Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________

Empires in East Asia

Section 4

Feudal Powers in Japan

Terms and Names
Shinto Japans earliest religion, based on respect for nature and worship of ancestors
samurai Japanese warrior who served a lord
Bushido Code that samurai lived bythe way of the warrior
shogun Highest military commander in feudal Japan, ruling in the name of the emperor

Before You Read

In the last section, you read about Mongol rule in China.
In this section, you will learn about the early Japanese and their system
of government.

As You Read
Use a time line to record the main periods and events in Japanese history
from 300 to 1300.

THE GROWTH OF JAPANESE In the 400s, the Yamato clan became

CIVILIZATION (Pages 339340) the most powerful clan. The Yamato
How did geography help shape claimed that they were related to a sun
Japan? goddess. By the 600s, Yamato leaders
Japan benefited from its location. It was began to call themselves emperors. The
near China. Thus Chinese culture emperor remained an important figure in
influenced Japan. However, there was Japan.
enough distance between these two 1. Who were the Yamato?
countries to make Chinese attacks
difficult. _______________________________
Japan is made up of about 4,000
_______________________________
islands. They vary in size. Most people
live on the four largest islands. The
country has many mountains. There is not JAPANESE CULTURE; LIFE IN THE
much good farmland. The islands have HEIAN PERIOD (Pages 340341)
few natural resources, such as coal and oil. How did Chinese culture influence
Early Japan was broken up into many Japanese culture?
small areas. Each was controlled by a clan. By the 400s, contact between China and
These clans believed in their own gods. Japan grew. Japan became more aware of
Later, all these beliefs became combined. Chinese ways. Buddhism from China
reached Japan. It became an important
They formed Japans earliest religion,
religion in Japan.
called Shinto. The main ideas of Shinto
Japans emperor sent people to China to
are respect for nature and the worship of
learn about its culture. The Japanese
ancestors.
adopted the Chinese system of writing.
Original content Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.

130 Guided Reading Workbook

Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
Section 4, continued

Japanese artists imitated Chinese They set up their own armies. These
paintings. For a while, Japan even used soldiers began to terrorize farmers.
Chinas government as a model. Yet Japan In exchange for protection, farmers
still held on to its own traditions. gave up some of their land to the lords.
The years from 794 to 1185 are called This is how the feudal system began in
the Heian Period. Heian was the new Japan. It was similar to the feudal system
capital of the royal court. Japanese culture in Europe during the Middle Ages.
thrived there. Each lord used a group of trained
The gentleman and ladies of the court soldiers. They were called samurai. They
lived in splendor. Art and good manners protected their lord from attacks by other
formed the center of their lives. The best lords. Samurai followed a strict code of
accounts of Heian society come from the behavior. It was called Bushido. This
writings of women of the court. word means way of the warrior.
2. Name two parts of Chinese culture After a period of war, one of these lords
that Japan adopted. arose as the most powerful. The emperor
named him the shogun. This means
______________________________ supreme general of the emperors army.
The emperor remained in power in name.
______________________________ But the new shogun ran the country. This
pattern continued in Japan from 1192 to
FEUDALISM ERODES IMPERIAL 1868.
AUTHORITY (Pages 341343) 3. Who were the samurai?
How did feudalism arise in Japan?
Over time, the power of Japans central _______________________________
government decreased. Wealthy
landowners lived away from the capital. _______________________________

Original content Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.

131 Guided Reading Workbook

Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
Section 4, continued

As you read about the development of Japanese civilization, take notes to

answer the questions and fill out the charts.

How did these factors help shape Japanese civilization?

1. Geography

2. Yamato clan

3. Korean travelers

4. Chinese culture

5. Heian period

How did these groups weaken Japans imperial government?

6. Samurai warriors

7. Shoguns

Original content Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.

132 Guided Reading Workbook