GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

Japan
 ESSENTIAL QUESTION

1) Explain the mythical founding of Japan.

2) Why have the Japanese felt racially superior to other

Asians?

=Terms/Events =Questions =People

 JAPAN

Long ago, the elements were mixed

together along with a germ of life

The heavy elements settled while

the lighter rose until a muddy sea
was formed

From this muddy sea the germ of

life sprouted and rose to the clouds

A god was born. He was lonely so

he created a female companion
 JAPAN

Wandering above the sea, the male

god wondered what lay beneath the
ocean

He cast in his great spear and drew

it forth

The salt water and mud that

dripped off its end hardened,
creating the islands of Japan

Only after the creation of Japan,

did the gods create the rest of the
dry lands
 JAPAN

Visiting the lands they had

created, they caused life to appear

Plants grew and the earth was

beautified

The two gods decided to wed and

soon had children

These children inherited the earth

The female goddess died giving

birth to one of their children
 JAPAN

The male god wept and washing his

right eye he created Amaterasu

Because she was loved the most,

she was placed above the earth as
the sun

The left eye created Tsuki-yumi

became the moon and the nose
Susanowo the storm god

Amaterasu gave life to everything

around her while Susanowo
destroyed it
 JAPAN

Susanowo frightened Amaterasu and she hid

in a cave

While she hid, the world began to die

To coerce her out, the gods placed mirror

and a jewel on a nearby tree

The gods banished Susanowo

Amaterasu sent her grandson, Ninigi to

earth with her mirror, the jewel and a sword
so all living beings would remember her

By tradition, each emperor today is

presented with a jewel, a mirror and a
sword: Benevolence, wisdom, valor
 JAPAN

Japan is an Archipelago, or a string

of islands

It is located off the coast of China

It consists of 4 main islands and

over 3000 small islands

The four main islands are;

Kyushu = southernmost,
Shikoku = just north of Kyushu,
Honshu = large mainland,
Hokkaido = northernmost
 JAPAN

The sea has always served as a

protection to Japan, much like
England

The Japanese traveled to the

mainland when they chose

They did not allow any to come to

them unless they chose

This allowed the Japanese the

take what the saw as the best of
all surrounding cultures
 JAPAN

Japan, in size, is smaller than the state of

Montana

The population is vast, over 125 million

The majority of the population is crammed

into cities

The reason? The country is very

mountainous

Honshu is the most fertile and densely

populated

20,000 people per square mile, state of

New York 360
 JAPAN

The agriculture of Japan is based

around rice and fish

Terrace farming provides 3/4 of

Japans food

Only 8% of Japan’s population is

comprised of farmers, yet the
nation imports very little food

Farming techniques produce very

high yields, nothing is wasted
 JAPAN

Economically, Japan has little

mineral resources

This caused many problems for

Japan as it industrialized

Today, Japan imports resources

from Malaysia, Philippines and
North America

Oil for Japan, like the US, comes

from the Middle East
 JAPAN

Japan has a special cultural

identity

It is a mix of Chinese/Korean and

Ainu from Russia

This has caused them to feel

culturally unique

It also has lead to ethnocentrism

Japan today still enjoys few

minority groups
 DAILY RE-CAP

1) Who is Amaterasu?

2) Why does the Japanese emperor receive a mirror and a

jewel?

3) What is an archipelago?

4) Why are the Japanese some of the world’s best farmers?

5) What has caused some Japanese to feel they are racially

superior to the rest of Asia?
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Japan
 ESSENTIAL QUESTION

1) What are the characteristics of Japan’s Nara Period?

=Terms/Events =Questions =People

 JAPAN

Japan is one of the world’s most

ancient civilizations

Archaeologists believe people

inhabited the islands as far back as
14,000 BC [ice bridge]

