The Effectiveness of Feudalism as an Economic System in Japan

1916 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Feudalism economic system

This investigation will attempt to examine the effectiveness of feudalism as an economic system. It is relevant as it examines a form of governing and its impact on the economic status of a country. This allows it to be decided whether or not it was successful, and therefore if it is relevant to use in the modern world and what consequences might follow. Specifically, it will be focusing on feudal society from the Kamakura Period, starting in 1185 CE, to the Azuchi-Momoyama Period, ending in 1615 CE, within Japan. The issues that will be addressed are how feudalism affected the economic prosperity of the Japanese people, and how it affected Japan’s productivity and advancement. This will be accomplished by examining a variety of secondary sources, such as William E. Deal’s Handbook to Life in Medieval & Early Modern Japan and Conrad Shirokauer’s A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations.

Summary of Evidence

In Japanese history, the period of time that is considered medieval is referred to as staring with the beginning of the Kamakura Shogunate period in 1185 CE, and ending with the Azuchi-Momoyama Period in 1615 CE. During this time period, Japan was ruled in a militaristic-style fashion by a progression of warrior-clan families, with each family known as a shogunate, or bakufu, in a system commonly referred to as feudalism. Feudalism, specifically, is “a social system… in which people worked and fought for nobles who gave them protection and the use of land in return.” In Japan, these nobles were the warrior-class known as bushi. Bushi brought about many changes such as creating and bringing about new markets, standardizing weights and measures, and possibly introducing the use of currency (coins). Al...

... middle of paper ...

... some cases. As a result, it can be concluded that feudalism was both a benefit and a detriment to Japan’s economy.

Works Cited

Asawaka, K. “Some of the Contributions of Feudal Japan to the New Japan.” The Journal of Race Development 3, (1912): 18-19, accessed April 4, 2014. doi: 10.2307/29737937.

Colcutt, Martin. “Japan’s Medieval Age: The Kamakura & Muromachi Periods.” (March 28, 2008). About Japan: A Teacher’s Resource. Accessed April 5, 2014. http://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/content.cfm/japans_medieval_age_the_kamakura__muro machi_periods.

Deal, William E. Handbook to Life in Medieval & Early Modern Japan. New York: Facts On File, 2006.

“Feudalism.” Merriam-Webster. Accessed April 7, 2014. http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/feudalism.

Schirokauer, Conrad. A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations. Toronto: Wadsworth, 1989.

Show More
Related

  • Samurai vs Knight

    1340 Words  | 3 Pages

    War played a central part in the history of Japan. Warring clans controlled much of the country. A chief headed each clan; made up of related families. The chiefs were the ancestors of Japan's imperial family. The wars were usually about land useful for the production of rice. In fact, only 20% of the land was fit for farming. The struggle for control of that land eventually ga...

    Read More

  • The Design and Uses of Jomon Pottery

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    Junko Habu, Ancient Jomon of Japan: Case Studies in Early Societies (Cambridge University Press. 2004)

    Read More

  • Samurai And Knights Similarities

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Feudalism was a political and economical system in Europe from the 9th to about the 15th century.” Japan also had time periods that can be called feudal age including: Heian, Kamakura and Tokugawa. Medieval Japan shared a lot of similarities with medieval Europe, however, there are also many differences. One of the differences is their warriors who played vital roles fighting for their country in both Europe and Japan. In medieval Europe they had knights, and in medieval Japan they had samurais. European knights and Japanese Samurais were different in training, armor, weaponry, true values and codes.

    Read More

  • Differences Between Feudalism in Europe and Japan

    1033 Words  | 3 Pages

    European feudalism was based on contract and Japanese feudalism was based on personal relationship with the lord and vassal. This helps prove that the differences between European and Japanese feudalism made limited government more likely to develop in the West because a contract limits what the lords and vassals could do. William, the king of English, said, “I command you [the vassal] to summon all those who are under your charge......and bring ready with you those five knights that you owe me[.]”1 This helps prove that European feudalism was based on contract because when you owe someone something, it implies an agreement. The key terms are I command you and owe. The vassal has to send troops because he has to. He is under the rule of his lord. The lord tells his vassal that “[H]e will perform everything [that] was in [their] agreement [because] [he] submitted himself to him and chose his will.”2 This helps prove that European feudalism was based on a contract because a contract implies an agreement. The vassal chose the lord himself, so therefore, the vassal is under the lord's rule and needs to follow the agreement. On Japan's view of feudalism, their feudalism wasn't based on contract. On page 122 and 124 of The Tale of Heike, it implies personal relationships with the lord and vassal. “Despite his predicament, [the lord] still thought of [his vassal].”3 When the lord dies, the vassal kills himself saying, “For whom do I have to fight now?”4 This helps prove that Japanese feudalism was based on a personal relationship with lord and vassal because the lord and vassal actually cared for each other. Even through major problems, the lord and vassal's actions showed how close their relationship was with each other. Also on page 5...

