Lesson 1: Geography and Early Japan (Japan)
🏔️ Geography Shapes Life in Japan
Japan is a country of islands and mountains. Most of the land is not flat, so people live near the coast where they can fish and grow rice.
Story:
Taro’s family lived between mountains and the sea. His father farmed rice on the hills, and his mother dried seaweed from the ocean. The sea gave them fish, and the land gave them rice. Every day, they bowed to the mountain spirit for a good harvest.
⟶ Mountains made travel hard, so people lived in small villages. The sea gave food and protection from invaders. Japan’s geography made people close to nature and helped shape Shinto beliefs.
🐻 Early Japanese Society (Ainu, Clans, Shinto, First Emperors)
Before big cities and castles, Japan had many small groups of people. These groups were called clans. A clan was like a big family that ruled its land.
🧔♂️ The Ainu
The Ainu were one of the earliest peoples in Japan. They lived in the north (Hokkaido) and wore clothes made from plants and hunted with bows. They had tattoos on their faces and believed in many spirits.
Story:
An Ainu boy named Kamui followed his grandfather to the river. "Say thank you to the river spirit," the grandfather said after they caught a big fish. “The spirits give, and we must respect them.”
⛩️ Shinto
The early Japanese believed in Shinto, the “way of the gods.” People prayed to kami—spirits in nature, like trees, rivers, and mountains.
👑 First Emperors
Around 500s–600s, one clan became the strongest. They said their emperor came from the sun goddess. This became the Yamato clan, and their leader was the first emperor of Japan. The emperor was seen as a holy person.
⟶ Early Japan was made of clans, nature beliefs, and the beginning of the imperial family.
🏯 Japan Learns from China and Korea
In the 500s–700s, Japan started learning from China and Korea. This brought big changes.
📖 Language
Japan did not have writing before. They learned Chinese characters (called kanji in Japanese). At first, only monks and leaders could read and write.
Story:
A boy named Hiro watched a monk use a brush to write Chinese characters on paper. "One day," the monk said, “you will write your family’s history.” Hiro smiled. He didn’t understand yet, but he wanted to learn.
🛍️ Trade and Technology
From Korea and China, Japan got:
New tools
Buddhism
Ideas for government
Art and architecture
⟶ Japan became more connected to Asia and began building its own civilization using what it learned.
🧠 Changes in Religion and Philosophy
Prince Shotoku (Regent of Japan)
Prince Shotoku ruled as a regent (someone who rules for a young emperor) in the early 600s. He loved Chinese ideas, especially Confucianism and Buddhism. He said:
Respect your leaders.
Work for peace and harmony.
Learn from others.
He also wrote Japan’s first constitution with 17 rules!
Story:
Prince Shotoku stood before the court. “We must learn from China,” he said. “But we must also make Japan strong in our own way.” People nodded. He had a dream of a smart, peaceful Japan.
⟶ Prince Shotoku helped bring Buddhism, Chinese writing, and orderly government to Japan.
🏛️ The Nara Period (710–794)
In 710, the emperor built a new capital city called Nara. It was Japan’s first real city, made to look like the Chinese capital.
Nara had:
Palaces and government offices
Temples, including the Great Buddha at Todaiji Temple
Streets in a grid pattern, like Chinese cities
⟶ The Nara Period was a time of organization, Buddhism, and learning from China. Japan began to look more like a strong, united country.