Library Guides: Japan under the Shôguns: Overview

Don't forget to cite and reference your sources. For help see the Junior School or Senior School referencing guides, and / or CiteMaker.

Resource Key

When accessing content use the numbers below to guide you:

LEVEL

Brief, basic information laid out in an easy-to-read format. May use informal language. (Includes most news articles)

LEVEL

Provides additional background information and further reading. Introduces some subject-specific language.

LEVEL

Lengthy, detailed information. Frequently uses technical/subject-specific language. (Includes most analytical articles)

General Capabilities

Replace the following with the Victorian Curriculum General Capabilities from teacher's documentation on Rubicon Atlas.

Enduring Understandings

Students will form some understanding of Japanese history and culture. They will come to understand the implications of contact between cultures and the threat caused to non-European cultures of European imperialism.

Essential Questions

What was Japanese society like before and during the reign of the shoguns?
What led to the rise of the Shoguns?
How did Japan change under the rule of the shoguns?

Quick Links

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: Keywords

Click on the terms to access a simple definition from JLearn.net. The JLearn online dictionary provides a simple definition in English as well as the word in Kanji and Kana. You can also listen to how the word is pronounced.

Bakufu 幕府, Daimyō 大名, Kuge 公家, Bushi [Samurai] 武士, Sakoku 鎖国, Shôgun 将軍, teiou / Tennō 帝王 [Emperor]

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: Introduction

"In 1185, Japan began to be governed by warriors or samurai. Until this time the government had been bureaucratic in theory, but was actually aristocratic (i.e., people held certain positions because they were born to families entitled to hold those jobs). Even after 1185, civil government at the Emperors court continued and the law and the state were not changed, but a new samurai class came to power and increasingly became the real rulers of the country. Some form of military leadership remained the form of government in Japan until 1868, when a centralised bureaucratic government came into being with the Meiji Restoration." (Asia for Educators, Columbia University, 2009)

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: Articles

Shogunate, (Britannica Middle, n.d.)
"For most of the period between 1192 and 1867, the government of Japan was dominated by hereditary warlords called shoguns. The word shogun means “general.” The government of a shogun is called a shogunate. The term used in Japan to describe their rule is bakufu, which literally means “tent government” and suggests the field headquarters of a general while on campaign." (“Shogunate”, n.d.)

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Reference / citation: “Shogunate”, (n.d.) or (“Shogunate”, n.d.)
Reference list / Bibliography: Shogunate. (n.d.). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://bt-libproxy.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au/levels/middle/article/shogunate/277039
Meiji, (Britannica Middle, n.d.)
"For several centuries before the year 1868, Japan was governed by warlords called shoguns. When the emperor Meiji Tenno was crowned in 1868, the last shogunate—that of the Tokugawas—ended, and Japan began its radical transformation from a feudal society into one of the most powerful nations in the modern world." (“Meiji”, n.d.)

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Reference / citation: “Meiji”, (n.d.) or (“Meiji”, n.d.)
Reference list / Bibliography: Meiji. (n.d.). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://bt-libproxy.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au/levels/middle/article/Meiji/275770
Biography of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, 16th Century Unifier of Japan (ThoughtCo, 2019, July 3)
"Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1539–September 18, 1598) was the leader of Japan who reunified the country after 120 years of political fragmentation. During his rule, known as the Momoyama or Peach Mountain age, the country was united as a more-or-less peaceful federation of 200 independent daimyo (great lords), with himself as an imperial regent." (ThoughtCo, 2019, July 3)

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Reference / citation: Szczepanski (2020, 2019, July 3) or (Szczepanski, 2019, July 3)
Reference list / Bibliography: Szczepanski, K. (2019, July 3). Biography of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, 16th Century Unifier of Japan. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/toyotomi-hideyoshi-195660

The Meiji Restoration: The End of the Shogunate and the Building of a Modern Japanese State (Atsushi, 2018)
"While the year 1868 was crucial to the fall of the shogunate and the establishment of a new government, understanding the historical context requires a wider focus. This article gives a brisk overview of Japanese history from the arrival of the US Navy’s “black ships” in 1853 to the promulgation of the Meiji Constitution in 1889." (Atsushi, 2018)

