Lesson 3: Growth of a Military Society (Japan)

🗡️ Samurai and Shoguns Take Over Japan

A long time ago, Japan was not one country. It was many small areas, each with a powerful lord called a daimyo (DIE-mee-yoh). These daimyo had their own armies. The warriors in these armies were called samurai (SAH-moo-rye).

The samurai were strong fighters. They protected their lord’s land. But they also followed rules and lived with honor.

The emperor still existed, but he had little power. The real power was with the shogun—a top military leader. The shogun ruled the country through the samurai and daimyo. The first strong shogun was Minamoto Yoritomo in the year 1192.

Story Time:
One samurai named Benkei was so strong and loyal, people said he once fought 999 men and won! He stood on a bridge and didn’t let anyone pass. But one day, he lost to another samurai, Yoshitsune, and became his loyal helper. Benkei followed Yoshitsune everywhere—even in death.

🎌 Samurai Live Honorably

Samurai followed a special code called Bushido (BOO-shee-doh). This means “the way of the warrior.” It taught them to be:

• Loyal 🛡️

• Brave ⚔️

• Honest 🧭

• Self-controlled 🧘‍♂️

A samurai must protect his honor. If he failed, he might even choose to die rather than live with shame. This act was called seppuku (ritual suicide), and it showed deep respect for the Bushido code.

Story Time:
A samurai once dropped his sword during battle. Instead of running to get it, he calmly asked his enemy to wait while he picked it up. The enemy respected this bravery so much, he let him do it!

⚔️ Order Breaks Down

Over time, the samurai and daimyo started fighting each other. They wanted more land and power. This made Japan unsafe. It was a time of civil war.

Then, in the 1200s, a new danger came from outside. The Mongols, led by Kublai Khan, tried to invade Japan twice! But both times, big storms called kamikaze (“divine wind”) destroyed their ships.

Story Time:
Many Japanese believed the gods sent these storms to save Japan. This idea of the “kamikaze” became very important later in Japanese history too.

🏯 Strong Leaders Take Over

After many years of war, new leaders came to power. They wanted to unite Japan.

Tokugawa and his family ruled for 250 years! Japan became more peaceful. But they also closed the country. They didn’t want people or ideas from other countries to come in. This was called isolation.

Story Time:
Some Portuguese traders came to Japan with guns. The samurai had never seen these before! One daimyo bought the guns and used them in battle. But later, the shoguns banned foreign trade and guns to keep Japan "pure."