Essay, Research Paper: Essays On Japan

1. How has the Yumato dynasty gone from being a major political power to only a figurative leadership?

When the Yumato dynasty came to power around 500 AD, they were the whole political situation in Japan. The society was a theocracy because the Emperor was the political leader and the religious leader. Because the society was a theocracy, the people did not have a right to revolt and taht is why the Yumato dynasty has been the only dynasty ever existent in Japan. This gave the Emperor a ton of power. During the 500's -600's AD Prince Shitoku Tyishi sent Japanese people to China to study their systems and lifestyles. The Japanese borrowed many ideas but stated that they were done borrowing in the 800's AD. All this borrowing and new knowledge brought about the Heyon age, or the Golden Age. This age was great for the upper class aristocracy but the masses soon began to suffer. The aristocracy was the only class allowed to even serve any type of political action in Japan. This meant that the whole country was made to make the rich live richer and the poor live poorer. Soon land began to take up a whole new meaning as the only way to survive in Japan. When land became the most valuable thing in Japan this took power from the Emperor and put it straight into the hands of those who owned the land. The land lords were looked upon as heros because they provided the masses with land which gave the masses more power. As the land lords began to become more and more of a factor, the Emperor was soon becoming less and less respected. By about 1100 AD, the Emperor had basically become just a figurehead in society. Soon Japan was becoming less unified as it separated into clans. The leaders of these clans were the land lords. The Emperor realized that he was losing power so to shut the peolpe up he gave land lords the title of Shogun. This meant Supreme General of the Emperor's Army. The land lords were not very satisfied because this still meant that they were to serve the Emperor. Soon Shogunates were the real political power in Japan. Although the Shogunates ruled, they were not considered the dynasty because they were still to serve the Emperor. This has basically been the whole pattern of Japanese history when it comes to the Yumato dynasty. Many other leaders and clans came to power but the Yumato dynasty was still considered the Dynasty. Although the Emperor had no pull at all, he was still a part of the Japanese heritage and culture. To this day, The Yumato dynasty remains a fugurative part of Japnese culture.


2. How Do Japan's High Test Scores Relate To Its High Teen Suicide Rate?


In Japan there are basically two options for a child's future. The first option is the child becomes a business man and stays with the same company unti he retires. This child will most likely lead a happy, and fulfilling life. Option number two is that the child becomes a "skilled worker." This means the child is basically part of the lower class working man. He will probably live a happy life but he will never see the amount of wealth as the business man. In America we have this situation but it is very minimal compared to Japan. In Japan, the pressure placed on the backs of children is in many cases, inhumane. Children attend school 300 days a year and their days are 12 hours long. But that 12 hours is only in class time. The children usually come home and are required to do an extra curricular activity. After this is complete, they return home and stufy some more. The reason the children must work so hard is because they know that if they are not in the top of their class in grades, they will not have a very comfortable future. Japanese students come to the realization that if they are not smart enough they are destined to be factory workers. Some students do not mind this but others cannot handle this kind of pressure. Basically, the government controls where you work and who you work for. This is all based on grades and academic tests. The government is not the only one to blame for this massive amount of pressure put on the Japanese kids, parenst are to blame as well. It's not like the kids can go home to paps and say that they accept the fact that they are going to be a factory worker. Parents have huge expectations for their children and they expect them to be carried out. This horrid system brings Japan great test scores and more publicity for their smarts. This is because in this system, the only test the "Smart kids." The "dumb kids" are sent in another direction away from the other children. Many children cannot accept the fact that they have let down their families and their peers. These kids have no one to turn to and feel extremely alone. When they finally crack, they take their own lives. Maybe the scores look great on paper but the method used to obtain those scores needs to be adjusted.