Strange facts about ancient Japan (10 photos). Ancient Japanese civilization

According to 1994 data, the oldest ceramic object is a “jug with a kvass-like ornament,” which was found in Japan in the dungeon of the Senpukuji Temple and marked with the eleventh millennium BC. It was from this moment that the Jomon era began and lasted ten thousand years. During this time, ceramic products began to be produced throughout Japan. Compared to other Neolithic ceramic cultures of antiquity, this one became exclusive for Japan. Jomon ceramics are characterized by limited demarcation, extension in time, and similarity of styles. In other words, it can be divided into two regional groups, developing through evolution, and their ornamental motifs were similar. The Neolithic ceramics of Eastern Japan and Western Japan are most different. Although there are regional differences, all types of ceramics have similarities, this indicates a coherent archaeological culture. No one knows how many Jomon era sites there were. According to 1994 data there were one hundred thousand. This indicates a relatively high population density in Japan. Until the 90s, most of the sites were located in Eastern Japan, but archaeologists have made sure that the number of sites in the West and East will be approximately the same.

Ethnologist from Japan K. Shuji believes that with the onset of the era described above, twenty thousand people lived in Japan, in the middle of this period 260,000, at the end - 76,000.

Ancient Japanese economy

During the Jomon period, the Japanese economy was based on fishing, hunting, and food gathering. There is an opinion that the Neolithic settlement knew elementary slash-and-burn agriculture, and in addition they domesticated wild boars.

When hunting, the Japanese usually used an ordinary bow. Researchers were able to find the remains of this weapon in the swamp covers of sites located in a swampy lowland. As of 1994, archaeologists had found only thirty intact bows. They are most often made from capitate-yew types of wood and coated with dark varnish. At the end of the arrows there was a tip made of a powerful stone called obsidian. The spear was used quite rarely. Most often, various parts of copies were found in Hokkaido, but for Kanto this is an exception. And in Western Japan, spears were almost never found. When hunting, they took with them not only weapons, but also dogs and wolf pits. Usually hunting was carried out for deer, wild boars, and wild birds. Harpoons or fishing nets were used to catch fish, crabs, shrimp, and so on. Remains of nets, weights, and hooks were found in ancient landfills. Most of the instruments are made from deer bones. They are usually found in camps located on the shores of the sea and rivers. These tools were used according to the seasons and were aimed at specific fish: bonita, pike perch, and so on. Harpoons and fishing rods were used alone, nets were used collectively. Fishing developed especially well in the middle Jomon times.

Gathering was of great importance in the economy. Even at the beginning of Jomon times, various vegetation was used as food for food. Most often these were hard fruits, for example, nuts, chestnuts, and acorns. Gathering was carried out in the autumn months, the fruits were collected in baskets woven from willows. Acorns were used to make flour, which was ground on millstones, and used to make bread. Some products were stored in one meter deep pits during the winter. The pits were located outside settlement. Similar pits are evidenced by the sites of the middle Sakanoshita period and the final Minami-Gatamaeike period. The population consumed not only solid foods, but also grapes, water chestnuts, dogwood, actinidia, and so on. Grains from such plants were found near the reserves of hard fruits at the Torihama site.

Most likely, the inhabitants were engaged in basic agricultural production. This is evidenced by traces of agricultural land that were discovered in the settlement area.

In addition, people mastered the skill of collecting urtica and Chinese nettles, which were used in the manufacture of textiles.

The oldest Japanese dwellings

Throughout the Jomon era, the population of the Japanese archipelago lived in dugouts, which were considered the classic shelter of the pre-ceramic period. The dwelling went deep into the soil, had a floor and walls made of earth, and the roof was supported by a base of wooden beams. The roof consisted of dead wood, vegetation and animal skins. IN different regions there were various dugouts. There were more of them in the Eastern part of Japan, and fewer in the Western part.

At an early stage, the design of the dwelling was very primitive. It could be round or rectangular. In the middle of each dugout there was always a hearth, which was divided into: stone, jug or earthen. The earthen hearth was made as follows: a small funnel was dug into which brushwood was placed and burned. To make a jug hearth, the lower part of the pot was used; it was dug into the soil. The stone hearth was made from small stones and pebbles, and they were used to cover the area where the hearth was built.

The dwellings of regions such as Tohoku and Hokuriku differed from others in that they had sufficient big sizes. From the middle period, these buildings began to be made according to complex system, which involved the use of more than one hearth in one dwelling. The home of that period was not only considered a place of peace, but also a space interconnected with beliefs and perception of the world.

On average, the total area of ​​the dwelling ranged from twenty to thirty square meters. Most often, a family consisting of at least five people lived in such an area. The number of family members is proven by the discovery at the Ubayama site - a burial of a family consisting of several males, several females and one child was found in the dwelling.

There are extensive facilities located in North-Central and Northern Japan. To be more precise, a dugout consisting of four hearths was excavated at the Fudodo site.

The design is similar to an ellipse, having a length of seventeen meters and a radius of eight meters. At the Sugisawadai site, a dwelling of the same shape was excavated, but the length was 31 meters and the radius was 8.8 meters. It has not been established exactly what the premises of this size were intended for. If we talk hypothetically, we can assume that these were storerooms, public workshops, and so on.

Ancient settlements

A settlement was formed from several dwellings. At the beginning of the Jomon era, one settlement included two or three houses. In the early period, the number of dugouts became more and more. This proves that people began to lead a sedentary life. Housing structures were built around the area at approximately the same distance. This territory was the center of the religious and collective life of the population. This type of settlement was called “round” or “horseshoe-shaped”. Since the middle times of the Jomon era, such settlements became widespread throughout Japan.

Settlements were divided into: permanent and temporary, but in both the first and second cases people lived on the same territory for quite a long time. This proves the connection between the ceramic cultural styles of the village and the layering of settlements early era for a later one.

The settlements consisted not only of dwellings, but also of buildings supported by supports. The basis of such buildings had the shape of a hexagon, rectangle, or ellipse. They did not have walls or floors made of earth, the buildings were located on support pillars, and there was also no fireplace. The room had a width of five to fifteen meters. No one knows what the buildings on supports were intended for.

Burials

The Japanese of the Jomon era most often buried the dead in mushlev mounds, which were located near the dwellings and were at the same time not only a cemetery, but also a landfill. In the first millennium BC, common cemeteries were created. For example, at the Yoshigo site, researchers discovered more than three hundred remains. This indicated that the population began to lead a sedentary life and the number of inhabitants of Japan was growing.

Most human burials can be called a crumpled masonry of corpses: the limbs of the deceased person were folded in such a way that he looked like an embryo, he was simply placed in a dug hole and covered with earth.

In the third millennium BC, special cases appeared when corpses were laid out in an elongated form. At the end of this period, the tradition of burning the dead was introduced: a triangle was made from the burnt limbs of the dead, with the skull and other bones placed in the center. Typically, burials were single, but there were also common graves, for example, family graves. The largest grave of the Jomon era was two meters long. About fifteen remains were found in it. Such a burial ground was found in the mound of the Miyamotodai site.

Mushlev mounds contained not only pit burials. Researchers discovered a cemetery where the dead lay in a recess with a base of stone or in huge coffins made of stone. Such burials were frequent finds at the end of the era in the northern part of Japan.

In Hokkaido, the dead were buried in vast special cemeteries with lavish funeral decorations. In addition, in Ancient Japan there was a tradition of burying children born stillborn, as well as children up to the age of six, in ceramic vessels. There were cases when older people were buried in pots. After burning the bodies, the remains were washed with water and stored in such a container.

