Want to know something about Feudal Japan?

Here I have that school essay that I had to do...(got a 62% on it.) I cranked it out the day before... my cousin Andy was there to witness my bad decision!


3/18/2006
Feudal Japan - War Times
Feudal Japan is an era where war was common but was accompanied by strong people that led the Japanese out of war time. Feudal Japan had an inspirational effect on many people because of their strong morality, how their sense of honor was carried out, and inspiring individuals. Japan attains similiar traits to feudalism by the end of the Gempei War during the end of the Heian period (794-1192) via the Minamoto clan who established the Kamakura Bakufu. Feudal Japan's Kamakura period (1192-1333) houses the overthrow of imperial power, war with the mongols, and the rise of imperial power once more. By the middle of the 16th century, powerful warlords were competing for absolute power over Feudal Japan to ultimately unify Japan under one rule.

The Heian period was Japan's longest era of peace where two warrior clans, the Minamoto and the Taira, would eventually cease the peace. The Minamoto clan had vast shoen (property) in eastern Japan while the Taira had shoen in eastern and western Japan. A turning point in japanese history was a small uprising caused by the appointment of a new emperor. The Minamoto and the Taira clans quelled this uprising and with this action proved that the power to determine state affairs was clearly with the warrior clans. After the appointment of the new emperor, Go-Shirakawa and later his successor, Nijo, a lesser lord of the Taira named Kiyimori started to gain massive power in the emperor's court. The ex-emperor, Go-Shirakawa, noticed this and decided to take action to clip the Taira in some way. Go-Shirakawa devised a military plot for Kiyimori with the aid of a minor lord of Minamoto, Yukitsuna. The plot failed and ultimately opened a huge gap between the Taira and Go-Shirakawa with the Minamoto as well. In the year 1179, the head of the Taira, Shigemori, died and was replaced by his brother, Munemori, who was a coward and a poor strategist. Go-Shirakawa was quick to take advantage of this and started to dismiss the Taira clan in the capital while Kiyimori started to fire court officials and marched on to the capital. Kiyimori then forced the new emperor, Takakura, of the throne and placed his one-year old grandson on the throne, Antoku. Takakuru enlists the aid of the Minamoto Clan; the civil war begins; also known as the Gempei war.

During the Begining of the Gempei war, The Taira seized the capital; this action was almost considered a military takeover. Minamoto Yoritomo, leader of the Minamoto clan, begins to build up strength and finally seized control over Eastern Japan and drove the Taira out of the capital. As the war draws near to the end, the Taira clan set up their last defences in a fort at Mikusa. This fort is deemed unbreachable as it has three sides that are impossible to storm and the fourth side is a long and steep cliff. The Minamoto siege the fort but fail in the end. The Minamoto then decide a daring operaion that invloves the descent of the cliff with superhuman bravado on horseback. The cliff is a perilous route as it is a long steep that ended in a seventy foot vertical drop! Against the odds though, the Minamoto clan succeded in traversing this route and rode into the Taira's fort thus eliminating the Taira. This spelt the end of the Gempei war and this story is perhaps "The most famous and best known event in Japanese History".

Minamoto Yoritomo sets up an alternative government called the Bakufu (tenth government). This was a military government with two branches which was one of warriors or more known as "samurai" while the other judged legal suits. The emperor became known as "shogun" (supreme general). Other changes include the reason as to why Japan started to show signs of Feudalism; provincial generals and lord's relatiosnhip towards their shogun are similiar to those of a vassal and a lord in Medieval Europe. The daimyo (lord) took an oath to the shogun of allegiance. Then starts the Kamakura period.

