Religion in Medieval Japan

Buddhism and Shintoism in Medieval Japan

The Japanese Creation Story

As we learned earlier, Buddhism traveled to Japan from Korea.

 But the Japanese people already had their own native religion: 
Shintoism. Although Buddhism became widely adopted, the Japanese people still held on to their Shinto beliefs and practices as well. 

Shinto Gate

1.As you view the two short videos, take notes on the Religion Chart. 

2. Research three additional facts about religion in Japan. 
Shintoism
Buddhism


3. Create a Google drawing that educates your viewer about ONE of the two religions. (Pick either Buddhism or Shintoism.) Be sure to use words and images to show:
Three main beliefs of this religion.
Three main practices of this religion. Remember, a practice is what people DO as part of this religion. 
Two Shrines: holy or sacred places in this religion.

Peasants in Feudal Japan

Historical Investigation: What was life like for the peasants of

Feudal Japan?

1.  Analyze a set of primary and secondary source documents. Use evidence from the sources to write a short argument that answers the question of our investigation. You will find the document set and analysis questions in your Google classroom.

2.  Use Voki.com to create a peasant avatar. Your avatar should tell a short story about his or her life in feudal Japan. This narrative will be historical fiction, meaning it should incorporate factual details about life for the peasants of
Medieval Japan.

Student Sample (Link to Avatar)

What skills did a samurai possess?

Samurai Rap
View the rap as an introduction to the samurai of feudal Japan.

Historical Investigation: What do primary and secondary sources tell us about the skills needed by a samurai? 

Analyze the documents in your folder: Samurai Document Set.



Research more about the Samurai virtues at this site.
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Social Structure in Medieval Japan

Social Structure
You might recall that a "social pyramid"  is often used to describe the social structure of Ancient Egypt. The all-powerful pharaoh was at the top, indicating he or she had the most wealth and power in society. The farmers and slaves, on the other hand, were at the bottom. This group also made up the majority of people in Egypt, so they have a bigger space in the diagram.

A social pyramid is also useful for describing the social structure of Medieval Japan. Today you will research and create a diagram that informs the viewer about who had the wealth and power in Japan during this historical period.

Your diagram should include these terms:
Emperor
Shogun
Daimyos
Samurais
Peasants
Artisans
Merchants
Feudalism.
Each term should be defined, appropriately placed in the triangle, and include an image to support the information given.

A basic diagram has been started for you.