Earliest artifacts have been found

from as far back as 10,000 BC

DNA suggests that the Ainu are

modern descendants of these ancient
peoples
 JAPAN

The Ainu people did not have bronze

or iron weapons

When the Chinese and Koreans

arrived in 200 BC, they easily
overran the island

They introduced iron and rice to

Japan

Immigrants from the mainland

broke early Japan into a series of
warring clans or tribes
 JAPAN

An early legend explains how Japan

started to come together as a people

In 711 BC, a great white leader named

Jimmu united Japan

He declared himself the son of goddess

Amaterasu

He defeated his enemies by battling with

the sun at his back

The modern Emperor of Japan claims to

be the descendent of Jimmu and
Amaterasu, thus claiming divine
decadency
 JAPAN

Following Jimmu’s victory, many of the clans

were defeated in battle by Jimmu’s

By 400 AD, the clans were consolidated into a

single group called the Yamato Clan

The Yamato Clan [Jimmu’s Clan] claimed to

be descendants of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu

The Yamato Clan also set up first and only

Japanese Dynasty

Present Emperor claims descent to Yamato

Clan

This Dynasty has never been overthrown

 JAPAN

Since Japan has only one dynasty, it’s

history is often broken down into
several distinct periods

The first of which is the Nara Period

This era started when the capital was

built at Nara, Japan

Previously, the capital was moved

each time Amaterasu’s heir died

This was the first time a physical

capital came into being, though it
would not be the last
 JAPAN

The new capital at Nara had broad

streets and a variety of government
buildings

All cities flowed into Nara which

served as a central hub

This central location made it easier

to collect taxes and administer
government

Clan leaders oversaw the peasants

but total control fell to the clan chief,
the descendant of Amaterasu
 JAPAN

During the Nara Period, the Japanese

were highly influenced by China

Around 500 AD, missionaries from

China brought introduced Buddhism

Many great Buddhist temples were

constructed

Chinese immigrants also brought

written language

The Japanese also borrowed concepts

from Taoism and Confucianism which
were witnessed in Japan’s government
 JAPAN

A massive Buddhist Temple called

Todajii was built in Nara

It was the peak of Japanese buddhism

The Nara Period was very productive

for Japan

It produced great works in

architecture and literature

During the Nara period, Japan was

characterized by its strong similarities
with mainland China
 DAILY RE-CAP

1) Who were the Ainu?

2) Who claimed to be a descendant of Amaterasu?

3) Why did early Japanese leaders frequently move the

capital?

4) How would you characterize Japan during the Nara

Period?
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Japan
 DAILY RE-CAP

1) What has led the Japanese to sometimes feel racially superior to

other Asians?

2) Which Japanese ruler claimed to be a descendant of Amaterasu?

3) What is an archipelago?

4) How would you characterize Japan during the Nara Period?

5) Why does a new emperor of Japan accept a mirror, jewel and

sword?
 ESSENTIAL QUESTION

1) Be able to explain the characteristics of Heian Japan.

=Terms/Events =Questions =People

 JAPAN

In 794 AD, the Emperor moved the royal

court to Heian [hey-un], modern Kyoto

This ended the Nara Period and

commenced the Heian Period

During this time, the power of the

Emperor declined

The emperor was reduced to a symbolic

figurehead

Court families and wealthy lords, such as

the Fujiwara family, took control of
Japan through strategic marriage
practices
 JAPAN

Japan, during the early centuries AD,

was mostly comprised of farmers

In time, nobles took control of the

land and became wealthy off of taxes

These nobles started to view

themselves as equals to the emperor
and then as his superior

A new high court life emerged

Wealthy families competed for honor,

respect and fame which drove an
artistic revolution
 JAPAN

During the Nara Period, Japan

mimicked China

The Heian Period marked the birth of

Japan’s own culture and traditions

The focus of the Heian Court was the

pursuit of beauty

This ideal pervaded all of Japanese

culture

It stemmed from lavish tea parties to

wrapping gifts, mixing perfumes and
writing poetry
 JAPAN

Japan developed their own form of art

Yamato-e focused on the beauty of the

surrounding world

Nature was depicted in incredibly detailed

scenes

Figures were highly stylized, paint was

played thickly with bright pigments

Most notably, were the “blown-off” roofs

which showed daily life of the court

These paintings appeared on screens and

room dividers
 JAPAN

Calligraphy became the mark of

character

Many spent countless hours perfecting

the artistic style of writing

Women were said to fall in love with

men just by looking at their handwriting

This time period saw an incredible

amount of art and beauty

It is similar in many ways to the art that

came out during the renaissance in
Europe
 JAPAN

During the Nara Period, Japanese

women hardly appeared in
history

That changed during the Heian

Period

Many women became aristocrats

and achieved great power

The Heian Period produced many

books of female poetry
 JAPAN

From the 9th to 12th centuries

females learned to read and to
write

While the Japanese spoke a

different language for much of their
early history they wrote in Chinese

That began to change when the

Japanese developed their own
system of writing called Kana

This new writing system was used

by Murasaki Shikibu
 JAPAN

Shikibu wrote one of the world’s

oldest fictional novels called “The
Tale of Genji”

The novel follows the life of a young

prince [Genji] as he tried to remain
in favor with powerful lords in
Japan

It is a book of wonderful adventures,

heroics, love and sadness

It has reveled much of what Life in

Japan was like at this time
 JAPAN

Another prominent Japanese woman,

Sei Shonagon, wrote her thoughts in a
journal

This journal comes to us today as “The

Pillow Book”

It contains random thoughts about life

in Heian Japan

It shows forth a simplistic poetic beauty

that was highly praised in Heian times

It, like the “Tale of Genji”, gives insight

into Japan during the Heian Period
 DAILY RE-CAP

1) What event ended the Nara Period of Japan?

2) Why did power shift away from the Emperor to the

nobility?

