508 Quotes About Japan

The Heian court gave the world some of its finest early literature. For example, around 1004 the court lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote the world's first novel, Genji Monogatari (Tale of Prince Genji). Many of its thousand pages reveal a life of exquisite refinement.

These practices of regencies and cloister government, along with numerous other power-plays and court intrigues, inevitably damaged the cohesion and effectiveness of central government, and contributed further to the decline in real central control of the nation.

Offical embassies to China had already ceased in the 9th century, and no further missions were to take place for some centuries. It was felt that Japan had little left to learn from China at this stage.

In 1185 Minamoto no Yoritomo was the most powerful figure in the land. However, he neither sought the throne for himself or his descendants, nor tried to destroy it. Instead, he sought from the court legitimisation of his power through the title Seii Tai-Shogun (barbarian-subduing great general) generally abbreviated to Shogun. This was granted to him in 1192.

Yhere is a well-known saying in Japan that if a song-bird would not sing, Nobunaga would kill it, Hideyoshi would persuade it to sing, and Ieyasu would simply wait for it to sing.

The Sword Hunt also had the effect of separating peasant and warrior in terms of social class. This separation was further enforced by "classfreezing" regulations that Hideyoshi issued in 1591. Among other things these prevented peasants from leaving their fields to take up any other profession, and obliged samourai to in castle-towns that became a feature of this age.

Tokugawa also valued Hideyoshi's policy of domain (han) redistribution. The shogun himself owned about 1/4 of cultivated land, along with major cities, ports and mines. The remaining land was strategically divided between the 275 or so daimyo on the basis of whether they were shinpan (relatives), fudai (traditional retainers) or tozama (outer daimyo of questionable loyalty). Thought numbers fluctuated, typically there were around 25 shinpan, 150 fudai and 100 tozama.

This lowly view of women was on reason why so many - if not most - samurai preferred homosexual relationships.

By the end ot the 18th century it had a population of around 1 million, making it the biggest city (Edo) in the world at the time.