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Like Japan, not just anybody could become royalty. Kings and queens came from a long descent of an Imperial family. Tradition was that the first born son of the king would become the next ruler following the kings death. However, if no legitimate son were born then the daughter would become queen. In Europe, the royal family and institution was usually called the Monarchy. Usually in both Japan and throughout Europe communism was a result of the selfish rulers who monopolized businesses and standardized the feudal system, which restricted the poor from ever becoming wealthy. Both Japan and Europe needed to laws for their citizens to maintain order: Japan attempted to implement China's criminal and civil codes system named ritsuryo as a means to centralized government control. As a means of maintaining order the country was divided into provinces, which were run by governors who were usually called warrior-land-owners or samurai's, appointed by the central government, and further into districts, and villages. Toward the end of the ninth century, Japan's civilization began to take on its own special characteristics and forms, which was important as Japan had always adopted Chinese institutions. Europe had made its laws based on the Code of Hammurabi, which were the first laws ever codified. To make ruling the European countries easier each country divided the countries into city-states, which each had appointed governors. The governors and nights of the Monarchy became a class of their own called the nobility almost at the top of the feudal chart. In both Japan and Europe the elegance of the royal courts has never been matched to this day. Great elegance and refinement marked life in Japan and Europe's capitals. In Europe and Japan great castles were built marking the capital of each separate country. The royal families promoted the arts, medicine, and science. One of the most memorable of European castles lies just outside of Paris, France. The Palace of Versailles built by King Louis XIV in the seventeenth century. In Japan however, the funerals of the emperors and empresses was more memorable. Kofun Mounds were mounds of earth piled over their ruler's graves. The largest keyhole tomb measured 486m in length, 305m in width, and 33.6m in height. It was provided for Emperor Nintoku. One of the major differences between Europe and Japan was colonization: As individual European countries scrambled to gain more territory to add to their Empires, Japan feared the changes that visiting countries brought. When other countries visited Japan with imports to trade they also brought with them a new religion, Christianity. Japanese Emperors feared the chaos that a new religion would bring and decided to shut the rest of the world out. Only the Dutch were allowed to trade with the Japanese as a need remained to be informed of the rest of the world and medical advances. In both Europe and Japan all taxes went to the central government: In Europe the nobility were responsible for collecting taxes from their serfs and giving them to the central government. In return for the efforts of the nobility, they received property and significant tax breaks. In both Japan and Europe the tax burden was always on the poor. As a result of such high taxes the poor remained poor generation after generation. In France during the seventeenth century King Louis XIV put taxes on everything including bread. At that point the serfs could no longer afford to eat, and were fed up with the feudal system. Thus, the French Revolution began. In Japan similar experiences occurred, however the serfs were kept silence because the Buddhist faith forbids violence. The emperors took great advantage of their positions and began creating monopolies especially with exporting companies. The emperors placed such high taxes on privately owned exporting companies that the only jobs that the Japanese could afford were working for the emperor. As a result violence, riots, and chaos were always an issue during the ancient periods. Kings and emperors would become greedy and almost steal from the poor. When violence and chaos increased, warrior-land-lords bonded in alliance with more powerful warrior chiefs in attempt to establish order. Out of this system of loyalty emerged the samurai ("one who serves") who vowed to protect his or her personal chief and the peasants who worked the land. The division of labor widened the gap between ruling and subject classes at this time in Japan. Unlike Europe, Japan's economy relied on internal money flow: The rest of the world had no need or interest for Japanese products. European countries, on the other hand, relied heavily upon exporting. The British relied upon exporting sugars, coffee, tea, and in the later part of the eighteenth century textiles. France had founded industries in silk, tapestries, and china. Colonization for Europe was not only about expanding territory. It was about exploiting the resources in new territory in order to increase their exports, and decrease imports. Japan had a very unique style that was not readily accepted by the Western European world. Within Japan the cultivation of rice, and metalworking were of great importance. Unlike Europe, Japan was not harmed by the Black Death: Between 1347 and 1350, it is estimated that the Black Death took twenty-five million lives, at a time when Europe's total population was only around sixty million . By the fourteenth century, a heavily declining population resulted in the shrinking of markets, a decrease in fertile land and a general mood of pessimism were evidence of deteriorating economic conditions. The arrival of the Black Death caused the main ports to be heavily restricted having a devastating impact on all European economies. The arrival of the Black Death caused a large set back for the development of Europe for almost another century. It took Europe a long time to rebuild its population, and cultivate neglected land. The plague was to return a few more times before the sixteenth century. Japan and Europe believed in different religions: The Japanese had three main religions, Shintoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Shintoism is Japan's native religion. It stresses the worship of nature and ancestors, Shinto is a form of animism, which is the belief that trees, stones, plants, and so on have living souls (kami). The lower classes continued to worship their familiar nature-gods even when their emperors became pious Buddhists. The Confucian philosophy originated in China and the Japanese too eventually practiced it. It is both a conservative philosophy and a guide to personal conduct. The focus for all relationships is harmony. To achieve harmony, everyone must understand li, the idea of proper behavior in a society where people have a range of abilities and levels of status. Everyone has a place, tradition eventually became the basis of Chinese philosophy and government became reality. In Europe Christian and Protestant faiths were the most common. The Christian religion was unique because it has remained the only religion in the world accepted by so many different cultures through the most trying of centuries. However, the two distinct religions would put a wedge between half of the