3) What was the key characteristic of the Heian Period?

4) What is Yamato-E?

5) What is the name of one of the famous women from the

Heian Period?
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Japan
 DAILY RE-CAP

1) What event ended the Nara Period of Japan?

2) Why did power shift away from the Emperor to the

nobility?

3) What was the key characteristic of the Heian Period?

4) What is Yamato-E?

5) What is the name of one of the famous women from the

Heian Period?
 ESSENTIAL QUESTION

1) Be able to define and understand Shintoism.

=Terms/Events =Questions =People

 JAPAN

Early Japan began a religious practice

that still endures today

It is called Shinto or Shintoism

Shintoism [early origins] had no set

of rules, no book, or even a name

When Buddhists arrived from China,

they named the religion Shinto

Means: “The Way of the Gods”

 JAPAN

In Shinto, the Japanese believed in

spirits or Kami

Kami are manifest in everything,

rocks, rivers, lakes, mountains, even
people

They believe these spirits or Kami

control nature

Kami exist in a realm that is unseen

by the human eye, but they can have
an affect on our lives
 JAPAN
In Shintoism, the Japanese believe
that humans are naturally good

However, they can fall prey to evil

Kami

Purification rites must take place to

ward off evil Kami and to appease the
good

It is believed that humans become

Kami when they die

Many shrines are home to ancestral

Kami, where people appease the
spirits of their ancestors.
 JAPAN

When Buddhism arrived in the 6th

century, the two religions merged

Japanese who follow buddhism, also

make offerings at shrines

Shintoism often guides the Japanese

during life

Buddhist traditions largely take over

after death

Shintoism is only practiced in Japan

 JAPAN
Great Kami are worshiped at large
shrines located all across Japan

Shinto shrines are built anywhere they

see a great spirit

Such as Mount Fuji or in the ocean

Here people pray to the spirits and

appease them

In return they will receive good fortune,

crops, no harm

They are worshiped through purification

rites that utilize salt and water
Torii: These are gateways to sacred shinto shrines
Komainu: Guardian dogs that sit at the entrance of Shinto shrines.
Their purpose is to ward off evil spirits.
Purification Trough: Found at sacred shrines, these are where
Humans purify themselves before entering or making an offering.
Honden: The great hallway that contains the sacred shinto
Artifact [sword, mirror, jewel]. In many cases, they are empty
As the surrounding nature is the sacred artifact.
Ema: Wooden plates where visitors leave their wishes.
They are usually related to business, wealth, love and
good health.
Omikuji: Small paper scrolls that contain your fortune.
After making a donation, you collect your blessing.
Shimenawa: Boundary ropes that mark the boundary
of something sacred. They are found all across Japan
and they vary greatly in size.
Ise: The Shrine of Amaterasu
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Japan
 REVIEW

1) What is Shintoism?

2) What are Kami?

3) What are Torii?

4) What is the general process people follow at a Shinto

Shrine?

5) What is significant about the Ise Shrine?

 ESSENTIAL QUESTION

1)Define and detail the main beliefs of Buddhism.

=Terms/Events =Questions =People

 CHINA

Buddhism was founded in Nepal by

Siddhartha Gautama

Siddhartha’s birth was highly unusual

Wise men pronounced that the child would

either be a great ruler or religious leader

Siddhartha’s father, desiring the first, never

let Gautama out of his sight.

Another version states that he lived a life of

luxury, not leaving until much later in life
where he saw the real world.

Gautama one day escaped to see the world.

He saw 4 things.
 CHINA

The first thing he saw was an old

man

Then he saw a sick man

Then a dead man

And last of all, a beggar

This caused Gautama to realize

life was full of sorrow
 BUDDHISM

The images continued to haunt

Siddhartha

He left his family and his life of luxury

to find answers

Siddhartha desired to know the cause

of the world’s suffering and to help
cure it

He traveled the world seeking

teachers and knowledge

All the while, greatly troubled at the

suffering of mankind
 BUDDHISM

After six years of searching, he sat

one day under a tree to meditate

While meditating, he was swept

away in a vision

He received his answer and came to

an understanding of the purpose of
life

From this point on he became known

as the enlightened one or the
awakened one [Buddha]
 BUDDHISM

Buddha no longer felt pain, sorrow and

suffering

He spent the remainder of his life teaching

others how to attain freedom from suffering

His teachings are called the 4 noble truths

1st is that suffering is universal

2nd the cause of suffering is desire

3rd the only way to end suffering is to crush

desire

If people give up desire, they achieve Nirvana,

freedom from the cycle of death [Samsara]
 BUDDHISM

4th the way to end desire is to follow the 8 fold

path

The 8 fold path stresses understanding sorrow,

compassion and truth

Buddhism spread across India

Asoka, and Indian ruler, converted and sent

missionaries to preach buddhism

They arrived in China in the first century and

Japan in the sixth

Buddhism spread like wildfire amongst the

lower classes, giving them hope in an afterlife
and a sense of meaning and purpose
 CHINA

Later, two divisions of Buddhism

emerged

Theravada, Buddha is viewed as a

great teacher, monastic life is the way to
Nirvana

Mahayana, believe in Boddhisatvas an

enlightened being who remains to show
others the path

The [Dalai Lama] is a Boddhisatva

1st is worshipped in SE Asia

2nd in China, Japan, Korea

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Japan
 REVIEW

1) Who was Siddhartha Gautama?

