1.1 Developments in East Asia c. 1200- c. 1450

Spread the cultural traditions & technology from China.

• Religion: The Japanese combined Buddhism with their Shinto religion. Shinto was based on respect for the forces of nature and ancestor worship. Buddhist rituals became part of Shinto
• Government: Japanese rulers such as Prince Shotoku worked on building a strong central government similar to the Chinese government
• Culture: The Japanese adopted  Chinese styles of cooking, gardening, drinking tea, and even hairdressing. they based their system of writing on Chinese characters.
• The Arts: Japanese artists borrowed techniques and themes from the Chinese painters. In addition, Japanese architecture incorporated features of China's.
• Agriculture: Japan began to raise rice using the wet-field method of the Chinese.

The economy of Song China became increasingly commercialized while continuing to depend on free peasant and artisanal labor. 

Their economy flourished as a result of increased productive capacity, expanding trade networks, and innovations in agriculture and manufacturing.

~

“Emperor Zhengdong, being deeply concerned with agriculture, came to know the Champa rice from Vietnam was drought resistant and that the green lentils of India were famous for their heavy yield and large seeds. Special envoys, bringing precious things, were dispatched with a view to securing these varieties … When the first harvests were reaped in the autumn, the emperor called his closest ministers to taste them and compose poems for Champa rice and Indian green lentils.”

Shu Wenying, Buddhist monk, China, 11th century CE