Heian

Wed. 1/27 Assignment - Japan's Golden Age

Virtual Stations

Warm Up:

Timed Pair Share

Turn to your partner, but don't get up out of your seat.

You will have 2 minutes to respond to the following question..

Warm Up:

Timed Pair Share

Context: Throughout history, many civilizations have gone through a "Golden Age." For example: The Golden Age of Greece

Question: What do you think it means to go through a "Golden Age"? What happens?

Virtual Stations:

How It Works

- In a normal school year, students would visit and rotate to "stations" within the classroom

- Instead, we will do virtual stations. Each "station" has its own slide with information about that particular topic

- You will work with a partner to visit the stations together and answer some questions about what you find. Virtual students - you will be placed in breakout rooms.

Virtual Stations:

What You Need

1. This quizizz. This is how you will visit the "stations."

2. A response sheet

- Virtual Students: open up the docs on classroom

- In-person Students: use the paper provided

Introduction

(2 slides)

For most of the 8th century, the city of Nara was Japan's imperial capital. During this time, China brought many new cultural ideas to Japan. Later on, the emperor Kammu moved the capital to Heian-kyo (Kyo means city in Japanese). This marked the start of the Heian period - Japan's Golden Age.

Introduction, cont.

During the Golden Age...

• There was a great flourishing of Japanese culture

• Aristocrats prized beauty, elegance, and correct manners

• New art and literature developed

Station #1: A New Capital & Family

During the 8th century, the emperor Kammu decided to move his capital away from Nara. He wanted a larger, grander city. He decided upon Heian-kyo. It became the first truly Japanese city, and today it is called Kyoto.

It was laid out in a checkerboard pattern. It was lovely and elegant. It was set in forested hills, amid streams, waterfalls, and lakes.

Station #1: A New Capital & Family

During much of the Heian period, aristocrats were the political and cultural leaders of Japan. By the mid-9th century, the real power in the imperial court shifted from the emperor to aristocrats. The most important of these noble families were the Fujiwara, who controlled Japan for nearly 300 years.

The Fujiwara family used their power to better their own lives. However, they also kept peace in Japan for nearly three centuries. This peace helped Japanese culture blossom during the Heian period.

Station #2: Rank & Status

Rank was highly important during the Heian period. A person's rank was determined almost completely by what family he or she came from. Being born into a high-ranking family mattered more than personal qualities or skills.

Station #2: Rank & Status

The precise ranking system also determined such matters as what color clothing a noble could wear and the height of the gatepost in front of his family's home. In addition, if a person was found guilty of a crime, rank determined how harsh the sentence would be.

Station #3: Beauty & Fashion

Heian society prized beauty, elegance, and fashion. They also had to look nice and be sensitive to beauty in nature, poetry, and art.

Station #3: What Beauty Meant

For women, long hair was important. Ideally, a woman's hair would grow longer than she was tall.

The Japanese of this time considered white teeth unattractive, so both men and women carefully blackened their teeth with dye.

For women, makeup was important. They used white face powder to make themselves look very pale.

A woman's clothing needed to be beautiful. An aristocratic woman may wear as many as 12 silk under-robes at a time.

Station #4: Entertainment

What do you think is going on in this photo? Look at the image, then answer question #8 on your response sheet.

Station #4: Entertainment

Heian-kyo's aristocrats had plenty of leisure time for sporting events, games, and contests.

Men enjoyed watching horse races, archery contests, and sumo wrestling. When the weather was warm, men and women alike enjoyed watching boat races along the river that ran through the city.

Station #4: Entertainment

Watch the video of the Kemari, then answer #9 on your response sheet.

Station #5: Art & Literature

During the Heian period, artists continued to be influenced by Chinese art. They gradually developed their own styles.

Station #5: Art

Sculptures and painting were especially important in the Heian period. Sculptors often made an entire work from one piece of wood.

In painting, Heian artists developed their own style of painting called yamato-e. Painters drew their scenes with thin lines and filled them with bright colors. There were 4 types of yamato-e:

- landscapes of the seasons

- places of natural

- people doing seasonal tasks

- story paintings

Station #5: Art

Take a look at this image, then answer question #11 on your response sheet.

Conclusion:

On your response sheet, use 4-5 complete sentences to describe the Japanese Golden Age during the Heian period. Use specific evidence from the assignment to support your answer.