population in Europe for many centuries. It was inevitable that the growing division between Christian churches in Europe would lead to a series of armed conflicts for over a century. Protestants and Catholics would shed each other's blood in monstrous amounts in national wars and in civil wars that to this day continue in Ireland and Scotland. These struggles would eventually shatter the European monarchical traditions themselves. Protestants unhappy with the rule of Catholic kings challenged the monarchy, which had always seemed an invincible political institution. The final result of these struggles would be the overthrow and execution of Charles I in England in the middle of the seventeenth century, an historical earthquake that permanently changed the face of Europe. Both Japanese and European rulers used religion as a means of control: Buddhism was warmly welcomed into Japan by the Soga clan, an important family in the Yamato court. The Soga saw Buddhism's emphasis pacification and protection of the state as a means to ensure their continued administration of Japan. Buddhism was embraced as a set of cultural values rather than a religion. Prince Shotoku Taisha (AD 593-622) became a devout Buddhist who retained a Korean tutor and studied Buddhist Writings intensely. China, where the emperor was of pivotal importance, became a model. Representatives were sent to the Sui and Tang court to learn and bring back fundamentals of Chinese philosophy, art, law, and government. Shotoku's dedication to Buddhism was reflected in the temple construction program he pursued, and by A.D. 624, Japan had forty-six Buddhist temples. The serfs in Japan had always remained loyal to the Shintoism faith but by the eight-century, Shintoism and Buddhism reconciled. This was critical since the Japanese Imperial family gained its sanctity from the Shinto sun-goddess. As for the introduction of Christianity the main reason, which led to the complete dissipation of Christianity in Japan by 1638, was the government's intentions to excerpt absolute control over its people. This would not have been possible with the interference of a foreign religion like Christianity at that time. The shogunate realized that Christianity could be potentially an explosive power. The Tokugawa shogunate barred entry to all foreigners, except a handful of Dutch traders confined to the small island of Dejima in Nagasaki Bay. For two and a half centuries the Dutch were the only contacts between Japan and Western Europe. It was through the Dutch traders that Japanese scholars were able to acquire a basic knowledge of Western medicine and other sciences during the country's long period of isolation. In Europe the Christian church served as a leader that held Western Europe together. The Church was the key to the integration of cultures and the dominant institution during the Middle Ages. The missionaries helped spread government and justice to the barbarians and convert them to Christianity. During the invasions of the fifth and sixth centuries the church assumed many political responsibilities that the Roman Empire had previously preformed. So the church became a big part of the governing of Europe. Popes, Bishops, and Church leaders gained much power. The church even maintained law courts to punish the disobedient, it served as a hospital for the sick, and even as an inn for travelers. When the church supported the monarchy so did the serfs. The role of the Church was more powerful in Europe: During the feudal period, the church was the strangest force that held Europe together for three main reasons. The church baptized babies when they were born, it held wedding ceremonies, and it conducted the burial services when a citizen died. Many feudal lords gave fiefs to the church in return for services conducted to the church. As a result the church ended up owning the most land throughout Europe. The church also became very powerful by threatening expulsion from the church. Which meant to be cut off from the church completely and to give up hope of ever going to heaven. Another threat that the church held was to interdict. Meaning that all the churches on a lord's land would be closed down, none of the wedding, baptizing or burial services would be conducted, and the bells would never ring. Most often the people on the land would rebel, resulting with the lord yielding to the church. I think this is how "blackmail" started. Both Japanese and European civilizations implemented the feudal system: In Japan, the feudal period is generally dated from the late 12th century to 1600. These years are known as the Kamakura and the Ashikaga Era's. In Western Europe, the feudal period, often called the Middle Ages, began in the 9th century and lasted through the 18th century. During the feudal periods in both Japan and Europe, a ruler shared military and political power with loyal followers who controlled vast territories, government, architecture, warfare, art, literature, religion, agriculture, and trade. War played a central part in the history of Japan. Conflicting clans controlled much of the country. A chief headed each clan, and was usually the ancestor of Japan's imperial family. The wars were usually about "land." Only a small portion of the land in Japan was fit for farming. The struggle for control of that land eventually gave rise to the Samurai. They gave complete loyalty to their feudal landowners and received land and position in return. Each landowner used his Samurai to protect his land and to expand his power and rights to more land. In Europe, attempts by the nobility and mercantile elite to mandate the wages and services of the peasantry and to protect their market monopolies led to violent revolts that were very often cruelly suppressed. Many revolts occurred, but the ruling classes managed to maintain their power. Both Japanese and European women shared similar rights: There are not very many records of women in ancient Japan. It is however known that a few women had been empresses, which means something in relation with the level of respect for women in the ancient times. Europe also had its great queens. In Great Britain, Queen Elizabeth, Catherine the Great of Russia, and so on. In Europe religion also played a large role in the level of respect men felt for women. Those who believed in Christianity believed in Mary the mother of Christ. As such beliefs were instilled upon believers, women were veered as holy, motherly, and nurturing. However, some men felt that women were evil, and in the later part of the nineteenth century women were even accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake. In both Japan and Europe women had rights but it is not clear as to what those rights were exactly. It is known that in Egypt women had rights to property and actually held administrative positions. However, from my own personal knowledge women throughout Europe were not eligible to receive property through inheritance. If their father were to die the property would go to their brother, husband, or the fathers brothers if he had any. Judging the culture and status of women in Japan now it is safe to assume that their privileges were no different than those of European women. Bibliography: Word Count: 2438
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