Download Chapter 8 Section 2 Notes and Questions by

Abigail Hora
2/7/11
Per. 5
Africa
Chapter 8: Section 2 Notes
Japanese Nobles Create Great Art:
-Nobles who wanted to get close to the emperor=court, which is a group of nobles who live
near and serve or advise a ruler.
-Nobles lived easy lives and had many privileges; they enjoyed every bit of it.
-Nobles were proud of the idea that they were separated from the poorer people, and they
practically praised it.
-Many nobles=great supporters of art because of their love for beauty and elegance.
-The Heian court was a center of culture and learning; the period between 794 and 1185 was a
golden age for the arts of Japan.
Fashion:
-Nobles paid close attention to their appearances; their wardrobes included silk robes and gold
jewelry.
-Noble women wore 12 layers of colored silk cleverly cut and folded to show off many layers.
-Nobles carried around fans with flowers, trees, and birds painted on them to finish their look.
-Long silk cords or flowers were attached to their fans, too.
Literature:
-Nobles also cared about the way they spoke and wrote; women loved writing, especially
writing in their diaries and journals about their lives at court.
-Women made beautiful writing by choosing specific words.
-Noble men=wrote in Chinese; noble women=wrote in Japanese.
-Many of the great literature works were written by women because of this.
-Lady Murasaki Shikibu=famous writer who wrote The Tale of Genji.
-The Tale of Genji=first full-length novel and the best; about a prince named Genji and how he is
searching for love.
-Lady Murasaki Shikibu describes court life in Japan very well in The Tale of Genji.
-Most early writing=written by women; poetry=written by both men and women.
-Some nobles even held parties where they all wrote poems and read them aloud to each
other.
-Poems had to have 5 lines, and each line had to contain a certain amount of syllables.
Visual Art:
-Painting, calligraphy, and architecture were the most popular art forms at the time.
-Heian nobles used bright, bold colors; they also liked paintings that represented stories, like
The Tale of Genji.
-Other paintings show nature or court life, and many artists usually painted on doors and
furniture than on paper.
-Calligraphers carefully copied poems into calligraphy to make them look as beautiful as they
sounded.
Architecture:
-Chinese architecture was popular among the Japanese, and Heian was modeled after the
Chinese capital, Chang’ an.
-Japanese people copied Chinese building styles in their temples; these styles included wooden
frames that slightly curved at the ends.
-Thatched roofs were also used along with the wooden frames.
-Nobles liked open, airy designs; most buildings=made of wood, had tiled roofs, and large open
spaces inside.
-Elegant gardens and ponds surrounded the many buildings of Japan.
Performing Arts:
-The performing arts were also popular during the Heian period; people gathered to watch
performances by musicians, jugglers, and acrobats.
-Performances=wild and fun; actors mimicking other people=very popular.
-Noh was soon created in later centuries; Noh=a more serious form of drama.
-Noh plays combine music, speaking, and dance; these plays often tell about heroes or figures
from Japan’s history.
Buddhism Changes:
-Nobles had elaborate rituals for their religion; common people didn’t have the money to afford
elaborate and expensive rituals  different forms of Buddhism develop in Japan.
-Pure Land Buddhism=a religion where Pure Land Buddhists chanted the Buddha’s name over
and over again until they reached an enchanted state.
-1100s=Zen, a popular form of Buddhism, arrived from China.
-Zen=neither faith nor good behavior led to wisdom; this is what Zen Buddhists believed.
-Practicing self-discipline and meditation led to wisdom according to Zen Buddhism.
-Warriors especially admired Zen, and they gained more influence; as a result, Zen Buddhism
gained more influence as well.
Assessment Questions:
1. a. Japan’s court moved to Heian, which is now known as Kyoto today, in the late 700s.
b. The 800s to the 1100s was considered a golden age for Japanese literature and art because
the court of Heian were supporters of art, and they soon became a great center of culture and
learning.
c. I think women did have more rights and freedoms than women in other societies because
they were important to the nobles, and they were able to write and learn poetry. They even
wrote more than men did!
2. a. Two forms of Buddhism that developed in Japan were Pure Land Buddhism and Zen
Buddhism.
b. Religion among Japan’s nobles was different from religion among the common people
because the nobles were able to afford the elaborate rituals that they used for their religion.
And the common people used a different religion because they didn’t have to use money for
fancy rituals, which was easier for them.
c. I think Pure Land Buddhism was popular among common people because it didn’t include any
fancy rituals that cost a lot of money. The common people were able to use this religion
without paying for rituals.
3. Architecture:
The Japanese modeled their buildings after Chinese culture.
The Japanese made beautiful buildings based on Chinese buildings; their gardens are also still
used in Japan today.
Visual Art:
Many paintings used The Tale of Genji, which was very popular.
Calligraphy was used to make poems look beautiful.
Fashion:
Long gowns made of 12 layers of colored silk cleverly cut and folded to show off many layers
were made for noble women.
The Japanese painted beautiful pictures on fans and used them with outfits.
Literature:
Lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote what is thought to be the first full-length novel, The Tale of Genji.
Carefully chosen words were used for writing to make it beautiful.
Performing Arts:
The Japanese created a serious type of drama called Noh.
The Japanese had special performances with musicians, jugglers, acrobats, and many more.