2) What were the four things Buddha saw that changed

him?

3) What are the four noble truths?

4) What are the two types of Buddhism?

5) What is the Buddhist belief concerning the afterlife?

 ESSENTIAL QUESTION

1) Why did Japan switch from being ruled by the emperor to

being ruled by the military?

=Terms/Events =Questions =People

 JAPAN

During the Heian Period, the

Japanese Emperor grew very weak

He was regarded as a god, but had

little say in political affairs

True power resided in the hands of

wealthy nobles

These nobles spent most of their time

with the arts and cared little for rural
Japan

Neglect led the empire toward

collapse
 JAPAN

In the 10th century AD, two royal

families vied for the control of Japan

One was the Tiara and the other the

Minamoto

The families clashed in a massive

battle in 1185 AD

Minamoto Yoritomo emerged as the

strongest

He would institute a new form of

militaristic rule in Japan
 JAPAN

After defeating his rivals, Yoritomo marched

on Kyoto

The emperor saved himself by naming him

“Shogun”

The Shogun became the real political and

military commander of Japan

The emperor remained in Kyoto and carried

on his ritual life

Yoritomo relocated the military government,

called the shogunate, to Kamakura [Tokyo]

This period is referred to as the Kamakura

Period
 JAPAN

Life in Japan, during the Kamakura period

became highly militarized

Many doubted it would last

In 1274, the Mongols disembarked to take

Japan

They had over 300 ships and 120,000 men

Japanese prayed for protection and the next

day a storm arose [Kamikaze] and destroyed
the Mongol fleet

Japanese believed the kami would always

protect them against foreign invasion

It also legitimized the rule of the Shogun

 JAPAN

Overtime, the Shogun’s power eroded

away

Powerful lords assumed great control by

raising bands of warriors

These warriors were known as Samurai

There was a arms race for Samurai, and

the greatest lords challenged the shogun

In a ruthless age, Japan was controlled

by warrior clans and warlords

The strongest held absolute power while

the emperor lived a quiet life in Kyoto
 JAPAN

The Samurai followed the Bushido

Code

It was “The Way of the Warrior”

The code emphasized strict discipline,

honor and bravery on the battle field

They fought on horseback, using the

bow

At their hip was the legendary samurai

sword, a weapon without equal

Many samurai were in fact women

T H E J A PA N E S E S A M U R A I “ T H E H O R O ”
 JAPAN

During the 1400 and 1500’s Japan

collapsed into a constant scene of
chaos

War was frequent, the shogun was

powerless, the emperor was reduced
only to carry out religious ceremonies

In time, the Samurai abused their

power and became ruthless
mercenaries

They raided lands and slaughtered

the weak
 JAPAN

A new class of warrior also emerged

during this turbulent time

They were called, Shinobi or Ninja

Lords, rather than risk losing their

samurai in battles, employed assassins

They trained hard and became experts in

the art of stealth

Due of the nature of their fighting, they

were considered a lesser class than the
samurai

They did not abide by the laws of Bushido

 JAPAN

A powerful lord by the name of Oda

Nobunaga began uniting Japan

He achieved great success, but in the

year 1582, one of his soldiers killed him

Nobunaga’s successor worried once

again at the power of the local lords
and their samurai

To limit their power, an invasion of

Korea was ordered

The peasants were disarmed and

limited military training
 JAPAN

Japan was organized into 250 states

Lords were made to live in the

capital for a time to ensure they
remained true to the Shogun

During this time of peace, the

Samurai decreased in number

Many became farmers and their

unique skills were no longer needed

Great cities emerged and a new

artistic lifestyle ensued
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Japan
 REVIEW

1) Who was Minamoto Yoritomo?

2) What was the Shogun?

3) What important event made it appear the Gods

favored the shogun leading to its permanence?

4) What makes a true samurai sword special?

5) What was a Shinobi? Why were they utilized?

 ESSENTIAL QUESTION

1) Understand how Japan dealt with the arrival of

Europeans and how the Emperor was restored to power.