The Kamakura period (1192-1333) is the begining of the Kamakura Shogunate, the Bakufu. The most traumatic event in this period was the Mongol invasions which were between 1272-1281. The Mongols had conqured china and their lands also spread to the east. The Mongol's dreams now laid on Feudal Japan. Japan started to prepare defenses for the oncoming battles. Mongol had a superior naval fleet as well as superior weapons. The Mongols first invasion was carried out and Japan was able to hold them back. Bad weather also contributed to the Mongols invasion to fall back. Another attempt by the Mongols was carried out in the spring of 1281 in which a typhoon obliterated the Mongol Naval Feet thus obliterating the landing force. This typhoon would be reknowed as Kamikaze that translates to divine wind. That was the end of the Mongol attempts to conquer Japan. Though Japan repelled the Mongols, the preparation for the war had devastating domestic repercussions. Soldiers who fought for their country during the war had no income which led to social unrest. The Kamakura Shogunate starts to collapse and Imperial rule starts to rise once more under the Emperor Go-Daigo by Ashikaga Takuji, Nitta Yoshisada, and Kusunoki Masashige. This ends the Kamakura period and starts the Muromachi period.

The Muromachi period lasts from 1336-1573. Also known as the Ashikaga Shogunate which was officially established in 1336 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji. The period ended in 1573 when the 15th and last shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki was driven out of the capital in Kyōto by Oda Nobunaga. The early years of the Muromachi period ( specifically 1336-1392) houses the Nanboku-cho (Northern and Southern court period) where Ashikaga Takauji fights with Nitta Yoshisada and Kusunoki Masashige and takes control of the Northern Court while Yoshisada takes control of the Southern Court. This sojourns for 60 years until Ashikaga Takauiji's grandson, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu finally reunites both the Northern and Southern courts. During late 1467, the "warring states" period (or the Sengoku) arises as ideas to unify Japan begins.

The Warring States period houses three individuals who tried and did unify Japan. Nobunaga Oda was the first and succeded in capturing the capital and his dreams were almost true until he was betrayed and killed by his own vassal, Akechi Mitsuhide. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a general under Nobunaga Oda and hindered Akechi Mitsuhide's own plan and quickly won. Toyotomi Hideyoshi went on to conquer the rest of Japan incessantly and was the first unifier. Toyotomi had dreams to expand Japans territory and carried out an assault on China and Korea. In the end; Toyotomi died in 1598 and this dream was halted. The land was divided once more and an ambitious figure by the name of Tokugawa Ieyasu went on to unite Japan under his banner. A famous battle by the name of Sekigahara helped Ieyasu accomplish this. Feudal Japan goes into the Edo period and peace is achieved until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

From the beginings of the Gempei war to the Mongol Invasions of the Kamakura period did Feudal Japan pull through. Into the Muromachi period and through the Warring States period did Feudal Japan fight through to inspire many people. Inspiring individuals, strong morality, and conducts that truly respect the word honor have gone through many. Feudal Japan was indeed involved in many wars but all the battles fought did not end up throwing Japan into ultimate despair and Japan ultimately pulled through from war grief. Japan's standing today is well to respect as to how they attained that standing.

By a deranged dude,
Julio Cesar Alvarez Zuniga

(Update: Me from 1/28/2011: Of course I did no changes to the essay itself but I did add that Andy was there to see my suffering as I hurried to type this up. Geez... not good to do it all the day before.)

On my mind...

Arrrgh! Would seem that I have a 5 page paper due on monday 'bout Feudal Japan. It also seems that this is an assignment that I can't pass up... Dang...

 Another thing is that I really should stop being so damn scared and pass "The Suffering" soon or my inner bravado will drop a couple of degrees.

 We also have the fact that I have not bought any manga recently (I'm sorry "Ai Yori Aoshi") and this severe act is dampening my spirits. Fear not! For I still have RPGs and Anime at my disposal that shall keep me in fine condition. Thank God.

I also love to wake up at 5:00 AM just for the sole reason of watching Anime for about an hour and a half. Gotta be at school at 7:30 AM.

Well... thats all on my mind on the moment.

By a demented dude,
Koza

(Update: Me from ummm... 1/28/2011. Delted a chunk of nonsense. Something about my computer not having games and trying to wake up at 3:00 AM to watch more Anime. Meh.)

Reading...

I like to read! Simple Eh?
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Time for a recollection of what I've read in the past!
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I have read... many books!
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By a demented dude,
Zako

(Update: me from 1/21/2011. So true. Although currently I have dwindled in my reading of books. I guess I currently get my reading from subtitled anime or reading text in video games (especially RPGs).)