Japanese beliefs and rituals

Funeral decorations acted as an information source about the religion of the Japanese of the Jomon era. If there was an interior, it means that people believed that there was life after death and a soul. Together with the deceased, objects that the deceased person used during his lifetime were most often placed in the grave. These could be rings, a chain and other jewelry. Usually one had to find belts made of deer antler, which were covered with a beautiful intricate pattern, and bracelets made from voluminous Rappanie shells or glycimeris. An opening for the hand was made inside and polished to a shiny state. Jewelry had both an aesthetic and ritual function. As a rule, bracelets were found in the graves of women, and belts in the graves of men. The number of interior items and their luxury spoke of social, physiological and age division.

In later times, a tradition arose of pulling out or filing teeth. Even during their lifetime, people had some of their incisors removed - this indicated that they were moving into the adult group. The methods and order of tooth extraction differed depending on the place and time. In addition, there was a tradition of filing the four upper incisors in the form of two or tridents.

There is another monument related to the religion of that period - these are female dogu figurines made of ceramics. They are also called Jomon Venus.

These ancient figurines were discovered at the Hanawadai site and are believed to date back to early times Jomon era. Figurines are divided, depending on the manner of manufacture, into the following types: cylindrical, flat, relief with legs, with a triangle-shaped face, with ocular-shaped eyes. Almost all dogu depict, most likely, a pregnant woman with a bulging belly. Usually the figurines are found broken. There is an opinion that such figurines are a symbol of femininity, family, and the birth of offspring. Dogu was used in rituals related to the cult of fertility. The same cult used symbols such as swords and knives made of stone, sekibo sticks, which represented power, masculinity, and influence. Figurines were made from stone and wood. Dogus were a kind of amulets. In addition, the ancient Japanese made masks from ceramics, but where they were used remains a mystery to this day.

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A real Japanese home simply attracts with its minimalism, lightness and simplicity of lines. Only natural materials are welcome. The room should have a lot of light and air and little furniture.

In a Japanese home, everything is adapted to life on the floor. The main attribute of such a house is a tatami mat, which has the smell of dry hay. It is made from straw ribbons, and the edges are lined with fabric.

The finished product has a certain size - about 2 square meters. Tatami mats are usually replaced once every few years.

In the bedroom, a futon is placed on such a mat. This is a traditional mattress that is made from pure cotton. This creates an environmentally friendly bed. It is worth noting that this bed is quickly removed. This point is relevant for small rooms. Tatami is upholstered furniture that does not leave marks on the floor.

Japanese furniture is thought out to the smallest detail. Screens zone the space, decorating the room. Low tables coated with varnish can be used for eating and for practicing calligraphy. Women will love a chest with many drawers, boxes for writing and toiletries, and book stands.

The varnish that is used to cover Japanese furniture lasts almost forever, does not fade and does not require careful maintenance.

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Ancient Japan - Wiki

The history of ancient Japan covers the time period from the Paleolithic to the Heian period. During this era, the settlement of the Japanese islands, the formation of the foundations of the economy and religious ideas, as well as the formation and establishment of Japanese statehood took place. Subsequently, the rulers of ancient Japan made their first contacts with the outside world, carried out government reforms and formed a state ideology. The entire history of ancient Japan was accompanied by the assimilation of the peoples of the Japanese archipelago, changes in land relations, the separation of classes and aristocracy, internecine wars, as well as the development of crafts and culture.

On final stage history of ancient Japan, during the Heian period, the people of Yamato gained their national identity. Almost all areas of life have created their own analogues based on achievements Chinese culture. In the system of power, this is a dual system of government, initially built on maternal relationships, and then on the relationship between father and son. In religion, this is the emergence of Japanese forms of Buddhism, which organically combined with Shintoism. In culture, this is the creation of one’s own written language, the flourishing of local literature, visual arts and architecture. At the same time, the internal integrity of the ruling elite was violated, the principles of the legal system of Japanese statehood collapsed, private forms of land ownership arose, which ultimately led to fundamental changes in society.

The history of ancient Japan is divided into three large stages, which in turn are divided into smaller historical periods (jidai). The first stage is known as “Prehistoric Japan” and includes three periods - the Japanese Paleolithic, Jomon and Yayoi (conventionally, this stage can be correlated with primitive society). The second stage involved the formation of Japanese statehood, it

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The decoration of the room and the entire house is usually made up of only a single tokonoma or view that opens onto the garden adjacent to the house.

Without a doubt, nowhere in the world, except Japan, are those forms of art considered fundamental and those considered decorative so intertwined. The simplicity of the material and restraint in its use are beyond doubt creative talent the artist and the power of this talent. The most ordinary cup (even a single cup) is quite capable of expressing the talent of artists of an entire era. This country, in the art of which emotional embodiment takes precedence over design, has, paradoxically, always shown much more attention to the abstract beauty of material and line than to the specificity of the material and usefulness, but it has never made sacrifices on the altar of useless, “pure” art . On the contrary, works of art easily become (and always have become) household objects: a traditional painting, for example, was originally a scroll that the amateur had to unroll with his hands.

Subject matter in Japan has never been static. Whether it opens or closes, whether it can be viewed from all sides, it, in its entirety and volume (which can be extremely small), retains the power of aesthetic and emotional impact that dominates form, material and craftsmanship. The decoration of the room and the entire house is usually made up of only a single tokonoma or view that opens onto the garden adjacent to the house. This type of lighting depends on the movement of the sun and requires the change and mobility of objects. Everything is strictly correlated with the rhythm of the seasons and reminds, despite the simplicity of existence, of the transitory time and eternity of the nature of the process of changing seasons. The religious customs characteristic of the Japanese and the penchant for allegory, combined with the undoubted mastery of manual techniques, favored the development of interest in sculpture and the creation of works of small forms. A garden, a smaller copy in a cramped space, is a kind of symbol, it concentrates the very idea of ​​nature, it represents a kind of microcosm that one constantly strives for, it becomes possible and accessible: the garden turns into a link in an unbreakable chain that leads from the organization of space to the concept of an object.

For several centuries, since the establishment of the Tokugawa regime, art was usually the preserve of artisans. Peaceful life, the increase in wealth, the expansion of cities and the development of industry, the tendency towards luxury inherent in feudal lords who became courtiers and wealthy merchants - all favored the development artistic craft. In almost all directions it haphazardly used ancient techniques adopted from the past, but their original spirit is gradually losing its meaning. That is why fancy jewelry, in the creation of which talent is replaced by brilliant technical skill, is becoming popular among new social strata. A manifestation of this trend were the famous netsuke, small clasps carved from ivory. These products turned out to be the most famous in the West. IN modern era there is a return to simplicity, but the mixing of genres triumphs more than ever, and the desire for a model works wonders: Teshigahara Sofu creates bouquets whose color effects recall the brilliant painting of the Sotatsu-Korin schools, while his vases acquire sculptural volumes, and his sculptures themselves are already turning into elements of architecture:

For me, ikebana is, first of all, a way to create some beautiful form, and flowers are used for this purpose, even if they have faded. Meanwhile, I do not believe that flowers will be the only material, using which it would be possible to produce such a form, and I myself have used other materials from time to time... I consider myself, first of all, a creator of forms, who in my craft uses mainly flowers, and not a pure compiler of flower arrangements (Teshigahara Sofu. His endless world of colors and shapes). What is valued most in art is form and beauty, much more than belonging to schools and genres. This trend has remained constant throughout Japanese history and is especially significant today. In the whole ensemble of modern art, which has acquired worldwide significance, contrasting styles and motifs allow the creation of countless variations, depending on whether they penetrate each other to a greater or lesser extent. Just as European decorative art, from the day when the ships of the East India Company brought porcelain from China, fully borrowed these new forms and colors, so in the same way today the artistic phenomena accompanying Japanese life are nourished from numerous sources related to the traditions of both Asia and Europe.