=Terms/Events =Questions =People

 JAPAN

In order to tame disorderly lords and

samurai, the Shogun forced them to
come to Tokyo frequently

Japanese merchants, lords and Samurai

relaxed in the company of Geishas

Geishas were professionally trained

entertainers

The sang, danced and engaged tired

workers and warriors in conversations

Kabuki, a type of dance drama, also

became very popular
 JAPAN

It was also during this time that the

first Europeans began arriving

The Europeans were greeted

warmly by the Japanese

The first were the Portuguese

Europeans introduced to Japan:

tobacco, clocks, eyeglasses and
firearms

The Japanese readily embraced the

new technologies
 JAPAN

Christianity also made its way into

Japan via the Jesuits

Many converted, including several

powerful lords

In time however, the Jesuits began

destroying Shinto Shrines

This was seen as a great trespass

Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued and edict in

1587 that banned Christianity

The Japanese who had converted were

persecuted
 JAPAN

Soon after, the Shogun prohibited all

foreigners

Those who were not Japanese were

pushed out

Trade with the west was no longer

permitted

Only one small colony on near Nagasaki

[Deshima], inhabited by the Dutch was
allowed

Many who lived there went mad, as only

two ships per year were allowed to the
dock
 JAPAN

Japan, from the 1600’s on was almost

completely isolated from the rest of the
world

Only trade was conducted through the

Dutch and a little by the Portuguese

This policy endured for centuries and

the world largely passed Japan by

Where western nations industrialized,

Japan remained stuck in the Middle
Ages

An American shipwreck finally changed

Japan’s future
 JAPAN

In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry

of the US arrived in Japan

He brought a letter from the US

President

It demanded better treatment for US

sailors and also desired the US and
Japan to enter trade negotiations

It gave Japan a timeline to respond

When Japan could not decide, the

US decided for them
 JAPAN

Matthew Perry returned with a

large fleet and began to fire upon
Japanese docks

Japan decided to open their doors

to the west

They signed the Treaty of

Kanagawa which opened trade
with the US and Europeans

Still, many in Japan resisted

foreign influence
 JAPAN

Chief amongst those who did not

want trade with the west were the
Samurai

The Samurai organized and began

assaulting western ships

The west retaliated and the

Samurai were defeated

Japan realized how far behind the

west they were
 JAPAN

The Samurai who had attacked the

west sought a return of the
Emperor

In 1868, Kyoto was attacked and

the Shogun was deposed

The Emperor was restored as the

leader of Japan

His name was Mutsuhito

His ascension to power has become

known as the Meiji Restoration
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Japan
 REVIEW

1) What caused the Japanese to expel westerners from

Japan?

2) What was important about the island of Deshima?

3) Why did Japan fall behind the western world?

4) How did the US force Japan to trade with them?

5) What was the Meiji Restoration?

 ESSENTIAL QUESTION

1) Understand how Japan’s imperial ambitions lead them to

war with the United States

=Terms/Events =Questions =People

 JAPAN

With the return of the Emperor the

life changed drastically for Japan

Diplomats were sent abroad to

study western lifestyles, war, and
technology

Over the next 50 years, Japan

modernized and moved out of the
middle ages

Land was seized by the emperor

and lords became politicians
 JAPAN

Of all the places in the west, Japan

chose to pattern its government
after Imperial Germany

The majority of power went, not to

parliament, but to the Emperor
himself

In 1889 a constitution was created

just like Germany’s

Japan remained a strong trade

partner with the US and adopted
the US system of education
 JAPAN

Industry boomed and Japan arose

to become a world power

The military was reformed and a

national army was created

All males were required to serve in

the military

Western ways and weapons were

incorporated into the army

Japan became a major power at sea

 JAPAN

There was growing unrest between

the emperor and the samurai

The samurai restored his power

The emperor seemed to no longer

need them as he adopted western
ways of war

The samurai rebelled and the

emperor used the new national army
to put down the rebellion

In one final battle, 1000’s of samurai

warriors were cut down
 JAPAN

Japan then began to expand

beyond its natural boundaries

Main reason? The small island

nation needed raw materials for
its industry

Japan patterned itself after

Europeans and desired colonies

First area taken, 1874 the Ryukyu

Islands from China
 JAPAN

In 1904, Japan attacked a Russian

naval base [Port Arthur]

Result was a war between Russia and

Japan

It was fought both on land and on sea

The Japanese defeated the land army

then defeated the Russian Navy

Not to be outdone, Russia sent the

Baltic Fleet

Japan defeated it too

 JAPAN

When Japan defeated Russia, the

world was in awe at this new power

Japan had arrived on the world

stage

In 1905, US/Japanese relations

began to sour

Japan decided to take Korea, the

US condemned the act

As it turned out, Japan was only

warming up
 JAPAN

In 1931, Japan decided to capitalize

on a weakened war torn China

That year they invaded and took

Manchuria

The US warned, but did not

commit an army

From Manchuria, the Japanese

began pushing deeper into China

They extracted resources and sent

them back home to Japan
 JAPAN

Japan then made plans to invade

Russia

In the late 1930’s Japan began

negotiations with Germany

Both agreed to take Russia

Plans were thwarted however when

Russia and Germany signed a non-
aggression pact

With the lost hope of invading Russia,

Japan set its sights to the south
 JAPAN

Japan began to move against French

Indonesia, modern Vietnam,
Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia

The US warned of attacks and began

an oil embargo in August of 1941

Japan had to decide 1) Attack the US

or 2) Stop expanding

They decided to attack the US fleet at

Pearl Harbor

They felt it would cripple the US

leaving them to sue for peace
 JAPAN

Japan thought, by destroying the US

fleet at Pearl Harbor in one swoop it
would eliminate all opposition in the
pacific

They believed the US would not act but

allow Japan to do as it desired

On Sunday December 7, 1941 Japan

attacked the US at Pearl

Caught the US Navy by complete

surprise

This event caused the US to enter WWII

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Japan
 REVIEW

1) As Japan modernized, which country did it emulate?

2) What brought an end to the samurai?

3) Why did Japan start expanding into the Pacific?

4) What did Japan do that lead to tensions between

them and the US?

5) Why did the Japanese attack the US at Pearl Harbor?

 ESSENTIAL QUESTION

1) Understand the brutality of the fighting that took place in

the Pacific between Japan and the US during WWII.

=Terms/Events =Questions =People

 PEARL HARBOR

US had moved its Navy to Pearl in

anticipation of problems

Pearl was viewed as a safe harbor,

water too shallow for torpedoes

US intercepted a coded message and

knew an attack was coming, not
knowing where

Sunday, December 7, 1941, while

sailors slumbered, over 350
Japanese planes struck

US caught completely off guard

 PEARL HARBOR

US was not prepared

Most soldiers, on Sunday, were

sleeping in

Ammo lockers were locked

Radar warning mistaken as US

bombers

Ships packed tightly together,

Japanese had new torpedoes

Recipe for destruction

 PEARL HARBOR

The worst destruction was

sustained by the USS Arizona

High range bomber hit a luck

shot, piercing the ammo deck

Almost 1,200 sailors killed in blast

USS Oklahoma also suffered

severely

High torpedo caused it to capsize,

many drown within
 PEARL HARBOR

When smoke cleared, 2,400

American lives were lost

5 battleships and 2 destroyers

sunk

188 planes destroyed

Japanese losses were minimal

Attack was heralded as a

success but it did have its
share of problems
 PEARL HARBOR

Supposed to be a 3rd strike

It was called off, could have delivered a

death blow

No aircraft carriers in the harbor

Most were raised, fixed and sent back

into action

Japan did not expect how quickly the

US would recover

With the attack US declared war on

Japan and Germany
 JAPAN WWII

In the beginning of 1942, the

situation for the US was bleak

They had entered a war on two fronts

In the Pacific, Japan was expanding,

critical blow at Pearl, losing
Philippines and an attack on
Australia seemed eminent

The US needed to do something quick

First attack would come on Tokyo

itself
 JAPAN WWII

On April 18, 1942, 16 B-25 bombers led

by Colonel James Doolittle took off from
the US aircraft carrier Hornet

The US eagerly wanted to strike at Japan

This small raid was meant to strike at the

capital city and put doubt in peoples
hearts

Of the 80 airman, 11 were captured and

executed

Japanese killed over 250,000 Chinese

for helping Americans
 JAPAN WWII

In May, 1942, the Japanese had amassed a

formidable force intent on capturing Australia

The US learned of the plans and sent its navy and

2 aircraft carriers, Lexington and Yorktown

The subsequent fight was called the Battle of the

Coral Sea and was fought off the Solomon Islands

Neither side saw one another, but both sides

heavily attacked with aircraft

The US lost the Lexington and almost the

Yorktown

A tactical victory went to Japan but the US did

successfully stop the invasion of Australia due to
the amount of fuel used by Japan
 JAPAN WWII

In June of 1942 one of the most

critical battles of the war was fought

US Admiral Chester Nimitz learned

that the Japanese, with a force of over
110 ships, were sailing on Midway
Island

From there, the Japanese hoped to

strike again at Hawaii and finish what
they had started

Due to breaking Japanese radio code,

the US Navy found the Japanese fleet
first
 JAPAN WWII

Even though the US had achieved

surprise they faced a daunting task

The Japanese had not lost in over

300 years

Their planes and aircraft carriers

were far better than that of the US

It was unknown if our torpedoes and

bombs could even damage the
Japanese ships
 JAPAN WWII

Upon arriving, all Japanese planes were

found bombing Midway

Admiral Nimitz took advantage and ordered

all planes to the air

15 TBD Devastators won the battle

In the end, the US destroyed 4 irreplaceable

aircraft carriers and 322 planes

First defeat for Japan in centuries, best

pilots and aircraft carriers were lost

US would go on the offensive for the first

time, taking Guadalcanal by land later that
year
 JAPAN WWII

War in the Pacific was a war of

distances

It was comprised of 100’s of islands

spread over 1000’s of miles

General Douglas MacArthur argued it

would be too costly to storm each

He advocated a theory of island

hopping

They would take weaker islands,

starve out the strong, and proceed
slowly to striking distance of Japan
 JAPAN WWII

