What is the difference between Japanese and European feudalism?

The feudal systems in Europe and Japan happened at different times. The feudalism of Europe was based on the Germanic law while the feudalism of the Japanese was based on the Chinese Confucian law. It is true that there are certain similarities between the two such as the fact that the best warriors were considered to be part of the most important class.

In Japan, the warriors were called samurais and in Europe, the warriors were called knights. This is just one difference between the two types of feudalism. The religions that the feudalism of the European and Japanese based on are also different. The Europeans based it on the Roman Catholic religion while the Japanese focused on Buddhism.

Feudalism is a social system based on personal ownership and personal fidelity to one’s Lord. This was practiced in Europe and Japan in the medieval ages. Some of the notable difference between the European and Japanese feudalism includes: The feudal system in Europe is believed to be older than that of Japan. As at 9th century, feudalism had gone to a large extent in European while that of Japan didn’t start till around the 12th century.

The Japanese feudalism was based on Chinese Confucian law and Buddhism, while the European feudalism is believed to be significantly influenced by the Romans, the Catholic Church, and Germanic laws. The European feudalism had a more centralized system. The Knights were faithful to their King and were after the safety of their people, but that of the Emperor had no full authority over their local aristocracy.