WarriorJapan(P148)

TheRiseoftheWarriors
DuringtheHeianperiod(7941185),thearistocratsinthencapitalcityHeian(nowadays
Kyoto)ignoredthelivelihoodofJapanesenotlivingnearorinthecapitalcity
Inadditiontotheeliteinattention,centralgovernmentinabilitytoexercisecontrolover
thecountrysideandthestategovernmentandgovernorshadmorepowerovercontrolling
JapanesepeoplewantedtocreateaChinesestylecentralizedempire,theywantedtoform
ahugearmy
MilitaryconscriptionwasintroducedinJapanandanarmyofpeasantfoodsoldierswas
created,armedwithcrossbowsandorganizedintoprovincialunitsunderthecommandof
governors
EventhoughJapanesedidnotplanmajorwarfarewithneighborcountriestheystill
neededmilitaryforinternalanddomesticarmedforce
NonJapanesepeoplecalledtheEmishilivedintheextremenortheastofthemainisland
hadsignificantconflictwiththeJapanese
Japanesewarriorsbegantoemergebutnotthefamiliarsamurai
TheseJapanesewarriorsarecommonlycalledtsuwamono
Evolutionoftheserelativelyrusticwarriorfarmersintothefamiliarhereditaryelite
samuraiclasswasnotcompleteduntilsixteenthcentury
MostwarriorsareaffiliatedwiththeTairaandMinamotofamilies
Retiredemperorsandcurrentreignemperorshadconflictsoverpowerandthetwo
powerfultooksides
TheTairaandMinamotoclanshadtheirfirstfightwitheachother
TheGempeiWar(11801185)
IntheconflictofGempeiWar,theTairabackemperorwonandtheMinamotofamily
wentdown,theleaderoftheMinamotofamilywasmurderedandhissonswentintoexile
tofarawaycities
TheleaderofTairaemperorengineeredamarriagebetweenhisdaughterandthenew
emperor,andhisdaughtergavebirthtoason,theleaderofTairafamily
Whenhisgrandsonisstillateenager,theTairaleaderputhisgrandsoninpowerandhe
andhisfamilyistherulingfamilyoverJapan
TheTariafamilywasruthlessandkilledroyalfamilymemberswhorebelledordisobeyed
him
FinallytheoncepowerfulMinamotofamilyreemergeitself
ThesonofthedeadMinamotofamilyleaderformedhisownwarriorarmyandformed
headquarteratKamakura.
Between1180and1185warsbetweentherulingTairaforcesandtheMinamotowarriors
oftheeast
TheTairafamilyleaderdiedfromafeverin1811attheoutsetofthewar
TheTariafamilywentdownandtheirwarriorswerewipedoutandtheMinamoto
warriorsdrownedthegrandson,theteenageremperor
However,theMinamotoleaderstayedinhisarmyheadquarteranddidnotmovetothe
imperialcapital

TheKamakuraShogunate(11851333)
TheMinamotoleaderstayedinheadquarterinKamakuraorknownasthetent
governmentandthenewemperorremainedintheoldcapital,nowadaysKyoto
ThecentralgovernmentwascorruptbuttheMinamotoleaderandnewemperorhada
goodrelationshipwitheachother
TheMinamotoleaderreceivedthetitleShogunfromtheemperor,whichmeansgreat
generalpacifyingthebarbarians
Anarrowinggapbetweentheelitehighcultureandordinarycommonersthroughthe
mediumofpopularBuddhistpreachingandnew,oftenoralliteratureofthewarriortales
Regularbathinginpublicbaths
Moremonetizedcasheconomy
DevelopmentofJapaneseBuddhismwasextensionsofChineseinfluences
AfamousJapanesemonkHonen(11331212)spreadthebeliefthisthisisthelastageof
thelawandputtingfaithinrebirthofthefaithfulinthePureLand
ZenBuddhismwasespeciallywelcomedbytheShogunateinKamakuraasawayof
transformingtheroughwarriorsoftheeasternKantointotrendsettersinsophisticated
newfashions,bothsecularandsacred,importedfromthecontinent
ChineseandJapanesemonkhadcontactandtraveledtoeachothercountries
ZenBuddhismestablishedtodayJapanesecultureincludingpoetry,rockgardens,tea,
paintingandarchitecture
JapanesepiratesevadedKoreancostseveraltimes
TheMinamotoleaderdiedandhiswidowtookoverthepower,shewasruthlessand
rumorsareshekilledherownsontogainpower
Muromachi(13331568)
FinallythepartnershipbetweenthenewMinamotoleaderandtheemperorfailedandthe
emperorwantedtorestoreallthepowertotheimperialcapitalcity
TheMinamotowarriorsdecidedtosupporttheimperialfamilyinsteadofMinamoto
familysothenewemperorwon
Conflictarisebetweenthenewemperorandtheleadingwarriorsandthenewemperor
wasexpelledfromKyoto,theleadingwarriorsappointedanotheremperorandoneofthe
leadingwarriorsforcedtheemperortoappointhimselftheShogun
Howeverthepreviousemperordidnotgiveuphispowerandstatusjustbecauseheis
expelled
ThenJapanenteredintoanageofinstabilityandtherewasconflictbackandforth
TradewithChinaMingDynastyandtheShogunhadtherealpowerandtheemperorwas
simplyasymbol
TheShogunstillhadtroubletoexercisepowerovertheprovincesdespitetheireffortto
appointrelativestobecomegovernors
TherelativesbetrayedthemandseveralShogunwasmurdered
ThenewpowerhouseandHosokawaandYamanafamiliesandtheyhadaoutbreakwith
whoshouldsucceedthedeadShogun
Japanwasdecentralizedformostoftheseperiodand
Ruralsocietyreorganizeditselffromscatteredfarmresidencesintomorecompact
villages