Social Studies: History for Middle School Students Japan's Path and World Events (first revised edition) [Teikoku Shoin] Let's make cards of historical figures! Points to remember when studying with this textbook Chapter 1  The Orientation Hall: The Course of History and Regional History 1. Fun Discovering History What is history? A mysterious picture of one town Let's investigate the history of familiar things Let's capture the major transitions of history —historical eras in a chronological table 2. Investigating History Around Us (Using Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, as an Example) Let's discover a theme to research outside of class Let's gather information about our region Let's carry out fieldwork and interviews Let's organize and summarize our data Let's make a presentation and critique each other's work Chapter 2  The Prehistoric and Ancient Exhibit Hall: Ancient States and East Asia 1. From the Advent of Humans to the Birth of Civilization Humans arrive in the islands of Japan Chinese civilization and its heavy influence on East Asia <Exploring world history1 : Civilizations of the world> Changes in lifestyle as a result of rice farming Villages come together to create a state 2. The Wa State in East Asia Increasing exchange with the Korean Peninsula <Historical stage[1] : The area around Gunma-machi, a village with kofun tumuli> The Yamato kingdom in East Asia 3. Government and Culture Built Around the Emperor and Aristocracy <Traveling back in time : The ancient era (seventh to eighth century)> Nation-building learned from China The lives of the people under the ritsuryô system The powerful aristocracy The culture developed by the emperor and aristocracy <Historical stage[2] : Heiankyô, capital for 1,000 years> <Historical challenge : Deciphering the mysteries of the picture hand scrolls> <Personal experience report : Lighting a fire and wearing Heian costumes> <Let's go out to survey our area : Prehistoric and ancient version> Chapter 3  The Medieval Age Exhibit Hall: Warrior Government and East Asia 1. The Beginning of the Warrior Era <Traveling back in time : The medieval age, part 1 (thirteenth to fourteenth century)> The advent of the warrior—a specialist in fighting The beginning of warrior government <Historical stage[3] : Kamakura, a warrior capital surrounded by mountains and sea> The Mongol army that attacked from across the sea Culture formed by the rise of the warrior class 2. An Age Open to the Sea <Traveling back in time : The medieval age, part 2 (fifteenth century)> The emperor's defiance of the warrior class and the civil war of the Northern and Southern Courts The Japanese pirates and the trade system of East Asia East Asian commerce carried out by the Ryûkyû and Ainu people The division of the country during the Sengoku period 3. Lifestyles and Culture Linked to Today Improvements in production and the rise of various specialists A world where people defended themselves Drastic changes in the lives of commoners <Historical challenge : Unraveling the mystery of a sunken ship> <Personal experience report : Making steel for armor and helmets> <Let's go out to survey our area : Medieval age version> Chapter 4  The Early Modern Age Exhibit Hall: The Development of Warrior Government and Changes in the World 1. From the Chaos of War to Unification <Traveling back in time : The early modern era, part 1 (sixteenth century)> The "southern barbarians" who came from Europe <Exploring world history2 : The inter-connected world> <Historical stage[4] : Sakai, a window on European culture> National unification by Nobunaga and Hideyoshi The early modern era that commenced with Hideyoshi's policies A culture of rivalry between warriors and wealthy merchants 2. The Shogunal System and East Asia An end to chaos and the birth of the Edo shogunate Living under a class system The shogunate's regulation of trade The four windows to the world The Ryûkyû Kingdom and its unique culture The Ainu people who valued nature 3. An Era of Peace <Traveling back in time : The early modern era, part 2 (seventeenth to eighteenth century)> People's hard work and the development of industry A nation brought together through commerce <Historical stage[5] : Sakata, a base for western-bound sea traffic> The spread of chônin [urban bourgeois] culture from cities <Historical stage[6] : Edo, one of the world's few million-population cities> 4. Changes in Society and Measures in Response to It Expansion of the commerce economy and technological development Social disorder and the shogunate's policies to address it The advance of foreign nations and waves of reform New areas of study and the culture of commoners <Historical challenge : Making a historical drama out of a favorite moment in history> <Personal experience report : Living in a farming village> <Let's go out to survey our area  Early modern era version> Chapter 5  The Modern Age Exhibit Hall 1: Japan in the Modern Era and the International Community 1. The Impact of the Western Nations and Japan Popular revolutions demanding freedom and equality The Industrial Revolution that altered lives around the world The advance of Western nations around the world From the arrival of Perry to the opening of Japan The movement to overthrow the shogunate and the wishes of the people 2. With New Value Systems <Traveling back in time : The modern era, part 1 (nineteenth century)> The Meiji Restoration and the new Meiji government Working to "enrich the country, strengthen the military" Modernization of towns and villages <Historical stage[7] : Kobe and Yokohama, gateways to Western culture> In search of new foreign relations Changes in Okinawa and Hokkaidô <Historical stage[8] : The settlement and development of Hokkaidô> 3. Steps Toward Establishing the National Diet People's dissatisfaction and resistance Demanding freedom and civil rights The fruit of and challenges faced by the Constitution of the Empire of Japan The formation of "Japanese citizens" 4. From Japan of Asia to Japan of the World The Sino-Japanese War over the control of Korea The Russo-Japanese War and Japan's situation The map of Asia redrawn The silk and steel that supported modern Japan The light and dark sides of being a "nation of the first rank" <Historical challenge : Thinking about the relationship between East Asia and Japan> <Personal experience report : Experiencing the light of candles and oil lamps> <Let's go out to survey our area : Modern era version 1> Chapter 6  The Modern Age Exhibit Hall 2: The Two World Wars and Japan 1. The World Order and Taishô Democracy <Traveling back in time : The modern era, part 2 (the first half of the twentieth century)> The First World War and total war Japan's entry into the war and the impact of the war Voices calling for peace and independence Rule by political parties elected by the people The development of cities and social movements Popular culture and street culture <Historical stage[9] : Village life and modernization in the Saku region> 2. The War Japan Waged in Asia The global depression and the decisions of various countries Japan faces an impasse Japan's advance and China's resistance From the expansion of the war to the Second World War Colonial rule and resistance The protracted war and hardships in daily life <Historical stage[10] : The battlefield of Okinawa> The dropping of the atomic bombs in August 1945 Various views of defeat and the start of the "postwar era" <Historical challenge : Thinking about information and education during the war> <Let's go out to survey our area : Modern era version 2> Chapter 7  The Modern Age Exhibit Hall 3: Contemporary Japan and the World 1. Japan's Postwar Growth and International Relations The constitution needed for a new era A cold war and the United Nations Japan's independence and security Development known as high economic growth Changes in international relations and Japan 2. Japan and the World in the Future Changes in the world and Japan Returning to our own situation today Adobe Acrobat Reader is free software that lets you view and print Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. To access PDF files you need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, you can download it below.