Japan 's New International History

Louise Young in her meticulous and groundbreaking monograph, Japan’s Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism, calls for a turn to the study of ordinary people’s agency in building Japanese imperialism and empire. She accurately points out the problem at the root of previous scholarships that concentrate on the state as the sole actor in the history of Japan’s expansionism. Certainly, to drag the ordinary into the swirl of history and the responsibility of its cause is not to negate the state’s role, but to have a fuller picture of how the empire worked at the home front. It is interesting, in this sense, to juxtapose Wilson’s piece along with Young’s to understand Japan’s empire at home in the early 1930s.

Although Japan changed in many ways from 1853 to 1941, there were also many factors that remained the same throughout the history of Japan. One such continuity was the maintained existence of a figurehead ruler controlled by other political authorities. The feudalistic emperor of Japan was the supposed “highest, most powerful authority” in the land, but was actually controlled by the military leaders- the shogun. Similarly, the militaristic emperor of Japan decades later continued to remain a figurehead ruler controlled by military and government officials. In addition, Japan continued to remain reliant on exports in order to maintain its economy. As a result of Japan’s small geographical size, the island nation had few natural resources and was forced to rely on exports to survive economically. The nation also grew increasingly reliant on other nations to provide materials and supplies that it could not provide for itself. This complete reliance on other nations was seen illustrated when the Japanese military was provoked to attacking another superpower- the United States, in response to the 1940 United States embargo

In Peter Duus’ Japanese Discovery of America, the author shows the learning experience that Japan went through in order to become one of the strongest countries in the early 20th century. From 1797 when the first American ship arrived in Japan, to 1879 when President Grant visited the Meiji emperor, Japan, not one of the strongest countries economically and militarily at the time, had interactions with multiple countries that included Russia, England and Portugal. However, Japan’s Confucianism belief and the development of the Tokaido Road served as roots for their quick rise to modernization. Even though multiple countries were cooperating with Japan, the relations with the United States proved to be the most

By the nineteenth century Western nations had developed superior military technology than other countries. Western countries were able to control other nations by coercing them into unfair trading treaties which would leave the country economically dependent on them. The countries rarely resisted successfully due to their insufficient military power. This occured often Asia with only Japan and Thailand remaining independent. Only Japan thrived however and became an imperial power. Japan was an isolated country until the United States forcibly opened it to trade. Japan experienced a regime change following a tumultuous time in which western nations coerced Japan into trade treaties. The new government favored capitalism and industry which lead to Japan industrializing impressively fast through “top down” government mandated modernization. Western imperialism forced Japan to modernize in order to remain a sovereign and successful state. Modernization in this case was synonymous with becoming more like the West. Imperialism drastically changed Japanese economic interaction as well as Japanese culture and class system because modernization included becoming more like the West in most aspects but their treatment of women remained the same because the West did not treat women very differently.

the practice by which powerful nations or social orders hope to create and keep up control or effect over weaker nations or society. By the 1800 's, the Western powers had central focuses in this technique. They drove the world in creative advances, giving them a quality while vanquishing distinctive countries. The European Imperialists made tries to vanquish China and Japan. In this methodology, they succeeded by affecting Japan immensely. In any case, they were not as productive with China.

The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan adopted in 1947. It is an unitary state, containing forty-seven administrative divisions, with the Emperor as its head of state. His role is ceremonial and he has no powers related to Government. Instead, it is the Cabinet, composing of the Ministers of State and the Prime Minister, that directs and controls the Government. The Cabinet is the source of power of the Executive branch, and is formed by the Prime Minister, who is the head of government. It is an unitary state, containing forty- seven administrative divisions, with the Emperor as its head of state. Japan was ruled by successive military shoguns. During this period, effective power of the government resided in the Shogun, who officially ruled the country in the name of the Emperor. The Shoguns were the hereditary military Governors.