Since form is largely determined by the nature of the substance, in Japan the quality of the material has always been the object of the most careful study. To our modern materials - metals and plastics - there is added a rich range that has been given nobility over hundreds of years: the velvety of softly shimmering varnishes, the smooth or expressive texture of wood, the fine grain or delicate roughness of casting, ceramic mass, thin or thick, but always pleasing to the touch, the light or heavy luxury of silk, the cheerful colors of porcelain. Of all Japanese works of art, it is porcelain products, due to their precious qualities and splendor, that acquire a pomp that is little compatible with natural simplicity Japanese house. On the contrary, these products, which have become famous in the West and are usually widespread there, are the best fit for worthy decoration of a rich interior.

The most famous fine examples of the Japanese craft tradition are tea trays and cups, which are just beginning to be appreciated in Europe: the simplicity of their forms, the warm and often dark color, the restraint corresponding to their purpose, in fact, hardly find their place in the pretentious and pretentious decor . The East India Company extravaganza has not yet lost its appeal. It is possible that the modern Evan collection (designed by Deguchi Onisaburo), combining the squat shapes and dense texture of traditional tea cups with a bold, bright coloring in keeping with the direction once pioneered by Ka-kemon, has a chance to achieve (like the expressiveness of other Japanese products) new success abroad.

It's no secret that the Japanese are now considered a rather strange people: they have a very unique culture, music, cinema, and indeed everything. After reading the facts from this article you will understand where the roots of these oddities come from. It turns out that the Japanese have always been like this.

FOR MORE THAN TWO AND A HALF CENTURIES, JAPAN WAS A CLOSED COUNTRY.

In 1600, after a long period of feudal fragmentation and civil wars, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder and first head of the Edo shogunate, came to power in Japan. By 1603, he finally completed the process of unifying Japan and began to rule with an iron fist. Ieyasu, like his predecessor, supported trade with other countries, but was very suspicious of foreigners. This led to the fact that in 1624 trade with Spain was completely prohibited. And in 1635, a decree was issued banning the Japanese from leaving the country and banning those who had already left to return. Since 1636, foreigners (Portuguese, later Dutch) could only stay on the artificial island of Dejima in Nagasaki harbor.

THE JAPANESE WERE LOW BECAUSE THEY DID NOT EAT MEAT.

From VI to XIX century average height Japanese men were only 155 cm. This is due to the fact that it was in the 6th century that the Chinese “neighborly” shared the philosophy of Buddhism with the Japanese. It is not clear why, but the new worldview appealed to the ruling circles of Japanese society. And especially the part that vegetarianism is the path to the salvation of the soul and better reincarnation. Meat was completely excluded from the Japanese diet and the result was not long in coming: from the 6th to the 19th centuries, the average height of the Japanese decreased by 10 cm.

THE NIGHT GOLD TRADE WAS COMMON IN ANCIENT JAPAN.

Night gold is a phraseological unit that denotes a product of human activity, his feces, used as a valuable and balanced fertilizer. In Japan, this practice was used quite widely. Moreover, the waste of rich people was sold at a higher price, because their diet was plentiful and varied, so more nutrients remained in the resulting “product”. Various historical documents dating back to the 9th century detail procedures for toilet waste.

PORNOGRAPHY HAS ALWAYS FLOURISHED IN JAPAN.

Sexual themes in Japanese art arose many centuries ago and go back to ancient Japanese myths, among which the most famous is the myth about the emergence of the Japanese islands as a result of the sexual relationship of the god Izanagi and the goddess Izanami. There is no hint of a disapproving attitude towards sex in the ancient monuments. “This frankness in talking about sex and literary materials“, writes Japanese cultural anthropologist Toshinao Yoneyama, “has survived to this day... In Japanese culture there was no consciousness of original sin in relation to sex, as was the case in Christian cultures.”

FISHERMEN IN ANCIENT JAPAN USED TAME CORMORANTS.

It all happened something like this: at night, fishermen went out to sea in a boat and lit torches to attract fish. Next, about a dozen cormorants were released, which were tied to the boat with a long rope. At the same time, the neck of each bird was slightly intercepted by a flexible collar so that it could not swallow the caught fish. As soon as the cormorants had full crops, the fishermen pulled the birds onto the boat. For their work, each bird received a reward in the form of a small fish.

IN ANCIENT JAPAN THERE WAS A SPECIAL FORM OF MARRIAGE - TSUMADOI.

Full small family- in the form of cohabitation - was not a typical form of marriage in ancient Japan. The basis of family relations was a special Japanese marriage - tsumadoi, in which the husband freely visited his wife, maintaining, in fact, a separate residence with her. For the bulk of the population, marriage took place upon reaching adulthood: at 15 for a boy and at 13 for a girl. Marriage presupposed the consent of numerous relatives, including grandparents on the wife’s side. Tsumadoi marriage did not imply monogamy, and a man was not forbidden to have several wives, as well as concubines. However, a free relationship with their wives, leaving them without a reason to marry a new wife, was not allowed by law.

THERE HAVE BEEN AND STILL BE A LOT OF CHRISTIANS IN JAPAN.

Christianity appeared in Japan in the mid-16th century. The first missionary to preach the Gospel to the Japanese was the Basque Jesuit Francis Xavier. But the missionary work did not last long. Soon the shoguns began to see Christianity (as the faith of foreigners) as a threat. In 1587, the unifier Toyotomi Hideyoshi banned the presence of missionaries in the country and began oppressing believers.

To justify his actions, he pointed out that some Japanese converts had desecrated and destroyed Buddhist and Shinto shrines. The repressive policy was continued by Hideyoshi's political successor, Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1612, he banned the practice of Christianity in his domains, and in 1614 he extended this ban to all of Japan. During the Tokugawa era, about 3,000 Japanese Christians were martyred, while the rest suffered imprisonment or exile. Tokugawa policy obliged everything Japanese families register at a local Buddhist temple and receive a certificate that they are not Christians.

JAPANESE PROSTITUTES WERE DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL RANKS.

In addition to the well-known geishas, ​​who by and large were simply the leaders of ceremonies, there were also courtesans in Japan, who in turn were divided into several classes depending on cost: tayu (the most expensive), koshi, tsubone, santya and the cheapest - street girls, bath attendants, servants, etc. The following agreement existed unspoken: once you had chosen a girl, you had to stick with her, “settle down.” Therefore, men often kept their own courtesans.

Girls of Tayu rank cost 58 momme (about 3,000 rubles) at a time, and this does not count the obligatory 18 momme for servants - another 1,000 rubles. Prostitutes of the lowest rank cost approximately 1 momme (about 50 rubles). In addition to direct payment for services, there were also associated expenses - food, drink, tips for many servants, all this could reach up to 150 momme (8,000 rubles) per evening. Thus, a man supporting a courtesan could easily shell out about 29 kemme (about 580,000 rubles) in a year.

THE JAPANESE OFTEN COMMITTED COUPLE SUICIDE BECAUSE OF THE IMPOSSIBILITY TO BE TOGETHER.

After the “reorganization” of prostitution in 1617, all non-family intimate life of the Japanese was moved to separate quarters like the “red light district”, where girls lived and worked. The girls could not leave the quarter unless wealthy clients bought them as wives. It was very expensive and more often than not it happened that lovers simply could not afford it together. Despair drove such couples to “shinju”—couple suicides. The Japanese did not see anything wrong with this, because they had long revered rebirth and were completely confident that in the next life they would definitely be together.

TORTURE AND EXECUTIONS HAVE BEEN STATED IN LAW FOR A LONG TIME IN JAPAN.

To begin with, it should be said that in the Japanese legal system of the Tokugawa era there was no presumption of innocence. Every person who went to trial was considered guilty in advance. With the rise of the Tokugawa, only four types of torture remained legal in Japan: scourging, squeezing with stone slabs, tying with a rope, and hanging by a rope. Moreover, torture was not a punishment in itself, and its purpose was not to inflict maximum suffering on the prisoner, but to obtain a sincere confession to the crime. committed crime. It should also be noted here that torture was allowed only to those criminals who faced the death penalty for their actions. Therefore, after a sincere confession, the poor fellows were most often executed. Executions were also very different: from the banal beheading to the terrible boiling in boiling water - this was the punishment for ninjas who failed a contract killing and were captured.

YOU CAN ADD A FEW MORE ANCIENT TRADITIONS

Sexual tradition "Yobai"

Until recently, the widespread custom of Yobai, or “stalking in the night,” in the Japanese hinterlands was, so to speak, an introduction to sexuality for many young people. The yobai consisted of the following: a mysterious stranger would slip into the room of a sleeping girl (or not quite a girl anymore), position himself behind her and ambiguously declare his intentions. If the young lady didn’t mind, the couple would have sex until the morning, trying to make as little noise as possible, after which the night visitor would just as quietly leave.

Logically, a young man-yobaist should have known both the girl and her family. Often yobai was a kind of prelude to a further wedding, and the parents allegedly did not notice the secret visits and allegedly did not hear anything until they believed that love games finished, they “caught” the yobaist, publicly reproached him, he blushed and agreed to everything, and after a couple of days the couple went down the aisle to indulge in sex legally.

But it often happened that during the harvest, when the peasant hired foreign migrant workers, so to speak, he had to be prepared for the fact that the workers sleeping under the same roof with him could well choose his daughter as an object for yobai. In some cases, a group of young people went several kilometers to neighboring village, and then Yobai became an exciting night adventure with a complete stranger.

One can only assume that some were not particularly lucky with the girls, and they found themselves in a strange position - having climbed into the house and discovered a sleeping ugly girl, there was no turning back: only forward, only hardcore. After all, otherwise the young man could have been accused of theft and, God forbid, resolved right there on the spot.

In fact, the girl’s firm consent is not required; yobai is not considered rape; the main thing is to follow some rules:

You must enter the house naked (in Fukuoka you cannot attack naked man, breaking into the house because he is most likely engaged in yobai, and not theft). Even if you are completely naked, you should try to remain quiet. You need to practice safe sex - cover your face with a cloth or mask to protect yourself and the lady from shame if she suddenly, for some reason, starts screaming “Save me! They're raping me!"

The time-honored national tradition of treating “coldness” in teenagers and single men is called yobai in Japanese. And yes, that's exactly what you're thinking, the solution was to have sex with women at night.

The ancient Japanese way of choosing a partner was as simple as the corner of a house: at sunset, men took warm sake on their chests for courage and slowly walked through the village in the dark. Near the house with a sexy free girl, they played rock-paper-scissors, the losers continued to exercise, and the winner stripped naked, quietly sneaked into the house straight to the girl’s bed, gently woke her up and invited her to have fun. If she agreed, the yobai continued further, until she was completely exhausted. The girl could refuse, then the gentleman would go the same way to get dressed and go home. It was not customary to make noise, people were sleeping in the house, and a refusal was a refusal.

They stripped naked for a very simple and practical reason: by the clothes they were wearing at night, they unmistakably identified the thief and chopped him down without further ado. A to an honest man in someone else's house there is no need for clothes, if something happens, he just came to fuck around a little and is clean in front of the neighbors. Today you are my sister, tomorrow I am your daughter, a sacred tradition from our ancestors. There was also safe sex in Yobai: you could come to a girl with a bag on her head. Yobar-anonymous protected himself from shame in case of refusal.

And sometimes yobai was simply a prelude to marriage: the bride’s parents “didn’t notice” the nightly visits of the naked groom for some time, and then caught the couple together and immediately blessed the newlyweds.

Today's older Japanese are said to look back on the days of free yobai with nostalgia, especially those who grew up in the countryside and experienced the tradition in its pristine, free purity. And the erotic scenes of modern Japanese media art, when the hero attaches himself to a sleeping girl and gets excited, most likely grow precisely from yobai.

Young city boys also practiced traveling Yobai. A company of 3-7 people went to a village far from their own city and there everyone chose a goal. One of the reasons for such a departure was that if the “sneaky” one was caught by the girl’s parents, then he would not be particularly ashamed.

Yobai is still practiced in some remote parts of Japan, but in most areas the tradition has faded away.

Admiring severed heads.

A wild Japanese custom is admiring severed heads. For Japanese samurai the greatest pleasure was admiring cherry blossoms or Mount Fuji, but with the severed heads of enemies. The samurai's ammunition included a special bag - a kubi-bukuro, like a string bag or a bag, where severed heads were placed. After the victory, the heads were given to the women of the castle, they washed them, combed them and placed them on special stands. Then the samurai of the castle gathered in the hall and admired these heads. There was a whole system of fortune telling by heads. If the right eye is closed it means this, if the left eye is closed it means something else, etc.

Shudo tradition (Japanese: 衆道 shu:do:)

Traditional Japanese homosexual relationships between an adult man and a boy. They were common among samurai from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

The term shudo appeared around 1485, replacing the previously used word chudo, which described love relationship between Buddhist bosses and their novices.

The practice of shudo was highly respected and encouraged, especially among the samurai class. It was believed that this had a beneficial effect on young men, teaching them dignity, honesty, and a sense of beauty. Syudo was contrasted with female love, which was accused of “softening” a man.

It is worth adding that the ceremony of how a young samurai should offer his butt to his master is prescribed in Bushido.

CONCLUSION

In general, there is a lot more to tell and most people may get the impression that what a unique, romantic, very sexual culture this Japan is. But it's not that simple.

It was the wildest country. Foreigners were immediately released upon identification. Hitler dreamed of the purity of the nation, and the Japanese realized it 100 percent long before him. No gypsies and Jews, no Muslims, and there’s nothing to say about blacks. The Chinese were chopped down by the millions, poisoned, stabbed, burned alive and buried in the ground. Everyone knows that China is now in eternal conflict with Japan. And the roots of this hatred are found in the period of Japan's occupation of China. What they did there the Nazis never dreamed of nightmares. The most innocent fun of Japanese soldiers is to rip open the belly of a pregnant Chinese woman or toss a baby and catch it on a bayonet. Extreme cruelty without any moral imperatives.

Although what am I saying, it’s a unique culture. Nice people. Just a little nationalistic.

Ancient Japan, like others, begins with myths. She generously scatters hundreds of centuries into the reigns of the gods on earth, - she brings before us ranks of semi-divine heroes, and only from a certain era takes on an earthly character. We must recognize this era as the actual beginning of the history of ancient Japan itself.

Ancient Japan, as a state, was formed in the 7th century before AD. Obviously, it could not arise from nothing, accept government structure right after the era of savagery. There is no doubt that there was a period of clan and tribal life, but we know almost nothing about it. It is only known that under 660 BC. chronicles mention the founding of the Mikado monarchy in the southern parts of the present Japanese Empire, from Kyushi to Ieddo Bay.

They call the first emperor Jimmu, whose ancestors, of course, were heroes, demigods and even the sun goddess herself, the supreme deity of Japan. Jimmu taught the people various trades, established the division of time into years, months and hours, gave laws, set up a government, and so on.

In addition, he was also a conqueror, because, having left Kiusi, he spent seven years conquering the country that formed the territory of his state and had previously been occupied by a people who were not wild, but had weapons, leaders and fortified buildings. Was there Jimmu a Chinese immigrant, as Klaproth believed, is difficult to say; it is more likely that his fatherland was .

At least, Japanese chronicles say that already in his time foreign gods entered the country, and, consequently, their servants - priests. The latter could only come from the Heavenly Empire.

Behind Jimmu followed by the Mikado:

2. Sun-sei, contemporary of Confucius (581-548) and third son Jimmu, from which it is clear that even then the right of primogeniture was not particularly important in such a state as.
3. An-ney, who died in 510 BC.
4. I-toku - 475 BC
5. Kosio - 392 BC His reign was marked by the first war known to Japanese chroniclers; it was a civil strife between two regions, i.e. their stewards, Iez and Go.
6. Koan - 290 BC
7. Korea - 214 BC During his time, Japan was divided into 36 provinces, although it did not yet occupy the entire state.
8. Kookin or Kogen - 157 BC, a contemporary of the Chinese emperor Shinoshiko, to whom legend attributes his exile to Japan, under the leadership of the doctor Si-fu, to find the herb of immortality; three thousand Chinese, who later remained within the Japanese state and were probably the first to introduce it closer to the industry and culture of China.
9. Kaikwa - 97 BC
10. Siu-zin - 29 BC This Mikado in 86 B.C. first introduced a position in the state shogun a, that is, the commander-in-chief of the troops in the event of uprisings or external war. This position was given to one of their sons. During the same reign, the first national census was carried out, the Japanese began to establish a merchant and even military fleet.
11. Xining - 79 During the reign of this contemporary of Augustus, the Japanese began to dig ponds and create ditches for cultivating rice fields. At the same time, Buddhism first entered the state.
12. Keiko – 113 g.
13. Seimas – 192
14. Tsiu-ai - 201

15. Zip-gu-kwa-gu - 270 This famous empress was the first woman on the throne Mikado. She had the intention of conquering Korea and herself commanded the army sent to this peninsula. Her name is very popular in Japan, and some features of Japanese life are associated with it. She is classified as a god.
16. O-shin or Vo-zin - 313 g. Mikado, according to Japanese chronicles, famous in war and peace and also deified. Under him, Japanese writing began, borrowed from China, initially without any changes. Before Vozin in Japan, all the laws and commands of the Mikado were announced to the people verbally and passed down to posterity according to legend, as well as stories about past events.
17. Nin-toku - 400 g.
18. Litsiu or Ritsiu - 406
19. Fon-sei - 412
20. Inkio - 424 g.
21. Anko - 457
22. Yuriaku or Iu-liak - 480. The first coins were struck during his reign by a certain Sinkoy.
23. Sei-nei - 485
24. Ken-so – 488
25. Ningen - 499
26. Burets or Murets - 507. The cruel sovereign of ancient Japan, who himself opened the bellies of pregnant women.
27. Kei-tai - 534 Very virtuous Mikado state and mourned by everyone upon death.
28. An-Kan - 536
29. Sen-kva - 540
30. Kin-mei - 572 A very religious sovereign and a great patron of Buddhism, who from that time was firmly established in the state.
31. Fitatzu or Bidats - 586. No less zealous admirer of the teachings of Shakyamuni, whose famous statue was then brought to Japan and placed in the Kobuzi Temple. With his zeal for Buddhism, he even aroused against himself the uprising of the national party, headed by a certain Moriah.
32. Io-mei - 588 Winner of Moriah.
33. Siu-ziun - 593. Under him, the division of the state into seven roads or large regions was established, the division was not administrative, but geographical.
34. Sum-ko or Siko - 629 Empress, during whose reign the Japanese first learned about gold brought from Shreya.
35. Zio-mei - 636
36. Kwo-goku - 642; woman.
37. Ko-toku - 655. He was the first to establish the Japanese table of ranks and insignia of officials. Since his time, the state of ancient Japan began to use chronological counting not from the beginning of the monarchy, but by reign. There was no difference in anything else.
38. Sai-mei - 662
39. Ten-chi - 673
40. Ten-mu - 687 This Mikado received his title of ruler of the state after an internecine war with his younger brother. Such internecine wars were in the order of things, for primogeniture did not give the right to the throne, and many sovereigns of ancient Japan were from younger sons, nephews and other relatives of the reigning Mikado, bypassing immediate relatives. Under Ten-mu, the first Japanese silver mines were opened and began to be developed on the island of Tsushima. At the same time, the custom was established to celebrate the days of the patrons of different cities with the so-called matsuri, so beloved by the Japanese people.
41. Tsito - 697. The woman during whose reign the Japanese first learned to prepare their drink - sake.
42. Mon-mu - 708 Provinces received coats of arms. At the same time, an accurate measurement of granular bodies was introduced.
43. Gen-mei - 715. Under this empress, a census was taken of the populated areas of the state to establish permanent official names.
44. Gen-sio - 724. The state gave rules for cutting and wearing clothes for women.
45. Sio-mu – 750 g.
46. ​​Cohen - 759; woman. Gold was discovered for the first time in Japan.
47. Fai-tai - 765
48. Sio-toku - 771; woman.
49. Koo-nin - 782
50. Gwang-mu - 806
51. Fairy-tsio - 810
52. Sa-ga - 824
53. Ziun-va - 834
54. Nin-myo- 851
55. Mon-toku - 859

56. Seiwa - 877 Chronicles say that during the reign of this contemporary of our Rurik, Confucian teaching made great strides in the upper classes of ancient Japanese society. Myself Mikado I indulged in reading the works of the Chinese philosopher with particular pleasure.
57 Jozei - 885
58 Kwa-po - 888
59 Uda – 898
60 Daigo - 931
61. Siu-zan - 949
62. Mura-kami - 968
63. Rei-zen – 970
64. Jen-vo - 985
65. Kvassam - 987
66. Itzi-tsio - 1012 Blooming age of Japanese famous writers lived at the court of Itzi-tsio.
67. Sanzio - 1017
68. Go-its-tsio - 1037
69. Go-ziu-zaku - 1046
70. Go-rei-zen - 1069 Uprising in the province
71. Go-san-tsio - 1073
72. Shiro-gawa - 1087
73. Fori-gawa - 1108
75. Shin-toku - 1142
76. Kin-ii - 1156 During this reign Mikado A famous internal war took place in the state between the princely houses of Feki and Genji, which threatened to completely devastate the country. It was to this war that the commanders-in-chief of the troops, or shogun s, because they
were the pacifiers of the rebellious appanage princes. Ieritomo received particular fame, to whom the emperor gave the title of great shogun and with the authority to bring an end to the internecine war. Having succeeded in this task, he at the same time almost deprived himself of power. Mikado and made the title shogun similar to the title of sultans under the Baghdad caliphs. His long career spanned the reign of:
77. Go-sira-gawa - 1159
78. Ni-tsio – 1166
79. Roku-tsio – 1169
80. Takokura - 1181
81. AN-toku - 1184

82. Go-shoba - 1199, of which the last one actually gave him the title sei-shogun.
83. Tsutsi-mikado - 1211, in turn bestowed the same title on his son Ieritomo, five years after his death famous father. In 1206, printing was introduced from China.

84. Sion-toku - 1221. Under him, Ieritomo’s side son, Sonetomo, already forcibly supported his claims to the position of shogun and for this purpose started a navy.

85. Go-fori-gawa - 1233
86. Si-tsio – 1243
87. Go saga - 1247
88. Go-fuka-kuza - 1260 g.
89. Kame-yama - 1275
90. Guda - 1288. Under him, in 1284, a Mongol fleet with two hundred and forty thousand troops appeared off the coast of the state, with the goal of conquering this country; but was overwhelmed by a storm.
91. Fuzimi - 1299
92. Go-fuzimi - 1302
93. Go-ni-tsio - 1308
94. Fana-zono - 1319
95. Go-dai-go - 1132 Death Field of the 96th Mikado, Quo-gena, he reigned for the second time for three years. The beginning of new civil strife, which led to the fact that Mikado abdicated the throne, which then passed to Quo-gen.
96. Quo-gen - 1337
97. Quo-mio - 1349
98. Siu-hwo - 1352
99. Go-quo-gu – 1372

100. Goien-yu - 1383
101. Go-ko-matsu - 1413 At the end of the 14th century, Japan even had two Mikado, northern and southern, of which the latter, however, voluntarily renounced his claims in 1392 and became a monk under the name Tai-tsio-ten-o (Transition Mikado becoming a monk is not uncommon in Japanese history. No less than three emperors before Tai-tsio accepted the monastic robe. This custom has been established in Japan since the introduction of Buddhism).

Azekura, Mikado treasury, 8th century

102. Sio-quo - 1429
103. Go-fana-zono - 1465
104. Go-tsutsi-mikado - 1501
105. Kaziva-bara - 1527

106. Go-nara - 1558. Under him, the Portuguese arrived in Japan in 1543.
107. Ogoki-mazi ~ 1587 During his reign, in 1565, shogun Iozi-tira made himself hara-kiri, and Shogun Nobunaga was killed along with his eldest son in the Miako Palace. By death Nobunaga rank shogun and for some time he wore San Fosi, but in 1586 Fideyosi was finally established in this position, having received from Mikado title of kanbuku, i.e. Viceroy. Fideyosi was the son of a peasant, who rose to prominence with his talents and courage. Having become the ruler of Japan, he, according to the custom of the country, changed his name and began to be called Taiko-herself. The aristocrats who rebelled against him were for the most part pacified by him and even deprived of their possessions; The Mikado themselves almost lost their position.
108. Go-io-zsi - 1612 During his reign Taiko, then almost the actual sovereign of Japan, in order to divert the attention of the aristocracy from internal affairs, weaken it with expenses and subordinate it at least temporarily to a military dictatorship, decided in 1592 to go to war in Korea, under the pretext of delivering new inheritances to the princes who had lost them during civil strife. The conquest of almost the entire peninsula was completed, despite the opposition of the Chinese, but in 1598, before his death, Taiko recalled the troops, and the conquered lands fell away from Japan.
109. Go-minzu-novo or Dai-zeo-hwa - 1630. During his reign, the only son and heir Taiko was besieged in the Osaka castle by his former tutor Ieyasu and committed himself to flames so as not to surrender, or, according to legend, disappeared into the domain of Prince Satsuma. Ieyasu became shogun om, and when the aristocracy rebelled against his seizure of power, he resorted to the same measures as taiko, i.e. pacified the rebels with weapons, took away their possessions and gave them to his followers. In 1614, however, the remaining family nobility, namely eighteen daimyo, united together against him, and then Ieyasu decided to make a deal, which was later illuminated by agreement Mikado and known as the “laws of Gongensama”. This act had the character of a constitutional charter and was maintained in force until the very latest events our time. Ieyasu was the founder of the Minamotono dynasty, which ruled Japan for two and a half centuries.
110. Nio-te - 1644 Empress, under whom the extermination of Christians and the expulsion of all foreigners from Japan followed, with the exception of the Chinese and the Dutch.
111. Go-quo-myo - 1655
112. Blue or Gao-sai - 1664
113. Kin-zen or Rei-gen - 1687 To convince the government that there were no Christians left in the empire, a census of the people by religion was carried out, and persons suspected of adherence to Christianity were imprisoned for life.
114. Figasi-yama - 1710
115. Nakane-mikado - 1736
116. Sakura-matsu - 1747
117. Mamo-sono - 1763
118. Go-sakura-matsu - 1771
119. Go-mamo-sono - 1780
120. Sep. – 1817
From reign one hundred and fourteenth to one hundred and twentieth Mikado Japan remained closed to foreigners; she herself begins to gradually expand her territory to the north and establishes colonies not only on Matsmai, the southern part of which was acquired in the 17th century, but also on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.
121. Ku-shio... - Hoffmann’s table, which serves as the main source of Japanese chronology, ends with the name of this Mikado. The names of the subsequent Mikado are unknown to us, except for Osa-fito, who, however, was called that before ascending the throne. It is remarkable that since the consolidation of the hereditary power of the shoguns in the Minamoto family, the Mikado very often abdicated the throne, barely reaching adulthood; Their power has obviously lost all its attractiveness.
Siebold and Hoffmann also give a table of shoguns from 1186, that is, from the time of Ioritomo. It seems unnecessary to repeat it, but since the end of the 18th century. Japan became the subject of attempts by foreigners to open access to it, and at the same time they had to deal not with the Mikado, but with the shoguns, then for a better understanding of the events we will give the names of the taikoons since 1787.
Ie-nari 1787-1842
Ie-oshi po - 1853
Iezada po - 1858
Ie-koski po - 1867
Stotsbashi by - 1868

During the 19th century, the shoguns themselves lost almost all importance, and the real power in government affairs passed to the first ministers, chairmen of the council of taikuns, who, in turn, were the heirs of the Ikamono-kami family until 1861. Since March 1868, the title of shogun was abolished.
Let's make some conclusions:
1. The Japanese state region has never left the Japanese archipelago. The exceptions are two short-term conquests of Korea.
2. In turn, Japan was not conquered by foreigners or even accessible throughout the entire territory, but only in part, which continues to this day. This circumstance and the political system made the Japanese people completely homogeneous ethnographically.
3. From time immemorial, Japan was one state and, moreover, a monarchical one. She was not familiar with republican forms of government.
4. However, since ancient times, the form of government in Japan has been a constitutional monarchy, where the monarch reigns but does not rule.
5. As in any non-despotic monarchy, from time immemorial in Japan there was a nobility who owned land property, enjoyed greater political rights and often fought for them when the authorities wanted to violate them.
6. But the same nobility sometimes waged internecine wars.
7. Centralized power, in its fight against the federalism of the aristocracy, resorted either to weapons - and the power of military leaders rose - or to opposition to the hereditary nobility of bureaucracy (often in the form of espionage), which led to extreme regulation of the social structure and life.
8. The Constitution of Japan and its social system, however, have not changed significantly throughout its history to the present day. The most important change occurred at the end of the struggle between the shoguns and the princes in the 17th century, but even here the society remained aristocratic, and the masses were politically powerless.
9. Chinese civilization had a great influence on the development of culture, industry and education. Already 1000 years ago, Confucian rationalism was popular in Japan.
10. The influence of other countries was expressed by the introduction of Buddhism and, at one time, Christianity, but the latter, being accepted by the people, was, however, eradicated.

Jomon period-period of Ainu history and Japanese history from 13,000 BC to 300 BC.

Received its name from the term “jomon” (literally “trace of the rope”), which is the name given to the technique of decorating pottery and dogu figurines with cord designs, which became widespread during this period. A feature of the Jomon period is the beginning of the use of ceramic products by the inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago.

Ainu - ancient population Japanese islands, which created the Neolithic Jomon culture. The Ainu were mainly engaged in gathering, fishing and hunting, lived in small groups over vast tracts of land. From the middle of the Jomon era, other ethnic groups began to arrive on the Japanese islands, first from Southeast Asia and Southern China, and later from Central Asia, introducing agriculture, namely rice growing and cattle breeding. The Ainu migration to Sakhalin, Lower Amur, Primorye and the Kuril Islands begins. It was the ethnic groups from Central Asia that gave rise to the Korean and Japanese ethnic groups.

In 660 BC. (beginning of Japanese chronology) according to Japanese legend The state of Yamato was formed.

Five mighty gods, according to ancient legend, ruled the universe. The fate of the newly created earth was controlled by the seven divine administrations, Takamagahara. The youngest pair of these gods, Izanagi and Izanami, sent their daughter, the sun goddess Amaterasu, to earth and she became the ancestor of the five earthly gods or heroes. One of them, named Hikonagitake, received a prophecy that his offspring would forever possess Japanese islands, and he establishes his dominion on the island of Kiusiu by conquering its indigenous tribes. His son Jimmu Tenno rises to power in 660 and becomes Japan's first Emperor Jimmu.

When the state of Yamato takes shape, the era of constant war between Yamato and the Ainu begins.

Yayoi period- era in the history of Japan approximately 400 BC-250 (300) AD.

The Yayoi period marked the advent of rice cultivation and agricultural farming. Wooden storage facilities on stilts appeared. Asian continental influences during this period brought major social and technological advances, including the establishment of communities, pottery, metal weapons, especially bronze bells, and ritual objects. The formation of a governing layer in the communities began, which led to military conflicts. During this period, the first slaves appeared.

The first textiles and more modern garments appear (during the Jomon period, the Japanese wore clothing made from tree bark and leaves).

Under the tenth Emperor Sujin, in 85 BC, the first population census was carried out.

Kofun period- era in Japanese history (250(300)-538)

called due to the Kofun mound culture. A kofun is a burial, the prototype of which was the kofun of Ancient China. The burial mounds were of various shapes: semicircular, rectangular, square, the most common in the form of a “hole” of a key.

Kofuns had several steps going from the base of the kofun to the top of the hill, the more steps, the higher the position of the deceased, some mounds were surrounded by a moat. On the slopes of the mounds a stone fence was erected, around which clay figurines “haniwa” were installed, designed to protect the graves from evil spirits. The tomb of one of the emperors has 7 steps.

During the Kofun period, there were more than thirty small Japanese states on the islands. Gradually, the Yamato state became dominant, it was ruled by the priestess Himiko or Pimiko, who had magical abilities. After her death, her thirteen-year-old daughter Taiyo (literally “sun”) became the head of the Yamato state.

Subsequent emperors undertook successful campaigns of conquest in different parts of the islands of Kyushu and Honshu against the wild Emisu and Kumaso tribes. Thus, the power of the Yamato emperors extended to both islands.

Asuka period(538-710)

Gradually, Japanese contacts with China and the Korean Peninsula are expanding. This period in culture was characterized by the spread of a realistic representation of reality in sculpture, painting, and literature. An original Japanese style was developed, despite the strong influence of Chinese and Korean cultures.

The Asuka period is named after the location of the country's political center at that time in the Asuka Valley (modern Nara Prefecture).

A feature of the period was the spread of Buddhism, the flourishing of Japanese culture, the creation of the first set of laws. Despite the confrontation between the great families of Mononobe and Soga, the new religion of Buddhism had a large number of followers among members of the upper classes and eventually became the state religion.

The Soga clan's victory strengthened their political leadership. During the Soga dictatorship, the first Japanese constitution was written, the Chinese calendar was introduced, and a transport network was established. In 645, the Soga clan was destroyed and the opposition came to power under the leadership of the future Emperor Tenji, the founder of the Fujiwara Nakatomi no Kamatari clan.

Taika reforms were carried out, the basis of which was legislation. A centralized management apparatus was created, headed by the emperor; responsibility for the state of affairs in the country was borne by the government with ministries that were managed by officials from noble families.

The country was divided into 60 provinces, all lands were declared the property of the state, that is, the emperor and divided according to well-known laws among the people, peace and silence were restored everywhere.

A third of the male population from 21 to 60 years of age was subject to military service, with a later restriction that only men trained in horse riding and archery were required to enlist. Along with the royal life guards, brigades of various strengths were formed, up to 1000 people in each, with leaders and sub-leaders, the rights and responsibilities of which were precisely defined. Emperor Bumbu issued a school law and established a university and many provincial schools in Kyoto. The sciences and arts flourished under his rule.

In 708, Japanese coinage began. In 710, the capital was moved from Fujiwara-kyo to Heijyo-kyo in Nara.

Nara period(710-794)

The beginning of the Nara period is marked by the transfer of the capital to Heijō-kyō, modern city Nara. A feature of the Nara era is the creation of the first historical chronicles of the Kojiki, Nihon Shoki and the rise of Buddhism. During this period, the prototypes of the Japanese phonetic alphabet hiragana and katakana were also formed.

The capital, Nara, was the first Japanese city designed to Chinese standards at the time. During this period, there was a centralized state headed by the tenno-emperor, based on legislation. However, the existing chamber of the Great Council of State limited his power.

The population was divided into groups: metropolitan and provincial officials (divided into 9 categories), free community members, artisans and criminals and their families, slaves. All lands were declared state property. The economy of the Nara period was subsistence in nature. The money was used to pay salaries of officials and workers.

To increase income, the state stimulated the development of virgin lands and in 743 a new decree was issued introducing the rule of “eternal private ownership of developed virgin lands.” This was immediately taken advantage of by noble families and influential Buddhist monasteries, who created a powerful economic base on uncultivated lands.

During the Nara period, the struggle for power began to intensify between the imperial house (the tenno itself and its closest relatives), aristocratic families and Buddhist monasteries. Aristocrats and Buddhist monks competed for dominant positions at court. Buddhists even tried to seize power in the country, trying to make the monk Dokyo (700-772), a favorite of Empress Koken, the new emperor.

However, the aristocratic opposition led by the Fujiwara family prevented the coup and was able to remove all the monks from government positions. Given Dokyo's intimate relationship with the empress and the dangers it posed to the dynasty, the Fujiwara abolished the future right of women to occupy the throne of Japanese monarchs.

Due to the increasing influence of Buddhist monasteries on the court, it was decided to move the capital to Nagaoka. But after the assassination of Tanetsugu Fujiwara, who was responsible for the construction, in 794 the capital was moved to the city of Heian (modern Kyoto). The construction of the new capital practically ruined the imperial treasury. Left without financial support, the emperor weakened, and instead, real power ended up in the hands of the aristocratic Fujiwara family.

Heian period(794-1185) translated from Japanese means peace, tranquility.

The period begins with the transfer of the capital to the city of Heian (modern Kyoto). The period can be divided into early and late Heian. In early Heian, there was a gradual collapse of the allotment system introduced by the Taika reforms, and mass ruin of the peasants began. A class of major landowners emerged who turned their possessions into estates, shoens. For a significant part of them, the owners achieved tax immunity, which further undermined the resources of the central government. Strengthening the economic role high nobility was also reflected in the increase in its political role.

The period when the power of the Fujiwara clan reached such proportions that emperors were appointed and abdicated only at their will marked the beginning of the late Heian. To limit the power of the Fujiwara clan, the insei system was created in the 11th century, when the emperor abdicated the throne in favor of the heir, and he himself went to a monastery, from where he ruled the state, fighting with the Fujiwara clan for the most important positions in the government, estates, and new lands.

Structure government controlled, borrowed from China, underwent significant changes, new bodies were created that were not provided for in the laws of the Nara period. The tax system was reorganized on the basis of land taxation of the households of rich peasants. State lands began to be leased to landowners and rich peasants.

With the beginning of the period of relative external isolation of the country and the weakening of the Tang Empire, the centralized recruitment of peasants for military service ceased and the process of forming a new social stratum began - the samurai. The first samurai entered into a relationship of dependence on the capital's aristocrats, served as officials of provincial governments or as guards at the imperial court. The main weapon of the samurai of the Heian period was the bow and arrow, and they fought on horseback.

The samurai were divided into ranks; at the head of the military houses were the scions of lateral branches of aristocratic families or descended from the emperors themselves. As central power weakened, these families formed their own militias to collect taxes, maintain order in their domains, and protect the northern borders from invasion.

Although the clans of military aristocrats obeyed the orders of the imperial court, and the size of their land holdings depended on its location, they gradually became formidable force, periodically fighting with each other. Larger samurai families tried to gain support as much as possible more small-land feudal lords, thereby increasing their own power.

