Answer: The Shinto religion of Japan is based on the worship of ancestral spirits and natural phenomena, such as mountains, rivers, and trees. It emphasizes a deep reverence for the natural world and the importance of maintaining harmony with the environment.
Explanation: During the Middle Ages, Japanese society was organized into a strict hierarchy, with the emperor at the top and the peasants at the bottom. The samurai warrior class held significant power and influence, serving as the military elite and enforcing the laws of the land.
Japan's isolation from other societies, which began in the early 17th century and lasted for over two centuries, had both positive and negative effects on Japanese society. On the one hand, it allowed Japan to develop a unique and distinct culture that was largely free from outside influence. On the other hand, it limited Japan's access to new ideas and technologies and left it vulnerable to foreign powers when it finally emerged from isolation in the mid-19th century.