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hunters, fishermen, and gatherers, and archaeologists have found many examples of the distinctive pottery they made from coils of clay mixed with crushed shells and fibers.

TheJomonculturesurvived for thousands of years. In 300 bce , the Yayoi people came to Honshu Island, traveling from Korea and China. The Yayoi were weavers and toolmak- ers. They also brought with themthe practice of cultivating rice in flooded areas of land called paddy fields. Once agriculture was introduced, social classes started to emerge, and landowners gained authority and in- fluence. According to Japanese legend, in

Samurai During the early 10th

century, an elite group of warriors called Samurai emerged. Future Samurai began training as children. Their schooling included not only martial arts but also poetry and religious philosophy. Samurai were expected to live according to a strict moral code called Bushido (the Way of the Warrior), which involved loyalty, respect, and ethical behavior. Instead of facing death or humiliation at the hands of an enemy, Samurai were expected to commit

ritual suicide ( seppuku ). Sometimes girls attended Samurai school, although they did not fight on the battlefield. Samurai were well-respected members of society until the mid- 1870s, when the Samurai class was outlawed under Emperor Meiji and they lost their privileges.

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