5.3.2 East Asia through the 18th Century - analyzing the changes in Japanese society by describing the role of geography in the development of Japan, the policies of the Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa Shogunate 1600-1868: Japan under the rule of Tokugawa Ieyasu Christianity was outlawed and trade with foreigners. As a result, Japan was cut off from the outside world for over 200 years.
Geography: Japan is a small country formed by an archipelago (a chain of islands) which helped to keep it isolated from outside influences. But outside influences came none the less, from China. Buddhism made the 500 mile sea journey from China (100 from Korea) to Japan around 500 CE to become the uniquely Japanese version: Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism emphasized self-discipline which really resonated with the militaristic class of samurai. Technology from China also made an impact on Japan, with paper, porcelain and iron goods dominating Japans foreign trade.
Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa shogunate in 1600, after a period of civil war that began in 1467. Fighting had broken out among various daimyos (warlords) over succession of the shogun, the supreme military leader of Japan. Ieyasu hoped to stabilize the country and end the unrest by increasing his control over the daimyos. He required that they spend every other year at the capital, Edo (now Tokyo), where he could more easily monitor them and prevent rebellion.
Relationships with the outside world became closely controlled. Japanese were forbidden from going abroad and from constructing large ships. Europeans were expelled from Japan, and foreign merchants were not allowed to trade in Japanese ports – only exception was a small number of Chinese and Dutch ships. Despite all these restrictions, the Japanese economy grew, as agricultural production increased and the population grew. In this comparatively peaceful era, the samurai warrior class took on more administrative responsibilities.
Relationships with the outside world became closely controlled. Japanese were forbidden from going abroad and from constructing large ships. Europeans were expelled from Japan, and foreign merchants were not allowed to trade in Japanese ports – only exception was a small number of Chinese and Dutch ships. Despite all these restrictions, the Japanese economy grew, as agricultural production increased and the population grew. In this comparatively peaceful era, the samurai warrior class took on more administrative responsibilities.
Christianity had made some important inroads in Japan by 1580, with 150,000 Japanese Christian converts, but the government ended these missions and outlawed the religion. The government even went as far as to torture and execute the missionaries who did not leave, as well as the Japanese Christians who did not renounce their religion. Dutch merchants continued to be the principal source of information about Europe during this time, keeping the Japanese up-to-date with important scientific and technological developments.
So why the resistance to outside ideas and people?
Europeans entered Japan in 1543 when Portuguese sailors shipwrecked and were washed up in the shore of the southern island of Kyushu. Additional visits from European traders and missionaries brought Western technology, including clocks and firearms, into Japan. The use of firearms changed Japanese warfare from feudal to modern and assisted the Tokugawa in maintaining their authority. When Christian missionaries arrived to bring Roman Catholicism to the Japanese, the Tokugawa at first protected them from Buddhist resistance. In the late 1580s, however, the Tokugawa stifled Buddhist resistance to their authority. Christianity was perceived as a threat to Tokugawa authority, and Christian missionaries were ordered to leave Japan. Japanese Christians were persecuted and executed. By 1630, foreign trade was allowed only in a few cities and Japanese ships were banned from trading or sailing across long distances. By the 1640s, only the Dutch and Chinese were allowed to trade through the port of Nagasaku. Contacts with the Dutch allowed the Japanese to keep informed about Western developments (known as Dutch Learning) and adopt those they considered appropriate to Japanese goals.
Assignment: Answer the following questions for each link
Overview of Japan
3.What percentage of the population were peasants?
4.Why did Tokugawa see missionaries as a threat?
- how long did the Tokugawa Shogunate last?
3.What percentage of the population were peasants?
4.Why did Tokugawa see missionaries as a threat?
Japanese Society
- What happened to Japan’s manufacturing industries under the Tokugawa Shogunate?
- With peace restored in Japan, how did the role of the samurai change?
- What was the dominant faith of the Tokugawa period?
The Floating World
- What was Japan like before Tokugawa took power?
- What does the term “Floating World” refer to and what ended it?
- What was the goal of the Sword Hunt?