Interesting Words
* emperor The first Japanese emperor was the leader of the Yamato family, which dominated other clans. He and the emperors to follow him claimed to be descended from gods.
* shogun Shogun was an important and powerful military leader of all Japan. (after he got power in medieval Japan the emperor became mostly a figurehead).
* diamyo Daimyo were powerful warlords who controlled an area of Japan, they served the shogun.
* samurai Samurai's were warriors sworn to serve and fight for their daimyo, they followed a bushido.
* ronin Ronin were masterless samurai's, their master was their daimyo.
* peasants Peasants made up 90% of medieval Japan's population, they were farmers and fishermen, they produced everyone's food and were taxed harshly.
* artisians Artisians or craftsmen were the people in society who made the specialised items no-one else did.
* merchants Merchants were almost the lowest class in feudal Japan, they didn't have any value because they didn't do anything of any real worth.
* eta Eta were the one of the lowest social classes, they did the jobs no-one else would.
* hinin Hinin were the absolute lowest social class, made up of beggars.
* bushido The name of a strict code of conduct in whcih all samurai's followed.
* seppuku Seppuku means to commit suicide, a samurai always had to be prepared to commit seppuku, occasionally it was a punishment.
* feudal system The feudal system was a system representing everyone's place in society, whether low or high.
* tenshukaku The heavily defended living quarters of the daimyo.
* yagura Also known as the guard towers and turrets they were storerooms and watch towers found at the corners of the castle walls. There were usually more than one per castle.
* goten Or palace was the lord's home and workplace.
* barbican Was a narrow corridor filled with traps that led to the gatehouse.
* gatehouse The building used by the guards at the gate.
* great hall The passageway connecting the keep to the lords' home.
* barraks The homes of knights and their families.
* keep The keep could be found in both japanese and european castles. In a japanese castle it was the tenshukaku, and in a european castle it was a storage area.
* drawbridge Was a bridge that went across the moat, it could be lowered and raised when wanted.
* portcullis The grating of iron bars at the gatehouse.
* shogun Shogun was an important and powerful military leader of all Japan. (after he got power in medieval Japan the emperor became mostly a figurehead).
* diamyo Daimyo were powerful warlords who controlled an area of Japan, they served the shogun.
* samurai Samurai's were warriors sworn to serve and fight for their daimyo, they followed a bushido.
* ronin Ronin were masterless samurai's, their master was their daimyo.
* peasants Peasants made up 90% of medieval Japan's population, they were farmers and fishermen, they produced everyone's food and were taxed harshly.
* artisians Artisians or craftsmen were the people in society who made the specialised items no-one else did.
* merchants Merchants were almost the lowest class in feudal Japan, they didn't have any value because they didn't do anything of any real worth.
* eta Eta were the one of the lowest social classes, they did the jobs no-one else would.
* hinin Hinin were the absolute lowest social class, made up of beggars.
* bushido The name of a strict code of conduct in whcih all samurai's followed.
* seppuku Seppuku means to commit suicide, a samurai always had to be prepared to commit seppuku, occasionally it was a punishment.
* feudal system The feudal system was a system representing everyone's place in society, whether low or high.
* tenshukaku The heavily defended living quarters of the daimyo.
* yagura Also known as the guard towers and turrets they were storerooms and watch towers found at the corners of the castle walls. There were usually more than one per castle.
* goten Or palace was the lord's home and workplace.
* barbican Was a narrow corridor filled with traps that led to the gatehouse.
* gatehouse The building used by the guards at the gate.
* great hall The passageway connecting the keep to the lords' home.
* barraks The homes of knights and their families.
* keep The keep could be found in both japanese and european castles. In a japanese castle it was the tenshukaku, and in a european castle it was a storage area.
* drawbridge Was a bridge that went across the moat, it could be lowered and raised when wanted.
* portcullis The grating of iron bars at the gatehouse.