political alliances among the samurai.
What is the tea ceremony?
Often called “china” in English, this delicate, translucent pottery was a prized Chinese export.
What is porcelain?
This boat innovation used rotating paddles for faster river travel.
What is a paddlewheel boat
This type of Buddhism emphasized discipline and meditation, appealing especially to samurai.
What is Zen Buddhism?
Famous for inventing the haiku, this samurai poet captured nature in 17 syllables.
Who is Matsuo Basho?
This medical practice, developed in medieval China, involved using scabs to prevent smallpox.
What is inoculation?
Segmental arch bridges from China used less material and were stronger than this Roman-style design.
What is the semicircular arch?