Lesson Plans Provided by Andrea at Epic Homeschool Mentoring

An Index to the Lesson Plans is provided at the top of the page

Week 29: Ancient Japan

Ancient History Resources for Homeschool and Personal Study. This weeks topics: The Asuka Period, the Nara Period, the Kamakura Shogunate and the Samurai.

Ancient History is studied through the collection of archeological evidence, written records and oral stories or myths. Just because evidence shows a particular belief or custom was common at a particular time does not mean that everyone in that civilization shared that belief. When you study the topics for this week, you can either go deep on one topic for the week and skip the others or you can do a new topic each day. This outline is just a suggested pace, you can go slower or faster as needed. This outline is intended to provide you with a place to start. You will still need to do your own research.

Crown Prince Shotoku

Homeschool Topics for Week 29

Asuka Period 

Nara Period

Kamakura Shogunate

The Samarai

Discussion Questions

Asuka Period

The Asuka Period was marked by suppression of the clans and centralization of the government. This was enacted through land reforms that made land ownership revert to the state once the owner died. A census was taken with the intent to require citizen soldiers to fight in the military. Buddhism and Chinese writing were imported to Japan during this period. The government banned the use of livestock and the consumption of some animals like monkeys. The calm political climate allowed for advances in art and culture. Numerous Japanese songs and poems were written.

Nara Period

In the Nara Period, Buddhism became the "guardian of the state." A great gilt Buddha statue was placed in the Todai-ji temple. The upper classes adopted the Chinese writing system, Chinese fashion, and a Chinese version of Buddhism. Empress Kōken was the last female ruler of Japan. As a literate woman, she commissioned the printing of tiny prayer scrolls which are the oldest form of printed writing in the world. The first authentically Japanese gardens were created in the capital city of Nara.

Japanese Gardens

Japanese gardens use water and natural materials to show the fragility of life and the unstoppable passage of time. To spite time, the garden is maintained as closely to the original as possible even as. plants die and are replaced. A garden has several "views" that are designed to be experienced as you pass through the garden. The Shinto idea that paradise was on one of eight islands in the middle of a lake informs the use of islands in these gardens.

Kamakura Shogunate

The Kamakura Shogunate was a time when the Japanese were attacked by the Mongols with Korean conscripts however a typhoon came up and destroyed one third of the Mongol force. The Mongols left but they came back with a larger army. The defenders held their ground for seven weeks when a second typhoon came and wiped out a third of the Mongolian force. The typhoon was called a "divine wind" or kami-no-kaze.

The Samurai

The Samurai were a class of nobility that protected the empire. The warrior was called a "bushi." They used swords, a war fan called a tessen, body armor, a mask and a ceremonial jacket made to be worn over the armor. Some women were samurai and trained to defend their homes and family while the men were away.

Resources:

Books (all links go to Goodreads)


2. Print out the line drawing of the Samurai with gear and learn about the pieces of his armor
3. The Samurai Uesugi Kenshin had this as his death poem:  「四十九年一睡の夢 一期の栄華一盃の酒」。"Forty Nine Years; One night's dream. A lifetime of glory; a cup of sake." (My 49 years have passed like one night's dream. The glories of my life are no more than a cup of sake.) What is sake? Why would one's life seem to pass like a dream?

Image Credit: Unknown / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain