1. Feudal Japan and Europe: a Comparison

3. Japan and Western Europe are two places on opposite sides of the earth, yet both had a time period known as the feudal period . Japan's feudal age (12 th century to the 15 th century) is comparable in many ways to Europe's feudal age (9 th century through the 15 th century, also known as the Middle Ages.)

5. Feudal Japan 1. Samurai 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Feudal Europe 1. Knights 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Similarities Similarities: Feudal Japan 1. Samurai 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Feudal Europe 1. Knights 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Similarities: Feudal Japan 1. Samurai 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Feudal Europe 1. Knights 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Similarities: Feudal Japan 1. Samurai 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Feudal Europe 1. Knights 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important

6. Feudal Japan 1. Seppuku or hari-kari; stoic acceptance of death 2. Lord-vassal relationship based on moral code 3. Any son or adopted son was heir 4. Women should have a samurai attitude - be tough 5. Interest in the arts and learning Differences Similarities: Feudal Japan 1. Samurai 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Feudal Europe 1. Knights 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Similarities: Feudal Japan 1. Samurai 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Feudal Europe 1. Knights 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Similarities: Feudal Japan 1. Samurai 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Feudal Europe 1. Knights 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important

7. Feudal Europe 1. Survival, death as glory limited to the Crusades 2. Lord-vassal relationship based on legal code 3. Only firstborn son was heir 4. Cult of chivalry - women put on pedestal as fragile, inferior beings 5. Some contempt shown for arts and learning Differences Similarities: Feudal Japan 1. Samurai 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Feudal Europe 1. Knights 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Similarities: Feudal Japan 1. Samurai 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Feudal Europe 1. Knights 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Similarities: Feudal Japan 1. Samurai 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important Feudal Europe 1. Knights 2. Loyalty 3. Bravery, honor 4. Lord-vassal relationship 5. Family lineage important

8. The Warriors Japan and Europe's feudalistic times also shared many traits of the dominant soldier culture. The Samurai and the English knight both serve as a sort of mascot for their respective cultures, and they have much in common.

9. Code of Ethics It was an unspoken standard that if a Samurai were disgraced he would ritualistically kill himself in repentance. Knights and the idea of chivalry were based on the same concept but it had several differences.

10. On face value the code of ethics shared much in common with Samurai, however the Knights were not as dedicated or as disciplined as the samurai. The code was broken regularly and greed was as prevalent as honor.

11. Though many details were different, and though the Samurai were more successful, Knighthood and the Samurai had the same ideals in mind, so many of the ideals behind the two feudal governments may have been similar as well.

12. Women in Feudal Europe It should come as no surprise that women, whether they were nobles or peasants, held a difficult position in society. They were largely confined to household tasks such as cooking, baking bread, sewing, weaving, and spinning.

13. Women in Feudal Europe However, they also hunted for food and fought in battles, learning to use weapons to defend their homes and castles . Some medieval women held other occupations. There were women blacksmiths, merchants, and apothecaries .

14. Women in Feudal Europe Others were midwives, worked in the fields, or were engaged in creative endeavors such as writing, playing musical instruments, dancing, and painting.

15. Women in Heian and Feudal Japan In the early feudal period, samurai women were expected to exhibit loyalty, bravery, and take on the duty of revenge. As her warrior husband was often absent, the samurai wife also had important duties at home.

16. Women in Feudal Japan Her responsibility was the food and all the household supplies. She oversaw the harvesting of crops, managed all the servants, and took over all financial business in terms of disorder. In matters which concerned the well-being of the family, her advice was sought and her opinions respected.

17. Women in Heian and Feudal Japan On her, too, fell the burden of providing the proper education of her children. She was to instill in them a strong sense of loyalty to the samurai ideals of courage and physical strength. .

18. Women in Feudal Japan I n wartime women sometimes had to defend their homes. Trained in weaponry, women carried a dagger in their sleeves or sashes and could throw with deadly aim. The naginata , a long, curved sword , was considered the weapon most suitable for women.

19. Sometimes women joined men in battle, actually fighting alongside them or encouraging the troops. Like their husbands, women were expected to commit suicide if the family was dishonored in any way. Some women used suicide as a form of protest against injustice.