Japan

Question 1

what are domains

Answer 1

An area of territory, controlled by a ruler

Question 2

What was the social structure of medieval Japan

Answer 2

Emperor(symbolic power), Shogun(military power), Daimyo, Samurai, peasants(farmers), craftspeople, merchants, outcasts

Question 3

What are some of the restrictions that the Shogun placed on the daimyo

Answer 3

• could not marry without shogun’s approval
• could not build new castles, and the shogun had to approve any repairs to existing castles.
• limit to the number of samurai they could have
• movements were controlled - bridges were destroyed to contain their movement
• had to spend every alternate year with the shogun in Edo

Question 4

What was the purpose of the ‘alternate residence’ system

Answer 4

reduce the opportunity for a daimyo to build up a rebellion in his own domain

Question 5

Why were peasants considered important

Answer 5

They produced food essential for life

Question 6

What are palanquins

Answer 6

Mode of transport for important individuals such as daimyos

Question 7

Who were the craftspeople

Answer 7

People who made and sold items such as barrels, tools, pottery, cloth, paper, furniture ect.

Question 8

what was the standard currency

Answer 8

rice

Question 9

what is koku

Answer 9

the standard measure of rice

Question 10

why were merchants considered the lowest of the classes

Answer 10

They did not produce anything useful like food, and charged interest on money loaned to samurai and farmers

Question 11

Why were the outcasts considered completely outside of the social class

Answer 11

Their jobs were deemed unethical and unimportant

Question 12

What are the two sub-classes to the outcasts

Answer 12

eta - ‘great filth’ (leather work, burials, butchering animals)
hinin - ‘non-persons’ (acting and scavenging

Question 13

What are some skills that the samurai had to learn (apart from military service)

Answer 13

• reading
• writing
• ceremonial conduct
• public service

Question 14

What is the warrior code of the samurai called

Answer 14

bushido

Question 15

What happened when a samurai betrayed the trust of his daimyo

Answer 15

They had to commit ritual suicide - seppuku

Question 16

What is Zen buddhism

Answer 16

practise performed by samurai to dispel distracting thoughts and emotions from their body, giving completely focus

Question 17

What were the three cities administered by the shogun

Answer 17

Kyoto, Osaka, Edo

Question 18

What is a musket

Answer 18

Early type of gun

Question 19

Why did the Shoguns fear the daimyo in outlying provinces

Answer 19

They feared the daimyo might build up their wealth through trade, and become a threat to their rule

Question 20

What are some edicts(commands) that the shoguns issued when they believed Christianity was a threat

Answer 20

• Banned the practising of Christianity
• Prohibited Japanese from travelling abroad
• Banned Portuguese ships from entering Japanese ports
• Regulated any other foreign trade

Question 21

Why were hundreds of christians killed

Answer 21

The Shoguns believed Christianity was a threat

Question 22

What happened to the Portuguese as a result of these edicts

Answer 22

The Portuguese were tolerated as they had a combined religion with trade

Question 23

What happened to the Dutch as a result of these edicts

Answer 23

The Dutch were tolerated as they were more concerned with trade than religion. However, they were confined to an artificial island, could only visit the shogun once a year, and were permitted to import any books except those dealing with Christianity

Question 24

Why were the study of politics banned

Answer 24

The shoguns were afraid Western ideas would destroy their traditional way of life

Question 25

How did society change after the first two centuries of the Tokugawa reign

Answer 25

• Samurai were reduced to being government officials, depended on payments from their daimyo
• merchant’s income continued to grow

Question 26

Which country was the first to force Japan to open its gates

Answer 26

US - wanted to refuel ships + take on food and water

Question 27

What were three demands the American president sent to Japan

Answer 27

• Japan should allow free trade between the two countries.
• Shipwrecked sailors should be treated ‘with kindness’.
• American steamships should be able to stop in Japanese ports to take on coal, water and food

Question 28

What was the treaty of peace and friendship called

Answer 28

Kanagawa Treaty

Question 29

What did the treaty say

Answer 29

• American ships could call at two ports.
• Shipwrecked sailors would be treated well.
• An American Consul would reside at Shimodu.

Question 30

What did the domains believe the best way to stop foreign influence was

Answer 30

To modernise

Question 31

How did Japan begin to modernise

Answer 31

• adopted foreign science and technology
• Men sent on overseas study trips

Question 32

Why was the shogun removed

Answer 32

It was felt that change would not take place unless the shogun was removed

Question 33

Which two domains formed an alliance to take down the shogun

Answer 33

Choshu and Satsuma

Question 34

When did the shogun resign

Answer 34

November 1867

Question 35

What was the Meiji Restoration period

Answer 35

The period after the resignation of the Shogun

Question 36

What were some changes in the industry that came during the meiji restoration period

Answer 36

• Railroads built
• telegraph systems + postal services introduced
• Coal production increased to power steamships and railroad
• New army modelled after Prussian army
• Universities established