    Read More

  • Feudal Europe and Japan similarities and differences

    745 Words  | 2 Pages

    Japan lasted from 1185-1603. During that time Japan had emperors, shoguns, daimyos, samurai, and peasants who were all apart of a social class, and all together it was called the Samurai Society. The emperor was just a figurehead for the shogun. The shogun was a powerful military leader that ruled in the emperor’s name. Daimyo were powerful landlords. The daimyo often led armies of samurai. These samurai were trained professional warriors who served daimyo and shoguns. The samurai had to follow a certain code of rules for samurai called Bushido. One of their rules included to always have self-discipline to become a good samurai. The samurai warriors wore light armor, helmets (usually shaped like an animal), and had two swords around their waist. Their armor had a lot of detail and color to it, like their unique helmets. After the samurai comes the peasants, which included farmers and fishermen. They usually always work, then pay takes to the shogun. They usually gave the shogun what they earned from working like food or crops. What made their jobs a bit difficult was their topography. Japan’s topography included many mountains, undersea volcanoes, and barely any flat land to farm on. The Japanese didn’t only work they also practiced their religion. For example, they practiced Confucianism, Buddhism (...

    Read More

  • An Indepth Look at Warfare in Medieval Japan in Joseph Conlans' State of War; The Violent Order of Fourteenth Century Japan

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    Joseph Conlans “State of War; The Violent Order of Fourteenth Century Japan” is an depth look at Japans emerging warrior class during a time period of constant warfare in Medieval Japan. His work however doesn’t revolve around the re-fabrication and in-depth analysis of battles sieged like many contemporary examinations of wars and battles won and lost. Instead the author vies to navigate the reader on journey into the warrior class’s lives and how they evolved through a statistical analysis of records. This illustrates how warfare changed and transformed with the constant evolving of the Samurai, but it also includes how their actions affected their Political environment as well as the society in which they dwelled from the bottom up. Through his survey of records and documents, Conlan is able to give readers a compelling look into the Warrior class and at times shatters in the process many of the pre-conceived general notions that one may hold about this ancient class of professional warriors. Many of the notions & common misconceptions debunked in this scholarly piece include the idea that the Samurai was a male only fraternity, reserved for those of impeccable candor and loyalty. When truth be known, woman and young men (boys) were also trained in the art of war and thus were as likely to be found on the battle fields as men when times were tough and solider numbers were depleted. Further, another misconception (Generally thought to be caused by the popular and well known; “The Bushido Code: The Eight Virtues of the Samurai”) of the warrior class is that all of these men were truly Samurai which translated to “one who serves” when really, loyalty for the warrior class as Conlan points out only went as far as ones right to ...

    Read More

  • Shogun

    1892 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout most of Japanese history, the power of the emperor, tenno, has been either limited or purely symbolic. Still, all Japan's effective rulers, from the Fujiwara and Hojo re...

    Read More

  • Influence of the Samurai on Modern Japanese Society

    1723 Words  | 4 Pages

    When discussing the origin of the Samurai, an important time in history for their beginning can be seen in the formation of a Feudal System in early Japan. In 646 AD, Emperor Tenji enacted the Taika Reform. This reform allowed the aristocracy to adopt Chinese-Style political structures, bureaucracy, and culture (Farris). Basically, this allowed land to be redistributed among the people and while new taxes were formed. This was because more income was needed to support the newly adopted Chinese style empire. Due to these reforms, many peasants had to sell their land and work as farmers for other people while people who actually owned land were able to gain wealth and power. This resulted in the formation of a feudal system. This system was similar to that of medieval Europe and contributed to the rise of the Samurai social class.

    Read More

  • Stereotyping of Arab Muslims in the New York Times for the Past Forty Years

    3581 Words  | 8 Pages

    Ogawa, D. (1993) The Japanese of Los Angeles. Journal of Asian and African Studies, v19, pp.142-3.

    Read More

  • Western Influence on Japan

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    21 Pitts, Forrest R., Japan. p. 113. -. 22. Davidson, Judith. Japan- Where East Meets West, p. 107.

    Read More

  • Effects of the Great Kanto Earthquake in Japanese History

    1580 Words  | 4 Pages

    Tsuzuki, Chushichi. The Pursuit of Power in Modern Japan, 1825-1995. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Questia. Web. 28 Apr. 2011.

    Read More

  • Poetry Compare And Contrast Essay

    1076 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shirane Haruo. et al. Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology 1600-1900. New York: Colombia University Press, 2002. Print.

    Read More

  • Japanese Literature

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Japanese medieval age consists of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (from approximately 1185 to 1600). During this time, the political power was switching from the imperial family to a militaristic government. In addition, civil wars (from 1156 to 1568) were increasing throughout Japan. This change of centrality in society’s focus from court to warriors shifted the perception and style of Japanese literature.

    Read More

  • Women In Japan Essay

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hunter, Janet. “Gender, economics and industrialization: approaches to the economic history of Japanese women, 1868-1945.” In Japanese women, emerging from subservience, 1868-1945, edited by Tomida Hiroko and Daniels Gordon. Folkestone: Global Oriental, 2005, 119-144.

    Read More

  • Reflection of Modern East Asia

    895 Words  | 2 Pages

    Our preliminary class gave a brief, yet detailed outline of major events affecting the East Asian region. Within that class, prompted by our limited geographical knowledge of Asia, we were given a fundamental explanation of the geographical locations of the various events taking place in the region. In subsequent classes, we were introduced to the major wars, political shifts, and economic interests which shaped Japan, China and Korea to what they are today. We examined the paradigm of pre-modern Japanese governance, the Shogunate, and the trained warriors which defended lord and land, Samurai. In addition, we examined the socio-economic classes of Medieval Japan, which included the Samurai, peasants, craftsmen, and the merchants. We also examined pre-1945 Japan’s policies toward foreign entities, notably the Sakoku Policy, which sought to expunge all foreign presence and commerce in an effort to protect its borders and culture. 1945, however, saw ...

    Read More

More about The Effectiveness of Feudalism as an Economic System in Japan

Open Document