The Charter Oath

Tokugawa Ieyasu, the third of Japan’s unifiers, was able to create a stable regime that brought peace to Japan for 250 years. Under his system, “the centralization of feudal state and society went much further than it had in the earlier periods.” (Sources, 121). During this time, Shogun and roughly 260 feudal lords, called daimyos, ruled Japan. According to law, the positions of daimyos were inherited, which meant that a daimyo would be succeeded by one of his sons and this succession would be approved by the Shogun. The Shogun was theoretically selected by the emperor, who fulfilled his role as the “final legitimizing authority in Japan” (sources 121).

While ongoing change became the status quo in late-Tokugawa era Japan the ideals of the samurai—and the respect they receive—endured. And, because samurai could still fall back on the prestige their class represented, members of society still

When Japan was at the turning point of its economy and in the process of forming a new government, Nakae Chomin wrote A Discourse by Three Drunkards on Government, a political theory book that primarily deals with question of Japan’s future with an interesting debate between Champion and the Gentleman. Character Champion thought that Japan should step out of their isolated island and become more forceful in its handling of foreign disputes. He believed that Japan will stay weak if Japan did not have the strength and forces to conquer other nations. The Western learning Gentleman on the other side is a proponent of the modern Western notion of liberty and equality. He criticized Western nations for maintaining large armies that drained their economy. He suggested that Japan should abandon all attempts to compete with the West militarily and commit itself fully to the values that the West did not have. Approximately sixty years has passed since then, and Champion, Gentleman, and Master Nankai have gathered around once again to discuss the postwar Japan, the rise of the militarism, imperialist aggression, and the subsequent adoption

During the post classical period, 650 C.E to 1450 C.E, Japanese leaders were confronted with several issues that threatened political order in Japan. The problems that arose during that time included a lack of respect for Buddhism, for example, monks were not taking their vows seriously. Another problem included the division between classes in the social structure, one instance was when the lady-in-waiting in the temple showed disdain for the peasants in a lower class than her. Ultimately, one last problem was the lack of overall respect for the government. Samurais were not being properly trained and the Daimyo were fighting among themselves simply for power. The issues that presented themselves during this time period can be solved in many ways. Buddhism, a unified religion, reestablishing Confucian values and relationships, and properly training the Samurai are just

The young warriors were taught to sacrifice everything for the emperor or lord. In Japan, the emperor represented the laws and the state and was considered divine. Loyalty was an ethical demand stemming from this political theory. A samurai was obligated to appeal to the wisdom of his lord by committing seppuku.

The Japanese empire was in great power by this time period, and they thought themselves as the king of the East Asian race. Japan, the “old order”, also believed that some day Europe and America would take over their power and become the “new orders”(Doc A). Japan was one

One of the biggest changes that happened in the Japanese society because of the Meiji Restoration was the change in social structure. Instead of being dictated their roles in life by the Tokugawa Shogunate, “millions of people were free to choose their occupation and move without restrictions” (AFA, 2014). However not all previous social roles were allowed to continue on under Emperor Meiji. The Samurai social class was made obsolete (ABC Splash, 2016). Instead a new army, modelled on the superior strength of the American army was formed. By making people free to choose their

The main idea of document 1 is to show what is expected from a samurai. Initially, the image shows the proper armour that the samurai should be wearing. The armour consists of a kimono, helmet, and many more. This picture proves that samurai should be wearing the proper armour. Also, samurais are expected to carry the right weapons. For example, a samurai must have bow and arrow, and two swords. The image demonstrates the weapons that samurai is expected to carry with him. Moreover, a samurai must follow Bushido. Samurais are expected to follow the unwritten code of conduct. The central idea of Document 1 is to describe what is expected from a

Under the Tokugawa Regime, Japan enjoyed more than two centuries of stability and peace. Were it not for a mix of external pressure and its resulting internal discontent, it is feasible that the Tokugawa could have maintained Japanese society for many years to come. The now legendary samurai Saigo Takamori would spend his youth under the regime, while his adulthood would see him overthrowing it. What was it that could cause Saigo to scorn the Tokugawa who had successfully led Japan for so long? It was a combination of the Tokugawa’s decline in traditional ethics as well as modern relevance that caused the principled Saigo to watch its decline with anticipation.

Kotoku was born in 1871 in rural Tosa and matured in the hectic reform years of the Meiji period. During his maturity, Japan was undergoing changes that lead to impending dangers. The years of the Meiji Restoration in 1868 changed from feudal system of the Edo period to a compulsory system of equal education and enlistment to the army. Japan underwent intense reforms that changed its social, political, and economic aspects. The reforms shook the foundations of the dying regime and gave birth to a new society. The social Caste system was toppled, and the day to day lives of the Japanese changed with a revolution. This achievement was shortly thereafter betrayed by the ruling party. The ruling elite’s imperialistic pursuit was viewed as a betrayal to the Meiji Restoration. The revolution promised a fair society in submission of universal ideals. While in Tosa, Kotoku was educated in the new educational system and its new political ideals, which had opened up due to radical Meiji reforms. He was known as a socialist and anarchist because of his distaste towards the political leaders as he felt betrayed by the promise of the Meiji restoration. The revolution became a restoration of the past and reinstated the emperor as the one true ruler. Kotoku believed in completing the revolution that had

Kawai’s main point is that the role of the emperor will be brought into question as his newly reduced powers do not compliment Japan’s social structure. Ward hold a similar argument in that he believes that the constitution was rushed and poorly imposed upon Japan. Ward uses a detailed described of the process as to which the constitution goes through and uses this to demonstrate how it’s forcefully imposed nature proved to be counterproductive for the American initiative. Both writers maintain the notion that the constitution is an alien invention which proves less than productive for completing the objective of creating a democratic Japan. The issue that arises from these articles is whether or not the constitution was an effective or even a necessary change in Japan.

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

Gluck, Carol. Japan’s Modern Myths: Ideology in the Late Meiji Period. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985), 73.>> The emperor, “as an embodiment of Japan’s sense of national identity, as a bridge linking traditional sources of legitimacy to the new state authority, as the father figure which justified his subjects’ self-discipline and sarifice [became] both a rallying point for his people and a means of concentrating authority behind the emerging national leadership; the emperor came to symbolize all the forces of self-control and enforced stability which combined to channel the prime energies of the Japanese toward meeting the foreign challenge and toward adopting essential social and economic reforms.” <<5

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

Meiji Restoration was a significant historical event not only in Japanese history but also in world history. A study (Hunt, Lynn, Thomas, & Barbara, 2009) concluded that the word “Meiji” means “enlightened rule” and the goal was to combine “modern advances” with “eastern” values. This event restored practical imperial rule to Japan under Emperor Meiji in 1868 (“Meiji Restoration”, 2017). As a result, it led to the tremendous changes in political and social structure of Japan, and spanned both the Late Tokugawa period and the beginning of the Meiji period (“Meiji Restoration”, 2017). The main causes of Meiji Restoration can be analyzed from the following different aspects.