Next great land attack came at

Tarawa in 1943

Fighting on Tarawa was some of

the worst ever witnessed in history

The Japanese had heavily fortified

the island and fought to the death

Of 35,000 US soldiers, nearly 2000

died

Of the 5000 Japanese, only 17

surrendered
 JAPAN WWII

After Tarawa, the US was moved to the

next island, Saipan

Saipan experienced even more ferocious

fighting conditions that Tarawa

71,000 US soldiers fought 31,000

Japanese

Fighting was rough due to caves, cliffs and

volcanic structure of the island

US losses neared 3,000 while Japan lost

24,000 over 5000, suicides, 1000 civilian

Suicides were unexpected

 JAPAN WWII

After Saipan, the US was within

striking distance of the Philippines

The Philippines had been seized as part

of the Pearl Harbor attack

Soldiers were greatly mistreated, their

commander Douglas McArthur vowed
revenge

In October of 1944, the US launched an

attack at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines

The US Navy utilized 738 ships and

178,000 men to retake the Philippines
 JAPAN WWII

While battling for the Philippines,

Japan, desperate to hold the island,
started a new tactic

For the first time in the war, the

Japanese began suicide plane attacks
called Kamikaze

They believed the gods had

demanded it on order to preserve the
Japanese mainland

In 3 days they sunk 4 aircraft

carriers, 13 cruisers and 3 battleships
 JAPAN WWII

After securing the Philippines, the

US sought to end the war by
bombing Japan into submission

In order to achieve this, they

needed to get close enough to bomb

Therefore, the next islands they

targeted were Iwo Jima and
Okinawa

Iwo Jima was the most highly

defended spot on the planet
 JAPAN WWII

Iwo Jima was assaulted by US

Marines

After days of constant softening of the

island, the Marines landed

Fighting was fierce as the Japanese

fought from caves

After 35 days of fighting, the Marines

raised the flag atop mount Suribachi

They thought they had secured

victory, but the Japanese retook the
mountain
 JAPAN WWII

After two months of fighting, the

US proved the victors

It came at a heavy cost of 7,000 US

dead and over 20,000 wounded

The Japanese lost 21,700

Fighting grew continually worse

the closer the US came to the
Japanese mainland

Okinawa would prove the worse yet

 JAPAN WWII

Okinawa was absolutely brutal

Again the Japanese had determined to

fight to the last man

The fighting lasted nearly 3 months

When the dust settled, over 12,000 US

soldiers had lost their lives

Japan lost over 110,000, many died by

suicide and that number included civilians

The question was raised, would all the

Japanese fight to the death?
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Japan
 REVIEW

1) What was Japan’s greatest mistake at Pearl Harbor?

2) What was Doolittle’s Raid?

3) What was so important about the Battle of Midway?

4) Why did many Japanese soldiers [and civilians] choose

death before surrender?

5) How did the fighting at Iwo Jima and Okinawa justify the
decision to use atomic bombs against Japan?
 ESSENTIAL QUESTION

1) Understand why the decision was made to drop atomic

bombs on two Japanese cities.

=Terms/Events =Questions =People

 JAPAN WWII

With the seizure of Okinawa and Iwo

Jima, the US was now within striking
distance of Japan

Tragedy was to strike first, however

President Franklin Roosevelt, while

posing for a picture in Georgia [died of a
stroke]

Harry S. Truman became the next US

President

Shortly after coming into office, Truman

received a top secret memo that would
change the war
 JAPAN WWII

The memo read: “Within four months

we shall in all probability have
completed the most terrible weapon
ever known in human history, one bomb
of which could destroy an entire city.”

