The Middle Ages

Virginia SOL WHI.9

Understand the civilizations of medieval Japan, including their cultural, political, and social structures.

What students need to be able to do

  • Describe the significance of Japan's proximity to China and Korea and the intellectual, linguistic, religious, and philosophical influence of those countries on Japan.
  • Discuss the reign of Prince Shōtoku of Japan and the characteristics of Japanese society and family life during his reign.
  • Describe the values, social customs, and traditions prescribed by the lord-vassal system consisting of shogun, daimyo, and samurai and the lasting influence of the warrior code in the 21st century.
  • Trace the development of distinctive forms of Japanese Buddhism.
  • Examine the ninth and 10th centuries' golden age of literature, art, and drama and its lasting effects on culture today, including Murasaki Shikibu's Tale of Genji.
  • Analyze the rise of a military society in the late 12th century and the role of the samurai in that society.