Gradually, the internal struggle resulted in rivalry between two samurai clans: Minamoto and Taira, which had a strong influence on the internal events of the country.

In 1156, the abdicated Emperor Sutoku rebelled against Emperor Yoshirakawa due to difficulties arising over the succession to the throne. The side of the first was taken by Minamoto, under the leadership of Yoshimoto, the side of the second was taken by Tair, under the leadership of Kiyomori. After a fierce battle, Yoshimoto was defeated and his attack on Kyoto three years later only led to the final death of him and his entire family, with the exception of only his two sons with a few followers (1159).

Taira managed to use their victory; They replaced all influential places in the state with their adherents. Taira Kiyomori ruled as a military ruler, with unlimited power. He was equally cruel to his enemies and ungrateful to his followers, and soon became hated by his stinginess and greed and boundless arrogance. At the same time, the members of such a once proud house were subjected to the relaxing influence of court life. Meanwhile, as respect for Taira fell further and further, the Minamoto, under the leadership of Ioritomo and Yoshinaka, gathered in the northern and eastern provinces, where the population was unconditionally loyal to them.

The five-year war between the Minamoto and Taira military clans ended with the Minamoto's victory, marking the end of the Heian era. The residence of Minamoto Yoritomo, the head of the victorious house and the founder of the shogunate, became Kamakura city, which gave its name to the next period of Japanese history Kamakura period.

Usually under religious beliefs understand ancient religious practice not associated with the church hierarchy. This is a complex of ideas and actions based on prejudices and superstitions. Although folk beliefs differ from the temple cult, the connection between them is obvious. Let us turn, for example, to the ancient cult of the fox, which the Japanese have worshiped since time immemorial.

The deity in the form of a fox, the Japanese believed, had the body and mind of a man. In Japan, special temples were built where people supposedly possessing the nature of a fox gathered. To the rhythmic sounds of drums and howls of priests, parishioners with a “fox nature” fell into a state of trance. They believed that it was the spirit of the fox that infused its powers into them. Therefore, people with a “fox nature” considered themselves in some way sorcerers and seers, capable of predicting the future.

The wolf has long been worshiped in Japan. He was considered the spirit of the Okami Mountains. People asked Okami to protect the crops and the workers themselves from various misfortunes. Japanese fishermen still ask him to send a favorable wind.

In some areas of Japan, especially on the coast, the locals already worshiped the turtle in ancient times. Fishermen considered her the deity of the sea, on whom their luck depended. Huge turtles off the coast of Japan are often caught in fishing nets. The fishermen carefully pulled them out, gave them sake to drink and released them back.

In Japan there was also a peculiar cult of snakes and shellfish. Currently, the Japanese eat them without trepidation, but some species of snakes and shellfish are considered sacred. These are tanisi, inhabitants of rivers and ponds. Some scholars suggest that reverence for them came to Japan from China. According to legend, in the Aizu region, there once stood the Wakamiya Hachiman Temple, at the foot of which there were two ponds. If someone caught tanisi in them, then at night they heard a voice demanding her return. Sometimes patients specifically caught tanisi in order to hear the voice of the pond deity and demand recovery for themselves in exchange for the release of tanisi. Old Japanese medical books indicate that tanishi is a good remedy for eye diseases. And, on the contrary, there are legends that only those who do not eat them can be cured of eye diseases.

In ancient times, the shark (same) in Japan was considered a creature endowed with divine power, that is, kami. There were various legends about the shark. One of them tells that a shark once bit off a woman’s leg. The woman's father asked the spirits of the sea to avenge his daughter in prayers. After some time he saw how in the sea big flock sharks were chasing one predator. The fisherman caught her and found her daughter's leg in her stomach. Fishermen believed that a shark could help avoid disaster at sea. According to their beliefs, schools of fish followed the sacred shark. If a fisherman was lucky enough to meet her, he returned with a rich catch.

The Japanese also idolized the crab. An amulet made from its dried shell protected against evil spirits and diseases. It was said that one day crabs appeared in a coastal area where no one had ever seen them. Fishermen caught them, dried them and hung them on trees. Since then, evil spirits have avoided these places. There is still a legend that the Taira warriors defeated in the war with the Minato clan, they plunged into the sea and turned into crabs. Therefore, in some rural areas, it is believed that the crab's belly resembles a human face.

Along with the veneration of animals, the worship of mountains, mountain springs, stones, and trees spread in Japan. The Japanese peasant deified nature in his ideas. The contemplation of individual stones and trees brought true pleasure to the Japanese. Among the trees, the willow stood in first place. The Japanese idolized the weeping willow (yanagi). Many poets have sung about it since ancient times, artists have depicted it in engravings and scrolls. The Japanese still compare everything graceful and elegant to willow branches. The Japanese considered Yanagi to be trees that brought happiness and good luck. Chopsticks were made from willow, which were used only on New Year's Day.

The religions that came to Japan from the mainland had a huge influence on the beliefs of the Japanese. This can be illustrated by the example of the Kosin cult.

Koshin (year of the monkey) is the name of one of the years of the ancient cyclical calendar used in Japan until 1878 (that is, the famous bourgeois Meiji reform). This chronology consists of repeating 60-year cycles. The cult of koshin is associated with Taoism, which came from China. Taoists believed that on the night of the New Year, koshin, living in the body of every person as some mysterious creature leaves him and rises into the sky, where he reports to the heavenly ruler about sinful deeds. Based on the report, the ruler can take a person’s life. Therefore, it was recommended to spend nights without sleep. In Japan, this custom became widespread, gradually incorporating elements of Buddhism and Shintoism.

Many deities from Buddhism naturally entered the folk pantheon. The Buddhist saint Jizo gained great popularity. In the courtyard of a temple in Tokyo, a statue of him was erected, entangled in straw ropes. If any valuables were stolen from a person, he tied up Jizo and promised to release him when the loss was discovered.

Researchers classify the ancient folk beliefs of the Japanese as follows:

Production cults (related to agriculture and fishing),
healing cults (providing cures for diseases),
cults of patronage (aimed at protection from epidemics and other disasters),
cult-guardian of the hearth (protecting from fire and maintaining peace in the family),
the cult of luck and prosperity (which gave acquisitions and blessings of life),
cult of scaring away evil spirits (aimed at getting rid of devils, water creatures, goblin).

Here I would like to particularly focus on the tea ceremony (chanoyu in Japanese). This ceremony is one of the most original, unique and ancient arts. For several centuries, it has played a significant role in the spiritual and social life of the Japanese. Tyanoyu is a strictly scheduled ritual that involves the “tea master” who brews and pours the tea, as well as those who are present and then drink it. The first is the priest performing the tea ceremony, the second are the participants joining it. Each person has their own style of behavior, which includes sitting posture, all movements, facial expressions, and manner of speech. Chanyu aesthetics, his refined ritual obeys the canons of Zen Buddhism. According to legend, it originates from China from the time of the first patriarch of Buddhism, Bodhidharma. One day, the legend says, while sitting in meditation, Bodhiharma felt that his eyes were closing and he was falling asleep. Angry with himself, he tore out his eyelids and threw them to the ground. Soon an unusual bush with succulent leaves grew in that place. Later, Bodhiharma's disciples began to brew its leaves with hot water - the drink helped them maintain vigor.

In fact, the tea ceremony originated in China long before the advent of Buddhism. According to sources, it was introduced by Lao Tzu. It was he who in the 5th century. BC, proposed a ritual with a cup of “golden elixir”. This ritual flourished in China until the Mongol invasion. Later, the Chinese reduced the ceremony with the “golden elixir” to the simple brewing of dried tea leaves. In Japan, the art of tyanoyu received its logical conclusion.