In the hours that followed, President

Truman was briefed on the top secret
Manhattan Project

Started in 1942, the project’s purpose

was to create the first atomic bomb

In all the project involved the work of

over 600 Americans
 JAPAN WWII

The chief architect of the bomb was

Robert J. Oppenheimer

On July 16, 1945 scientists gathered

to detonate the first atomic bomb

It was done in the deserts of

Alamogordo, New Mexico

It was even more powerful than

anticipated

It was the most powerful weapon

ever created by mankind
 JAPAN WWII

Almost as important as the creation of

the atomic bomb, was the creation of
the B-29 Superfortress

The bomber was legendary because it

could fly into the stratosphere

At that altitude it could not be seen,

heard or shot down

The US used it to bomb Japan and its

altitude kept it from being opposed

The US bombed at will without

concern
 JAPAN WWII

Among one of the first cities bombed

was that of Tokyo

On March 9-10 of 1945, 335 B-29

bombers dropped 1,700 tons of
incendiary bombs on Tokyo

Being built mainly of wood, the entire

city was a blaze in a matter of hours

That night, bombing killed over

100,000 Japanese

This number exceeded even that of the

Atomic Bombs which were yet to come
 JAPAN WWII

Plans were drawn up to use the first atomic

bombs on Japan

Scientists, creators of the bomb argued

against its use

Many saw it as inhuman and worried about

the death toll

Japan was warned of the bombs but did not

take it seriously

Harry S. Truman did not hesitate from using

them

He argued that the Atomic Bombs would

actually save more lives
 JAPAN WWII

On August 6, 1945 the first atomic

bomb, the little boy was loaded onto
the B-29 Enola Gay

It was dropped and detonated over

the city of Hiroshima

Death tolls numbered near 140,000

people

After Japan failed to surrender, a

second bomb was dropped on the city
of Nagasaki

It killed over 80,000 people

 JAPAN WWII

The US threatened to drop more if

Japan did not surrender

On September 2, 1945 the US

accepted the unconditional surrender
of Japan

This moment brought an end to WWII

It also ushered in a new era for Japan

In the coming years Japan would

rebuild and once again become a great
Eastern power
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Japan
 REVIEW

1) What was the Manhattan Project?

2) What was the B29 and how was it important to defeating

Japan?

3) What did we do to many Japanese cities prior to dropping

atomic bombs?

4) How can the atomic bomb and its destruction be justified?

5) Why should the world refrain from using atomic bombs in war?
 ESSENTIAL QUESTION

1) Understand how and why Japan recovered so quickly

following the destruction inflicted during WWII.

=Terms/Events =Questions =People

 JAPAN MODERN ERA

From 1945-52 Japan was occupied by

the United States

The nation was governed by Douglas

MacArthur

During this time, Japan was stripped

of its military power

Only allowed a small army for defense

War criminals from the treatment of

US POWS and Chinese civilians were
tried and hanged
 JAPAN MODERN ERA

Japan’s government and economy was

rebuilt on that of the United States

A new constitution was made and the

Emperor was forced to go on the radio
and tell Japan he was not a god

People were given better rights,

freedom to vote and elect officials

Women were given better status in

society

The US vowed to protect Japan with

its military
 JAPAN MODERN ERA

In 1951, Japan officially declared its

independence

In the coming years it would

transform immensely

The US destroyed all Japan’s

monopoly’s allowing better trade and
a more robust economy

Land was taken and redistributed to

the peasants

The overall effect was amazing

 JAPAN MODERN ERA

Japan, in the coming decades, would

undergo the “Japanese Miracle”

Japan’s quick recovery to become a

world power was truly a miracle

In 1952, the Japanese economy was

roughly 1/3 that of Britain and France

By 2001 the economy was larger than

both France and Britain combined,
roughly 40% of that of the US

Japan is the world’s greatest exporting

nation
 JAPAN MODERN ERA

How is it that Japan was able to rise up so

quickly after the war?

There are many reason and possibilities

For one, the Japanese people are group

oriented and have always found it easy to
work together

Japanese people are very hard working and

more inclined to save earnings than spend
them

Another reason, Japan built a new

industrial base after its own was destroyed
in the war. No old technology or
infrastructure as it was all destroyed
 JAPAN MODERN ERA

Factories and technologies that came into

Japan were top of the line

Another reason concerns Japan’s military

In the US, the most expensive cost of the

nation, next to medicare, is military
spending

Japan has no military, this has allowed

them more money to use on education,
businesses and technology

Japan would again change in the 1970’s

which is the last reason for its current
success
 JAPAN MODERN ERA

1973 [OPEC] quadrupled the price of

oil

The result was a worldwide fuel panic

It greatly hurt Japanese industry

Japan began to reduce it’s reliance on

oil

As a people, the began to develop

other technologies, high tech
industries that were less reliant on oil
 JAPAN MODERN ERA

Japan in the 1970’s and early 80’s

started to create new industry’s

They looked to the US and brought

in automobiles, TV’s, VCR’s and
other high tech devices

They then improved upon them,

made them better and thus created
reliable products

Still today, Japanese products are

renowned for their reliability and
ingenuity
 JAPAN MODERN ERA

Today, Japan’s economy is one of the best in

the world

Future looks bright and promising

One problem is lack of children, Japanese

youth have no to little interest in having
children

Farming becoming difficult with lack of land

Population and overcrowding, future issues

of not having enough people

Tensions also exist between Japan and

North Korea