[...]... and so of molding a culture that no one could think was anything but Japanese These purposes, this style and stamp, do not yield themselves up to superficial inquiry Students of Japan must submit themselves to a soaking pro- 1 Copyright © 2005, 1994, 1984, 1970 by W Scott Morton Click here for terms of use 2 Japan: Its History and Culture cess They must steep themselves in all aspects of Japanese history, ... They are portrayed as having respect for law and as being careful to observe social differences, traits that have persisted in Japanese society Some social distinctions were indicated by tattooing and other body marks The Wa are described, moreover, as being fond of liquor and as practicing agriculture, spinning, weaving, and fishing 8 Japan: Its History and Culture Haniwa figure representing a man with... system of thought, and as the bearer of elaborate and artistic ritual, Buddhism was immensely impressive to the Japanese It came as the revelation of a depth and significance in life and death at which they had not previously guessed, and the spirits of many Japanese responded to the beauty and solemnity of its worship But it arrived in Japan only after a long pilgrimage from the country of its origin Buddhism... in fact this culture was strongest in west Japan They produced wheel-made pots and certainly practiced agriculture of quite an advanced type, in irrigated rice fields after the Chinese manner They apparently used both bronze and iron together, and thus Japan cannot be said to have gone through a separate Bronze Age Presumably Japan, being on the edge The Origins and Early History of the Japanese 7 of... the mainland but living their separate life as an island people The main elements of Japanese higher culture are derived from China But the Japanese are not alone in this China has for long been the dominant power all over East Asia, not merely by virtue of its size or its large population, but because of its superior culture Tibet, Mongolia, Korea, and parts of Southeast Asia, as well as Japan, have... given me, for kindly reading and commenting on the new text, and for his friendship over many years Responsibility for what is in the text rests upon the author alone W Scott Morton New York JAPAN ITS HISTORY AND CULTURE This page intentionally left blank INTRODUCTION According to Japanese legends the people of Japan are descended from the Sun Goddess Not only so, but the land itself is characterized... of leadership and inspiration, a cultural stimulus, and a cultural storehouse Japanese culture is nevertheless distinctive One of the most intriguing features of the Japanese people is their capacity to borrow and adapt and yet to retain their own individuality and their own style Thus though they are heavily indebted to China for the shape of their culture, what emerges is distinctively Japanese They... truer and more rounded view of the whole We may be able to arrive at some understanding of that remarkable élan which impelled the vigorous Japanese through their long history and projected them suddenly, by their design but perhaps to their surprise, into the forefront of the twentieth-century world 1 THE ORIGINS AND EARLY HISTORY OF THE JAPANESE The origins of the Japanese people are mixed and obscure... locations as Izumo and Kyushu, also contain references to actual political and military events, thus giving valuable clues to history Kyushu, an island lying to the south and west of the rest of Japan and also near Korea, would be the first place encountered by incomers from South China and Korea Archaeological research in fact points to Kyushu as an early site of Japanese civilization; and this is confirmed... which relates that the divine grandson of Amaterasu, Ninigi-no-mikoto, came down from Heaven onto a mountaintop in Kyushu His great-grandson, in turn, Jimmu-tenno, 10 Japan: Its History and Culture Shrine at Ise, early and most revered center of the national religion of Shinto This, the inner shrine, in archaic Japanese style, is dedicated to Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess Japan Information Center led an . Morton. Click here for terms of use. 2 Japan: Its History and Culture cess. They must steep themselves in all aspects of Japanese history, language, and life, and this is not easy to do, especially. Edition JAPAN ITS HISTORY AND CULTURE