Ancient Japan

Ancient Japan

Social Studies 7

Multiple Choice

Clans controlled different territories in Japan and each clan worshiped its own

nature gods and goddesses.

• True

• F

Shintoism

In different parts of Japan, people honored thousands of local gods. Their varied customs and beliefs eventually combined to form Japan’s earliest religion. In later times, this religion was called Shinto meaning “way of the gods.” Shinto was based on respect for the forces of nature and on the worship of ancestors. Shinto worshipers believed in kami, divine spirits that dwelled in nature. Any unusual or especially beautiful tree, rock, waterfall, or mountain was considered the home of a kami.

Multiple Choice

In ancient Japan the emperor was seen as:

• Ruling by a mandate from heaven

• A descendent of the sun god Amaterasu

• A powerful warrior

• A barbarian conquering general

Multiple Choice

When rival clans fought for power, the winning clan claimed control of the

emperor and then ruled in the emperor’s name.

• True

• False

The Yamato Emperors

The Yamato clan had established itself as the leading clan during 400 AD. The Yamato claimed to be descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu. By the seventh century, the Yamato chiefs called themselves the emperors of Japan.

Multiple Choice

The earliest Chinese travelers brought Buddhism to Japan.

• True

• False

Cultural Borrowing

Multiple Choice

During the Heian Period, gentlemen and ladies of the court filled their days with elaborate ritual and democratic pursuits.

• True

• False

Life in the Heian Period

Gentlemen and ladies of the court filled their days with elaborate ritual and artistic pursuits. Rules dictated every aspect of court life—the length of swords, the color of official robes, forms of address, even the number of skirts a woman wore. Etiquette was also extremely important. Laughing aloud in public, for example, was frowned upon. And everyone at court was expected to write poetry and to paint.

Multiple Choice

Was it so easy for the Japanese feudal system to develop and have more power than the emperor?

• Emperors became more powerful as they forced peasants into military service

• Emperor lacked real power in ruling the people

• The peasants wanted someone to rule over them

• Shoguns became more powerful as each province was left to provide their own armies

Multiple Choice

The Japanese borrowed the feudal system from China. Which of the following shows how power was distributed from highest to lowest rank?

• Samurai, Shogun, Peasants, Merchants

• Shogun, Samurai, Merchants, Peasants

• Shogun, Samurai, Peasants, Merchants

• Samurai, Shogun, Merchants, Peasants

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements about Japan's two governments is correct?

• The shogunate ruled from Heian and had military power

• The shogunate ruled from Kamakura and had military power

• The emperor and his bureaucracy ruled from Heian and kept control of Japan

• The emperor and his bureaucracy stayed in Heian but had no power

Multiple Choice

The samurai lived by a strict code of honor known as

• Bushido

• Kamakura

• Seppuku

• Kami

Bushido was the code of conduct for Japan's warrior classes from perhaps as early as the eighth century through modern times. The word "bushido" comes from the Japanese   roots "bushi" meaning "warrior," and "do" meaning "path" or "way." It translates literally to "way of the warrior." Bushido was followed by Japan's samurai warriors and their precursors in feudal Japan, as well as much of central and east Asia. The principles of bushido emphasized honor, courage, skill in the martial arts, and loyalty to a warrior's master (daimyo) above all else.

BUSHIDO