Medieval Japan Vocabulary

First religion of Japan with the belief that all of nature has Kami or spirit

• Shinto

• Buddhism

• Confucianism

• Islam

extended families that live together

• clan

• alliance

• cahoots

• coalition

a person who rules a country for someone who is unable to rule alone

• regent

• courtier

• daimyo

• shogun

a group of nobles who live near and advise a ruler

• court

• clan

• regents

• daimyo

a type of Buddhism that promotes self-discipline (self-guidance) and meditation or quiet thinking

• Zen Buddhism

• Theravada Buddhism

• Mahayana Buddhism

• Vajrayana Buddhism

large landowners who hired samurai to protect their land

• daimyo

• shogun

• regent

• courtier

trained professional warriors who practiced Zen Buddhism

• samurai

• shogun

• warrior priests

• regent

a general who ruled Japan surpassing the power of the emperor

• shogun

• samurai

• daimyo

• regent

a leader who appears to be in charge, but the real power is with someone else

• figurehead

• lackey

• disciple

• regent

the "way of the warrior" or warrior code of behavior

• bushido

• daimyo

• archipelago

• shogun