The Impact Of The Military Revolution On Japan

The warring states period in Japan was one of constant military dispute. It started in 1467 and went for 136 years and only ended when all the clans unified under the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603. This period definitely had a large effect in the making of modern Japan because it was a time of growing culture and strong economics. The economy grew despite the wars raging and trade was big this indicates the sophisticated craft and manufacturing industries in Japan. These are the main reasons for the start of the warring states period and how this era affected modern Japan.

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

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

It is clear that Japan’s ‘three unifiers’ were beneficial to the development of Japan in three fundamental areas: social, economic and political. Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu are known for unifying Japan after the sengoku period (c. 1467 – c. 1603), a time of internal conflict. While each unifier had a different approach to developing Japan, the corroboration of each new policy resulted in an improved Japan which set foundations for lasting central rule.

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.

Kon'nichiwa! I’m Japan! You probably know me for my aesthetic cherry blossoms and splendid anime, but let me tell you, things weren’t always as kawaii as they seemed. For a loooong time, I was isolated from other countries by my own shoguns and daimyos, my militaristic dictators and their warrior landlords respectively. We got along fine at first, but my common people were becoming increasingly unhappy with their little political power and heavy taxes. Then, on a fateful day in July of 1853, I met… the West.

Economically, Japan is one of the most highly developed nations in the world. Japanese brand like Toyota, Sony, Fujifilm and Panasonic are famous across the globe. One common pattern which is followed by Japan from the very beginning is to import raw materials and processed them to make finished products which are sold domestically and exported. Agriculture and transportation are the highly developed industries in Japan. Japan’s main agricultural product is rice and most rice eaten in Japan is home grown. Shinkansen, or bullet trains ,are

Showa: The Japan of Hirohito, edited by Carol Gluck and Stephen R. Graubard, seeks to find the answers to many questions that are commonly asked about Japan and its history. As stated in the title, this book focuses on the Hirohito era in Japanese history from 1926 to 1989. In the Introduction, Gluck states that there were two main issues for Japan in the twentieth century, “how Japan came to aggressive war and then to macroeconomic might” (xi). The unstable relationship between Japan and the United States is also an underlying theme of the book. The three chapters to be examined in this paper are, “The Useful War,” “The People Who Invented the Mechanical Nightingale,” and “Japan Meets the United States for the Second Time.”

The Tokugawa shogunate was a transition period in which Japan began to modernize and began trading due to the arrival of Commodore Perry. Society during this period was based on strict class hierarchy with tight restrictions for social mobility. With urbanization, came an increase reliance on markets and merchants for funds which increased the need and want for trade with the Western nations. The images displayed in chapter two show the progress of events and how the Western nation influenced Japan. It begins with images of how the Japanese viewed the world, moving on towards the arrival of Commodore Perry, to the modernization of the port cities where a lot of trade occurred, to the beheading of the domain lord by anti-foreign Japanese citizens,

The Japanese’s foundation of strength and character relied on an ever present honor system. This character not only went into their everyday lives but also their military. The Empire of Japan‘s militarization benefitted the people by embodying the best characteristics and highest morals of the Japanese people, thereby encouraging people to keep faith in their

The Tokugawa period signified the beginning of an eventual shift from Fascism in Japan. This  was possible through the growing supremacy of the ruling class that brought about this change.   The country went through many serious transitions during this period. Peace was enforced by a Shogun that demanded absolute loyalty from his daimyos.

Two of the most apparent external influences for Japan to enter into World War Two would have to the opening of japan to trade from Commodore Perry, and economic and trade sanctions imposed by the United States thereafter. On July 8, 1853, Commodore Perry arrived in Tokyo bay with regards to re-establish commerce with Japan that had been non-existent in 200 years. In reading “Breaking Open Japan” Feifer said “Japan had long been open to new ideas from abroad” (Fiefer 17). The United States were particularly interested in commercial trade with Japan. First and foremost was the opening of Pacific ports in American control, the annexation of California, and the opening of trade with Chinese ports. In creating an American port in California it created a stream of pacific shipping as well as the need to secure coaling stations on the Pacific trade route. Japan also contained large amounts of coal deposits thus increasing the interest from the United States since coal was the natural resource of the 19th century. Secondly the United States economic sanctions after the period of opening proved to be the nail in the coffin for U.S/Japanese relations.

Japan was an isolationist before 1852 with very little contact to countries in the western areas. Although later Japan would open its Shamoda ports to trade with the Dutch. Part of this was because the United States threatened Japan to open the ports for trade. The US also made Japan sighn unequal treaties to make Japan do things. The Japanese were influenced by the US and did the same thing to Korea. Although the Japanese only had contact to the outside for some years they had grown a lot. The Japanese were scared, they were scared that the US would grow in power and threat Japan more. In 1894 Chinese troops were sent to Korea to try to stop riots. Although the Chinese were helping Korea the Japanese were never notified. This created the

The long, battle-weary, four hundred year period from the late twelfth century through the Kamakura period (1185-1333), Muromachi period (1336-1573), and well into the sixteenth century is referred to as Japan’s medieval period. The imperial government’s authority was deteriorating, the provinces were in chaos as warrior clans fought amongst themselves, and regional military chieftains challenged the imperial government for the right to rule. Medieval Japan saw the development of feudalism and a militaristic society led by samurai clans. The Gempei War, Shokyu War, Mongol Invasions, Kemmu Restoration, and The Onin War are five key turning points in Japan’s transition from a centralized imperial government to feudalism. These conflicts also demonstrate the evolution of the samurai ethos.

Imperialism was when an empire expands over multiple countries by colonizing and holding dependencies. Countries like the United States, England, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy imperialized non-industrial countries to benefit their own empire since mid-18th century. Japan was isolated from the rest of the world by avoiding external issues and focusing on the internal ones. After hundreds of years of “self-imposed” isolation, Japan emerged into imperial power in late 19th and early 20th centuries. Imperial Japan led their empire to great prosperity.