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Reference / citation: Atsushi (2018) or (Atsushi, 2018)
Reference list / Bibliography: Atsushi, K. (2018). The Meiji Restoration: The End of the Shogunate and the Building of a Modern Japanese State. Retrieved from https://www.nippon.com/en/views/b06902/the-meiji-restoration-the-end-of-the-shogunate-and-the-building-of-a-modern-japanese-state.html
The Iwakura Mission: Japan’s 1871 Voyage to Discover the Western World (Saburō, 2019)
A ship carrying over 100 Japanese leaders, government officials, and students set off on a voyage of discovery in 1871, seeking blueprints for constructing a modern nation. (Saburō, 2019)

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Reference / citation: Saburō, (2019) or (Saburō, 2019)
Reference list / Bibliography: Saburō, I. (2019). The Iwakura Mission: Japan’s 1871 Voyage to Discover the Western World. Retrieved from https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g00680/the-iwakura-mission-japan%E2%80%99s-1871-voyage-to-discover-the-western-world.html

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: eBooks

To view the eBooks off campus follow the link. If prompted, sign in with your School mConnect user name and password.

A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun by Jonathan Clements
ISBN: 9784805313893
Publication Date: 2017
This fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two centuries in self-imposed seclusion. First revealed to Westerners in the chronicles of Marco Polo, Japan was a legendary faraway land defended by a fearsome Kamikaze storm and ruled by a divine sovereign. It was the terminus of the Silk Road, the furthest end of the known world, a fertile source of inspiration for European artists, and an enduring symbol of the mysterious East. In recent times, it has become a powerhouse of global industry, a nexus of popular culture, and a harbinger of post-industrial decline. With intelligence and wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced country whose land consists predominantly ofmountains and forests. Among the chapters in this Japanese history book are: The Way of the Gods: Prehistoric and Mythical Japan A Game of Thrones: Minamoto vs. Taira Time Warp: 200 Years of Isolation The Stench of Butter: Restoration and Modernization The New Breed: The Japanese Miracle
The End of the Shoguns and the Birth of Modern Japan by Lawrence J. Zwier; Mark E. Cunningham
ISBN: 9781467703772
Publication Date: 2013
How did the end of the shoguns pave the way for modern Japan? Between the eighth and twelfth centuries, emperors ruled Japan. But powerful families gained the loyalty of the samurai - the emperors' warriors. In 1185 one local lord took control as shogun, leader of the samurai armies. For the next seven hundred years, the emperors were ceremonial figures, and the shoguns ruled Japan, banning interaction with the Western world. In the nineteenth century, Westerners demanded that Japan open to trade under the threat of invasion. Japan's shogunate realized it didn't have the military technology to fight them. When the shogun government made concessions to the Westerners, Japanese lords were outraged and returned their support to the emperor. The shogunate crumbled. In 1868 Emperor Meiji became ruler of Japan. He opened Japan to modern technology, and his military advisers created a global fighting force. The end of the shoguns, which led to the birth of modern Japan, was one of the world's pivotal moments.

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: Online resources

Black ships and the samurai (Visualizing Cultures, MIT, 2008)
"On July 8, 1853, residents of feudal Japan beheld an astonishing sight—foreign warships entering their harbor under a cloud of black smoke. Commodore Matthew Perry had arrived to force the long-secluded country to open its doors." (Visualizing Cultures, MIT, 2008)

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"Visualizing Cultures weds images and scholarly commentary in innovative ways to illuminate social and cultural history. Founded in 2002 by MIT Professors John Dower and Shigeru Miyagawa, Visualizing Cultures exploits the unique qualities of the Web as a publishing platform to enable scholars, teachers, and others to: (1) examine large bodies of previously inaccessible images; (2) compose original texts with unlimited numbers of full-color, high-resolution images; and (3) use new technology to explore unprecedented ways of analyzing and presenting images that open windows on modern history." (Visualizing Cultures, MIT, 2008)
Yokohama Boomtown (Visualizing Cultures, MIT, 2008)
Foreigners in treaty port Japan (1859-1872). "The Yokohama prints are as excellent a source as one can find for gaining insight into the “first impressions” of the foreigners that were made available to ordinary Japanese." (Visualizing Cultures, MIT, 2008)

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"Visualizing Cultures weds images and scholarly commentary in innovative ways to illuminate social and cultural history. Founded in 2002 by MIT Professors John Dower and Shigeru Miyagawa, Visualizing Cultures exploits the unique qualities of the Web as a publishing platform to enable scholars, teachers, and others to: (1) examine large bodies of previously inaccessible images; (2) compose original texts with unlimited numbers of full-color, high-resolution images; and (3) use new technology to explore unprecedented ways of analyzing and presenting images that open windows on modern history." (Visualizing Cultures, MIT, 2008)
Throwing Off Asia (Visualizing Cultures, MIT, 2008)
"The remarkably swift "Westernization" of Japan in the late-19th and early-20th centuries was most vividly captured in popular woodblock prints. Images from the Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston illustrate the great political, social, cultural, and industrial transformations that took place." (Visualizing Cultures, MIT, 2008)

