Japan in the Sungoku Period – A Time of War

Through this worksheet, students learn that the16th century is known in Japan as the Sungoku (“warring states”) period. Although Japan had an emperor, he was largely powerless in the capital city, Kyoto. Instead, powerful warlords known as Daimyo fought one another for control of the country. One way of doing this was by using Ninjawarriors, who were professional spies and mercenaries who gathered intelligence and launched sneak attacks upon the enemy. Much more important, though, were the vast armies of warriors known as the Samurai (“those who serve”). The Samurai had a strict code of conduct called bushido (“The Way of the Warrior”). Bushido is also the guiding principle behind kendo, one of several martial arts (such as judo and jujutsu) that originated in Japan.