A Case Study of Medieval Japan through Art: Samurai Life in Medieval Japan

This module focuses on Japan’s medieval period, including the Kamakura (1185-1333), the Muromachi (1336-1573), and the Momoyama (1573-1603) shogunates.

Night Attack on the Sanjō Palace, from the Illustrated Scrolls of the Events of the Heiji Era (Heiji monogatori emaki) (detail)
Japanese, Kamakura Period, second half of the thirteenth century
Handscroll; ink and color on paper
41.3 x 699.7 cm (16¼ x 275½ in.)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Fenollosa-Weld Collection, 11.4000

Medieval Japan materials:

• “Medieval Japan: An Introductory Essay,” by Ethan Segal, Michigan State University

• “A Case Study of Medieval Japan Through Art: Samurai Life in Medieval Japan” (lesson plan), by Jaye Zola, Retired Teacher and Librarian, Boulder Valley Schools

• Print the Entire Lesson Module (pdf)

The easiest way to provide access to the sources used in the lesson is to have students work with the M2 Online Handout directly on Internet-equipped computers.

If having students work online is not feasible, print out and label the images and post them around the room or at tables where groups can examine them. The images you will need are:

• The Heiji Monogatari Emaki
• The Battles of Ichinotani and Yashima screen
• Images of current bows made to copy those of the past:
  • Horse 3
  • Yabusame
• View of a warrior fighting the Mongols, from Suenaga's Mongol Invasion scrolls
• Golden Pavilion
• Silver Pavilion or Ginkakuji
• Other Japanese rock gardens
• Noh theater images:
  • Japan Arts Council
  • Traditional Japanese Noh Masks
• Hideyoshi’s gold tearoom
• Tearoom layout
• A tea bowl
• A bamboo tea spoon
• A water jar
• Himeji Castle
• Momoyama period armor

If you use printouts of the images, copy the version of M2 Print Handout for student use.

This project is funded by the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.

Created © 2008 Program for Teaching East Asia, University of Colorado.