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"Visualizing Cultures weds images and scholarly commentary in innovative ways to illuminate social and cultural history. Founded in 2002 by MIT Professors John Dower and Shigeru Miyagawa, Visualizing Cultures exploits the unique qualities of the Web as a publishing platform to enable scholars, teachers, and others to: (1) examine large bodies of previously inaccessible images; (2) compose original texts with unlimited numbers of full-color, high-resolution images; and (3) use new technology to explore unprecedented ways of analyzing and presenting images that open windows on modern history." (Visualizing Cultures, MIT, 2008)

Primary  source  documents with questions

These documents and questions have been made available for "students and educators at all levels" by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University, New York, USA.

Japan 600-1000 (Asia for Educators, Columbia University, 2009)
Includes primary source documents that support an understanding of:
* Buddhism in Japan, * Remaking the Japanese Government after the Chinese model, and * Japanese literature of the period.
Japan 1000-1450 (Asia for Educators, Columbia University, 2009)
Includes primary source documents that support an understanding of:
* New sects in Buddhism, * Government: maintaining order during times of political transition, * War, and * Japanese literature of the period.
Japan 1450-1750 (Asia for Educators, Columbia University, 2009)
Includes primary source documents that support an understanding of:
* Edicts of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, 1536-1598, * Social hierarchy under the Tokugawa Shôgunate, * Tokugawa Ieyasu, 1543-1616, * The Samurai class, * The Merchant class, * Women, and * Japanese literature of the period - Comic novels, Comic verse; Poetry of Matsuo Bashô; Drama
Japan 1750-1919 (Asia for Educators, Columbia University, 2009)
Includes primary source documents that support an understanding of:
* Reflections on Encounters with "the West" and Japan's Modernization, * The Meiji Government, * U.S. Forces Japan to "Open" Its Ports (1853), * Codes of merchant houses, late Tokugawa period.

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: Videos

Videos
ClickView

Level 2 resource Film and video Using YouTube on campus help and instructions To view this video on campus remember to first login to your school Google account using your mConnect username and password. Click here for more help on using YouTube on campus.

An overview of the Japanese Medieval period in which Shoguns ruled under the bakufu (shogunate) feudal system. Discussion of daimyo during the Kamakura and Muromachi/Ashikaga periods. Samurai and bushido. (Khan Academy, 2017)

Source

When using this video don't forget to cite and reference your sources. For more information and help see the Kerferd Library referencing guide and / or CiteMaker.
In text reference / citation: Khan Academy (2017) or (Khan Academy, 2017)
Bibliography / Reference list: Khan Academy (2017). Shoguns, samurai and the Japanese Middle Ages | World History | Khan Academy, [eVideo]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/zLHwRTNbcjI

"For over 200 years, Japan prospered as a feudal society under the authoritarian rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Emperors of Japan still held influence as divine heads of state, but physical power was in the hands of the Shoguns - the military rulers of the country. At the beginning of their reign, the Shoguns had imposed the policy of sakoku, or closed country, which, under the penalty of death, prohibited foreigners from visiting Japan and any Japanese from leaving the country. Having done so, the indigenous Japanese culture flourished, untouched by foreign influence. However, the 19th century would be the theatre of events that would force the Land of the Rising Sun to either modernise or perish into history." (CaspianReport, 2019)

Source

When using this video don't forget to cite and reference your sources. For more information and help see the Kerferd Library referencing guide and / or CiteMaker.
In text reference / citation: CaspianReport (2019) or (CaspianReport, 2019)
Bibliography / Reference list: CaspianReport (2019). The Era of Modernization in Japan, [eVideo]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/IuIhBsRrKSU

Japan under the Shôguns: Overview

Resource Key

LEVEL

LEVEL

LEVEL

General Capabilities

Enduring Understandings

Essential Questions

Quick Links

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: Keywords

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: Introduction

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: Articles

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: eBooks

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: Online resources

Primary source documents with questions

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: Videos

Source

Source

Japan under the Shoguns | Overview: Curriculum alignment

Primary  source  documents with questions