A person cannot be punished if they did not want to participate. This creates another factor in Hirohito’s prominence post World War two was the image built up in around him that he was just an “unwilling puppet “influenced, manipulated, and excluded by high military officials that he was in fear of. Whether or not his depiction was accurate is still speculated today. This is less of a concern for this paper. Instead the focus is to show examples of this depiction and infer how it kept Hirohito in the public eye. The imagery of the “docile Emperor” can be seen long before World War Two. An example of this image is article entitled “New Emperor of Japan” written by Advocate of peace through Justice in 1927, when Hirohito first ascended to the throne, described him as “modest”, “gentle”, “retiring by nature, and “a lover of peace and simplicity”.

Throughout time, diseases have been personified into changing characters that have major social roles in countries. This piece will focus on the unique and interesting historical, cultural, political relationship of smallpox in Japan. Drawing from the components of the Disease Concept, which analyzes how humans respond to an illness, the biography of smallpox in Japan will be structured as the following: an introduction and succinct history of smallpox, the contingent biography of how the disease has impacted social aspects of Japan, and its historical value.

This text also shows the extreme lengths that the Japanese government went to in order to destroy perceived outward influence especially in the realm of religion. This text clearly shows the tension between government and religion, and truly expresses the happenings of 17th century Japan through the lens of a human being. While our textbook teaches of the actual events which transpired during the timeline of this novel, the novel is far more real and powerful because it presents the events through the lens of human

I find that the juxtaposition of East and West is firmly demonstrated in the written and participative aspects of the military throughout this period. The combination of both ideologies highlights the fractured nature of Japan, connected in part to its Eastern ancestral roots, yet also determined to become a Western empire. However by 1885 this sentiment has changed, evidenced by the work of Fukuzawa Yukichi who argues in favour of adopting Western practices and bluntly saying ‘goodbye’ to

The second half of the comic is a conversation among two boys who discuss the changes happening in Japan based on what they see as well as what they hear from their father. Their discussion draws on the arguments made by Cinzia Arruzza and Anna McClintock, followed by the lecture in class on the Meiji Restoration. Arruzza unitary thesis argues against the idea of patriarchy under a capitalistic system, and that people’s differences are what capitalism feeds on.4 This indicated that most women were exploited, in that they were expected to produce children who would become soldiers or workers and contribute to the nation. McClintock addresses the many ways women were involved in nationalism, mainly as reproducers and participants of national struggles. 5 What McClintock argues is that nationality is passed through the maternity line, and women become designated as multipliers for the

Throughout the course of East Asian history, Japan has been largely influenced by the Asian mainland. From ancient times to the medieval period, significant contributions to Japan can be seen coming from both Korea and China. Both of these countries diffused elements of their cultures to form the basis of Japanese society – namely China. These foreigners would influence various aspects of society including technology, philosophy, politics, and religion.

Japan is an unique oriental country in many aspects, especially in politics and economy, both western practices and traditional nationalism are coexisted in this country. The period 1890-1940 was just followed the Meiji restoration, and was typical in the history of Japan, at that time, Japan was on the way from a feudal country to a capitalistic country, called modernization. Many western practices were being more and more adopted, however, at the same time, traditional rules still had strong influences in Japan. Under this background, this report will discuss the Japanese cultural factors during 1890-1940 that influenced the disclosure

Avakian, Monique. The Meiji Restoration and the Rise of Modern Japan. Boston: Silver Burdett, 1991. 38-54.

It is no secret that for centuries, the Japanese woman has been, to most observers, a model of elegance and graceful beauty. A picture of a kimono-clad, modest, and often silent woman has been plastered everywhere, allowing for the upmost passive subjection. If we look deeper into this image of woman, can we tell if this picture is complete? How do these women painted in representative images far in the modern world? The ideal woman in Japan is expected to be both a good wife, and a wise mother. Though these seem like reasonable expectations, there is a much deeper meaning to them that has shown signs of being outdated. During the 1800’s and 1900’s, women were subjected to society’s vision of them, and could not break free for fear of the