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HISTORY
TIMELINE
Timeline of Medieval
Japan and other world events from 794 A.D. to 1868 A.D.
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A
DAY IN THE LIFE IN ... MEDIEVAL JAPAN
by Jacquelin Cangro
Listen in on a young Japanese woman as she prepares for the
marriage of her older sister and describes all of the formal
ceremonies from the engagement to the wedding.
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CHILDREN'S
FESTIVALS: CENTURIES OF FUN
by Abigail Mieko Vargus
How would you like
to have two days a year when your parents made special meals
for you, and everyone treated children as the most important
people in the community? That's exactly what happens in Japan
- once for the Doll Festival (also known as the Girls' Festival)
and once for Children's Day (formerly the Boys' Festival).
Find out how these festivals have evolved since medieval days.
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A
THING TO WEAR: THE HISTORY OF THE KIMONO
by Christine McGarrity
Read about how the Japanese kimono developed over time - from
the days of raising silkworms in ancient Japan to the brightly
colored, patterned kimonos of the medieval period.
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SAMURAI
AND THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR
by Cynde Route
When you hear the
word samurai, what image comes to mind? Savage, blood-spattered
warriors lopping off heads with great swords? How about quiet,
refined gentlemen writing poetry about the delicate beauty
of cherry blossoms? Both of these images reflect the dual
nature of the samurai. Read about how samurais rose to prominence
in the medieval Japanese world.
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BUSHIDO: FOLLOWING THE CODE OF THE SAMURAI
by Kelly Ann Butterbaugh
Would you be able to live as a samurai? Samurai warriors were
revered by their peers and respected by their counterparts.
Afforded certain privileges other people of the society were
not given, samurai lived strict lives that followed the code
of behavior called Bushido. Bushido held seven virtues
that were followed without fail by samurai. Put yourself in
the situations we describe, and see if your choices would follow
Bushido's rules.
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THE
SWORD OF THE SAMURAI: LIVE BY THE SWORD, DIE BY THE SWORD
Steve Hallex
You may have heard the saying "live by the sword, die
by the sword." Had you met a samurai warrior of medieval
Japan, you would have known someone who regarded that saying
not as metaphor, but as literal truth. Find out more about
these prized swords, from their history to how they were made.
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FLYING
THROUGH HISTORY: KITES IN JAPAN
by Natalie Lorenzi
Sixth-century Buddhist priests most likely brought kites with
them along the Silk Route from China and Korea for use in
religious ceremonies, but no one knows for sure. Learn about
how Japanese kites eventually took to the skies for religious
festivals, holidays, and sport.
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JAPANESE:
THE HISTORY OF NIHONGO
by Sara Francis Fujimura
Around the world
today, over 120,000,000 people speak Nihongo, or
Japanese. Linguists, or language scientists, can't agree about
the origins of the Japanese language. Unlike English - which
is related to many other Indo- European languages, including
French, Italian, and Spanish - Japanese has no obvious links
to any other Asian languages. Explore the development of the
Japanese language, including its many written forms.
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DRINKING
TEA IN THE GARDEN OF THE WARRIOR
by Lyn Michaud
It was during the
reign of Shogun Ashikaga in the fifteenth century that the
tea ceremony became popular. His invited guests would walk
down the Zen garden path to his teahouse. Discover how Buddhist
monks, tea and gardens all came together to form an important
ritual in feudal Japan.
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HOGAN
BIIKI: SYMAPTHY FOR THE UNDERDOG
by Virginia Stevens
Read about the exploits of a young military genius named Minamoto
Yoshitsune, and how his life coined a new expression still
used in Japan - hogan biiki - meaning "sympathy
for the underdog."
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KAMIKAZE AND THE MONGOL INVASIONS OF JAPAN
by Deborah Bryson
In the thirteenth century, a fierce, mysterious tribe of warriors
called the Mongols galloped across Asia, Europe, and the Middle
East on horseback. Laying siege to great cities, they used rock-catapulting
machines, giant crossbows, and gunpowder to conquer their neighbors.
But when they turned their attention toward the tiny group of
islands that formed Japan, their fortunes changed. Find out
more about the Mongols and how the Japanese stemmed the tide
of Mongol conquest.
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TOYOTOMI HIDEYOSHI: A PEASANT RISES TO
POWER
by Rachel Hartman
Meet Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a peasant who through will, determination
and a bit of ruthlessness, became the leader that would unite
Japan and bring about peace.
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SESSHU:
WANDERING ARTIST
by Julie Falkner
Sumi-e
originated in China and was brought to Japan by returning
Japanese monks who admired this style of painting. Learn about
the the wandering artist Sesshu, a master of the Japanese
ink painting, whose expressive work is still admired five
hundred years after his death.
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JAPANESE
THEATER: DRAMA AND BEAUTY
by Deborah Bryson
Do you enjoy watching television or movies? Imagine if you
lived in ancient Japan. If you were poor, you might sit around
a fire at night and listen to your friends or family members
tell or act out stories. Or perhaps you would be fortunate
enough to be born into a more prosperous family. You would
dress up in your finest clothes and go to a theater to watch
actors or even puppets act out a story. If you wonder how
these theater traditions started, look back in time with us
to discover the answers.
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TRAVELING
THE TOKAIDO IN SEVENTEENTH CENTURY JAPAN
by Linda Covella
The Tokaido Highway
connected the three major cities in seventeenth-century Japan:
Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Come along with us as we examine how
the Japanese people used this highway to transport goods,
get to their jobs and more.
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AN ENGLISHMAN IN JAPAN: THE
STORY OF THE FIRST FOREIGN SAMURAI
by Ilene Goldman
In April 1600, the Dutch merchant ship Liefde limped
into the harbor at Bungo (present-day Usaki City) in southern
Japan. She had been at sea for nearly two years and it showed.
She was battered, beaten, and barely afloat. Of her original
crew of one hundred, less than a quarter of the men were alive.
Only six of them had the strength left to stand. Of those
six, one would change the course of Japanese history. His
name was Will Adams and he would become the first foreign
samurai.
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FOLLOWING
THE BRUSH: THE WRITINGS OF SEI SHONAGON
by Lin Ho-You
During the Heian
era that came before the medieval period. a young woman named
Sei Shonagon lived. From her position as an attendant to the
Empress Sadako, she wrote about life at the imperial court
in her journal or "pillow book." Find out what she
wrote about - you might be surprised to find out that it is
not that different from what you might have in your own journal
or blog!
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