J APAN From Isolation to Adaptation. O RIGIN OF J APAN Izanagi and Izanami Two divine beings who...
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Transcript of J APAN From Isolation to Adaptation. O RIGIN OF J APAN Izanagi and Izanami Two divine beings who...
ORIGIN OF JAPAN
Izanagi and Izanami Two divine beings who created the island of
Japan Created Kami: Thousands of God’s that ruled
Japan This is the base of Shinto religion Two Deities had a daughter named
Amaterasu (Sun God) The Emperor of Japan was considered a
descendent of the Sun God
SOME FACTS
Japan could fit inside in Alberta, with lots of room left over
127 Million people 12 million in the year 1600 Mountains and steep valleys cover 80% of
Japan 18% of land is flat enough to farm Places with the highest number of people are
on the coast
What does all of this tell us about what kind of place Japan is?
WHY ARE WE STUDYING JAPAN?
Aztecs: We saw an isolated culture come into sudden contact with another culture
We learned about the worldviews of the Spanish and the Aztecs and what happened when they met
Japan was an isolated country for hundreds of years
Had its own distinct worldview and culture After hundreds of years they made contact
with the rest of the world We want to see how their world view changed,
and how they changed other world viewss
GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED Closest country is China, 185km of ocean away Travel was very difficult Travel from Europe was next to impossible
Thousands of years ago, Japan first began to develop its culture by borrowing from the Chinese
Elements of religion, language, food and entertainment were modified by the Japanese
Example: Kanji Buddhism Kabuki
GEOGRAPHY How did Japan’s geography shape people’s
beliefs and values?
Japan’s beautiful natural landscape has always been a great source of pride
Japan experiences four distinct seasons Celebrations and rituals bring in each season
and are an important part of Japanese life Ex. Cherry Blossoms
New Beginnings Beauty Shortness of beauty and life
SHINTO
The ancient religion of Japan Love of nature is most important aspect Harmony with nature Kami take the form of objects in nature,
mountains etc. Amaterasu is the most important Kami Shinto has no founder and no laws! VIDEO!
However, Japan has inherited many Buddhist beliefs and traditions!
WHEN NATURE HITS BACK!
There are hundreds of Earthquakes in Japan every year Once a decade a huge one hits Earthquakes and underwater volcanoes also
create giant waves called Tsunami (harbour wave)
Typhoons are powerful storms that bring strong winds, rain and lightning
TWO THINGS HAPPENED TO THE PEOPLE BECAUSE OF ALL THE DISASTERS
They became stoic Stoic: someone who controls their emotions
and endures difficult experiences with patience
Japanese are seen as a stoic people in all aspects of life
Adaptation to sudden change became important to Japanese life Recovered from disasters and wars very quickly
RESOURCES AND CLIMATE
Japan has very few natural rescources However, they were completely self sufficient
for over 400 years. NO TRADE Warm, wet climate and good soil allowed for
long growing seasons Island: lots of fishing
RICE
Rice was the main food in Japan Growing rice is very hard When their was a lack of rain,millions would die in a famine Rice was used for their money system, and
taxing
Rice has become a cultural symbol for Japan
HOMOGENOUS SOCIETY
Canada: Mulitcultural or Heterogenous Japan: Homogenous Japanese: a great unified family with
common values and beliefs See themselves as having the same nature
and character The geographic factor that contributed the
most was the sea Everyone live on the coast and developed
similar ways of life Isolation kept immigrant from joining society