The Rise of Japan

Japan is an archipelago, which means a chain of islands

To the west of of Japan is the continent of Asia, to the east lies the Pacific Ocean

A ridge of volcanic mountains runs the length of the island chain.

Japan is so mountainous than less than 15% of its land can be farmed

People first have thought to arrive in Japan 11,000 years ago. They survived by hunting and fishing

By 250 BC, a new group had appeared called the Yayoi. They wove cloth and worked with bronze and iron

Their most important achievement was introducing the technique of growing rice.

Rice became Japan's most important crop

by 200 AD, clans ruled Japan

A clan is a group of people with a common ancestor

From the 200s to the 400s, warlike clans competed for land and power

The winner was the Yamato clan

Yamato emperors ruled and they became the world's oldest ruling family

Today's rulers in Japan trace their family ancestry back to the Yamato clan

Emperors began losing power

A noble family called the Fujiwara began running the country

They rose to power by having their daughters marry emperors.

By the 800's the Fujiwara was in almost complete control of the government

Most of the Fujiwara were good rulers. Japan remained unified and the nobles owned their own land.

Feudalism was a social system in which landowners granted people land or other rewards in exchange for military service or labor

Landowners, warriors, and peasants served one another's needs

The landowner or daimyo would promise to protect the peasants in exchange for a share of the crops they harvested

Samurai were specially trained warriors that worked for the daimyo