...impact on the early Japanese cultures and the development of the Shinto religion. The city of Kamakura has a very historical value in history as it was once considered the de facto capital of Japan during the Kamakura period. There are many historical sites and shrines in the city that date back to the 11th century, with the most recognizable being the Daibustu, or better know in English as the Great Buddha. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu was first established by Minamoto Yoriyoshi in 1063 as a base for the Minamoto clan, " He returned to Kamakura, and built a small shrine for the Hachiman Kami (the Japanese word for Shinto deities) near the coast to give thanks for success in suppressing the rebellion. The Hachiman Kami was regarded as the protector Kami of the warrior class" (History Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, n.d.). Tsurugaoka Hchimangu is the most important shrine in Kamakura, as it is devoted to Hachiman, the patron god of the Minamoto family and founder of the Kamakura Shogunate. The descendant of Yoriyoshi, Yoritomo Minamoto who was the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate (1185-1333) , known as the Kamakura Period, constructed the current Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine in honor of the Hachiman Kami, "the Japanese...
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...Samurai Warrior Few countries have a warrior tradition as long and exciting as Japan. It is a tradition found in the Samurai, the loyal and self-sacrificing knight of ancient Japan. The Samurai is a valiant warrior who can both appreciate the beauty of nature in that of a rose blossom but will also kill or die for his master in an instant. This well-rounded warrior was the ruling class of Japan for almost seven hundred years. He fought for control of his country and to keep Japan free from outside influences. (Turnbull 1) This aristocratic warrior class arose during the 12th century wars between the Taira and Minamoto clans and was consolidated in the Tokugawa period. Samurai were privileged to wear two swords, and at one time had the right to cut down any commoner who offended them. They cultivated the martial virtues, indifference to pain or death, and unfailing loyalty to their overlords. Samurai were the dominant group in Japan. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the samurai were removed from direct control of the villages, moved into the domain castle towns, and given government stipends. They were encouraged to take up bureaucratic posts. The Hagakure, has been dubbed the book of the samurai. It was written after a century of peace around 1716. It came to be the guide of samurai ethics until the end of the feudal period. Its short passages reflect and outline the qualities that make a samurai. Yamamoto Tsunetomo expresses in the hagakure the framework and mindset of being...
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...Spring Break Work Ch. 13 Section 1 1) Sui Wendi: First emperor of the Sui dynasty centralized government, restored order, created a new legal code, reformed Bureaucracy Tang Taizong: The founder of the Tang Dynasty, he expanded China to include all that the Han had had and more. Wu Zhao: The only woman to ever declare herself empress, she was a member of the Tang Dynasty. Grand Canal: The 1,100-mile waterway linking the Yellow and the Yangzi Rivers. It was begun in the Han period and completed during the Sui Empire. Zhao Kuangyin: Founder of Song dynasty; originally a general following fall of Tang; took title of Taizu; failed to overcome northern Liao dynasty that remained independent. Li Bo: Most famous poet of the Tang era; blended images of the mundane world with philosophical musings. 2) tributary state: A country that pays tribute in money or goods to a more powerful nation Pagoda: Buddhist temples with many-storied towers; this was adapted from the Chinese 3) The dynasties returned the Middle Kingdom back to its old glory. a) Under the Tang and Song dynasties the emperor ruled over a splendid court filled with aristocratic families. The two main classes of society were the gentry, wealthy landowners, which valued scholarship more than physical labor, and the peasantry, who worked the land and lived off of what they produced. Then the merchants had a lower status in society. Merchants had such a low status in society because according to Confucianism their...
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