Week 2 Shinsa

What is the common goal of the actions listed below?

• To limit the ability of the peasants to rebel.
• To restrict the strength of the Emperor.
• To increase the power of the Shogun.
• To expand the power of the daimyo.

How were the roles of peasants, artisans, and merchants in Edo Japan similar?

• They were expected to fight against Japan’s enemies during times of war.

• They were encouraged to work hard to increase their social status.

• They were expected to obey the government's rules without question.

• They were encouraged to assist local government to improve efficiency.

Organize the Japanese feudal pyramid from most important to least important.

• Shogun - Daimyo - Samurai - Peasants - Artisans - Merchants - Outcasts

• Samurai - Daimyo - Shogun - Peasants - Merchants - Outcasts - Artisans

• Shogun - Daimyo - Samurai - Merchants - Peasants - Artisans - Outcasts

• Daimyo - Shogun - Peasants - Artisans - Samurai - Outcasts - Merchants

Which of the following statements about the Alternate Attendance rule in Edo Japan is FALSE?

• The daimyo had to go back and forth between their land and Edo to make trades between the capital city and the outlying areas.

• The daimyo had to maintain two houses, which limited the amount of time and money they had to challenge the shogun.

• The daimyo had to leave family members in Edo during their year of absence as 'guests of the shogun', but in reality, they were hostages.

• The daimyo had to live in Edo every second year in order for the shogun to keep a close eye on their activities and interactions.

Why did samurai live simple lives despite their high respect in society?

• Trade and business less respected because they didn't produce anything useful for society.

• The political systems emphasized service.

• Contact with other groups was minimal, so samurai were not often needed for battle.

• The culture emphasized being thrifty with money.

Compared to peasants in medieval Europe, peasants in Edo Japan were considered more important because they produced the food that sustained society. What Japanese value does this reflect?

• Community, because the food that was produced was needed to ensure everyone was fed.
• Beauty, because the farms the peasants attended added a sense of beauty to the country.
• Order, because it meant that everyone had a place.
• Respect, because the food produced by peasants could be used to feed those in the upper classes.

Which means of controlling the daimyo would be most effective in ensuring loyalty to the shogun?

• Loyal daimyo were given villages to govern, responsible for taxes, order, and infrastructure projects.

• The shogun banned peasants from owning weapons or swords.

• Daimyo needed shogun's permission to marry or alter their castles.

• One quarter of all resources in Japan were owned by the shogun.

Tokugawa Ieyasu took control of the shogunate by military force. He brought in strict laws to control the daimyo's lives and bring about peace. Why did he institute these laws?

• He wanted to create a long-lasting stable government.
• He wanted to increase the respect of Japan in the international community.
• He wanted to eliminate the rank of samurai.
• He wanted to reform the daimyo system to end feudalism.

A farmer is walking down a road and approaches a merchant on the street. As a result of their social ranking, what would happen in their greeting?

• The merchant will bow deeply to the farmer.
• The farmer will bow deeply to the merchant.
• They would bow equally to one another.
• Neither would bow.

This woodblock print by Utagawa Sadahide shows Yorimoto, a daimyo, and his attendants. What does this scene tell you about the daimyo's power and wealth?

• The more a daimyo could show outsiders his power, the more respected he was.

• Daimyo had to put on puppet shows every year in their home region.

• The shogun forced the daimyo to spend money on useless things while in Edo.

• Japanese honour required humility and discouraged public displays of wealth.