The Tokugawa And Meiji State Ruling Class And Officials

Next, the Bushido Code shows how the samurai acted around people. One of the rules in the Bushido Code was, “ ‘men must grudge money, for riches hinder wisdom’ ” This means that anyone who was rich in Japan at this time, had to of acted like they didn’t care about money. Wisdom was one of the most important virtues at this time, so if money obstructed

“The establishment of this shogunate was important because it saw real power pass from the emperor to the shogun. It is regarded as the end of the Classical period and the beginning of the shogunate or feudal period of Japanese history.” (History Alive 8). China presented a big threat to Japan in the Kamakura period, when the Mongol Emperor of China, Kublai Khan, demanded that Japan respect his authority and become a tributary state. When the shogunate refused, he ordered his army to invade Japan. But on two occasions, in 1274CE and in 1281CE, the Mongol ships were sunk by typhoons. Travel and tourism boomed during the shogunate period. The economy developed, the population grew, the nation’s art, literature and culture flourished and they became quite isolated from the rest of the

The Japanese social structure was a lot more complicated than the Europeans simple and permanent one. They were a lot more specific on who went where, and they had several levels of peasants. This structure was determined by looking at how much you contributed to the society, and the more you did, obviously the more important on the ranking you were. The Eta and Hinin were considered “unhuman” because they did work which went against the laws of Buddhism. In medieval Europe, the social structure was simple; if you were a peasant, there was no changing that. You were a peasant! The King was only answerable to the Pope, as during this time the Catholic Church was extremely powerful, having their say in practically everything. The difference between these two is that the Japanese simply had a ruler (the emperor), and although of course they were swayed by their religion, the Emperor had a strong say, whereas the European

The Meiji Era in Japan is known as a time of rapid industrialization and Westernization where many institutions of society were realigned in one form or another to be consistent with their Western counterparts. Ironically, at the same time, it was a period of growing nationalistic feelings that began to develop in Japanese society. However, besides being a reactionary or nostalgic feeling experienced by the population, this nationalist ideology was also actively promoted by the Meiji leadership. Central to this ideology was the emperor who was effectively and successfully used as a tool for legitimizing the Meiji government.

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

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 working poor which made up the majority of the Japanese citizens were not allowed to become involved in any non-agricultural economic pursuits. Therefore, maintaining constant and traditional Japanese values, yet the Dutch whom were the only foreign power allowed to trade with the Japanese at the port of Nagasaki warned the shogunate that they would have to “accede to foreign demands.” Many young scholars and the samurai class agreed with the Dutch logic in that it is not smart for the Japanese to become stagnant while the rest of the world is booming a merchant dominated economic system. Many scholars such as Fukuzawa Yukichi were worried about the state of the government and stated “I was mortified when I thought over the possible outcome of national exclusiveness.” This hindrance by the government in order to preserve the traditions of Japan irked the citizens in that the “stability” of the shogunate was regression as a culture rather than progress which is what most felt that the government should be striving

After centuries of living in seclusion to the outside world, the government knew that they needed the technological advancements that the West offered. The Industrial Revolution and growing urbanisation in Japan had intended to and succeeded in mimicking Western growth. Moreover, the Japanese were well-known for their diligence, discipline, perseverance, and hard work – this resulted in substantial economic development including increased shipping of commodities and a significant expansion of trade and handicraft industries. However, the political elite pocketed most of the profits through influence and corruption. Workers and farmers found it unfair that their patriotic and back-breaking labour only received a little wage in comparison, but with a state-controlled media and education system, they couldn’t make their voices heard. So overall, this collective and nationalistic open-mindedness for communal prosperity was beneficial for Japan as a whole, but the common people were disadvantaged with no access to basic human rights and a fair

The government: The samurai were forced to become farmers. Emperor Meji wanted a more modernized army, this law was established in 1873.

The primary beneficiaries of the emerging money economy were the merchants. Daimyo and samurai traded their rice for money with the merchants who soon became very rich. Merchants, cashing in on daimyo debt attained positions of authority within the daimyo households. Many were living lavish lifestyles only dreamt of by samurai. This caused resentment in Japanese society because, although they were socially inferior, merchants enjoyed an elevated status economically (Kunihiko 1997). Perhaps the social class that suffered the most indignities was the samurai who, lacking the means to earn a living on their regular income, indulged in the lifestyle of Edo. Many had to resort to engaging in handicraft for income vice training at the martial arts thus leading to inherent corruption (Nobumitsu 1997).

Then Prince Shotoku firmly implanted Buddhism by making it the state religion. This support of Buddhism helped align its teachings with Shotoku’s own goals. In its earliest phases in Japan’s history, Buddhism established itself as a political entity which grew to rival the aristocracy and landowners as a unilateral force to be reckoned with, influencing politics and leadership at the highest level. Economically, politically, and eventually on the battlefield, the Buddhist sects developed into a potent political body which had the ability to influence the culture and governance of Japan. Traditionally a religion of peace and self-fulfillment, Buddhist temples and sects had to adapt to the changing tides. This caused the sects to shift focus from a pure political machine to a capable military force. This phase of militancy developed in response to and along with the shift in class structure due to the aristocracy being usurped by the samurai. In the name of defending their sect’s status and assets on the battlefield the sohei came about. This martial capability would further evolve with a sect waging a “holy war” based on beliefs or so they say. In the end, all these changes came about due to a wanton for more power and influence. It does not hide the fact that Buddhist to when it was introduced up to the 12th century was first and foremost a political tool rather than a religion bringing salvation to the masses. Its unique position in society in Japan led Buddhism to impact Japan in a way that it had rarely impacted nations in the past. Each change the Buddhist sects underwent led to them becoming even more into the national psyche of

The hegemony’s utilization of extensive land surveys and collection of census data provided Toyotomi and his administrators with an informed understanding of economic and social conditions within the country. While Toyotomi used this information to implement country-wide agricultural reform, he also recognized the utility of continued trade with European merchants. The fourth and fifth sections of the Edict convey this recognition while reiterating the primacy of Buddhist Shintoism in the religious life of the Japanese

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

Yokoi Shonan (1809-1869) had a major influence in terms of his political-economic thought, regardless of enlightened politicians, bureaucrats and ‘high minded patriots overthrowing the Tokugawa’ at the end of the shogunate period. While he was a typical philosopher in Japan’s transition stage from the early modern to the modern period (Yamaguchi [1971], 715), it does not appear that there are so many achievements to his name in relation to the framework of his economic thought to justify why he is regarded as a great thinker .

The Japanese people, although of different classes, are united by a fierce pride for self and culture. Although many of the samurai are starving and poor, they are too proud to beg for food, or even accept it as payment for services rendered. Some of the samurai who refuse to help the village do so because they are too proud to work for such a lowly cause. The farmers’ pride in their village is seen through their efforts to defend their village and livelihood in the face of the bandits. This pride is even more evident as those farmers who live outside the protective wall built around the village for the battle attempt to mutiny against the samurai and defend only their homes.