Unifying Japan Essay

As individual European countries scrambled to gain more territory to add to their Empires, Japan feared the changes that visiting countries brought. When other countries visited Japan with imports to trade they also brought with them a new religion, Christianity. Japanese Emperors feared the chaos that a new religion would bring and decided to shut the rest of the world out. Only the Dutch were allowed to trade with the Japanese as a need remained to be informed of the rest of the world and medical advances.

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 introduction of the Isolation policy was influenced by a number of factors. One of these factors was the growing power of the daimyo, due to access to new military technology. This was

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

All of these things were found by the Japanese to be incredibly rude and insulting and they took the Europeans for barbarians. On the other hand, it was the Europeans who looked upon the Japanese as backwards in their thinking. There were incredibly complex aspects of the country. Samurais were known to test their swords on criminals by chopping their bodies to bits; casual violence was no need for alarm here. There were subtle things like how they wore long strips of silk draped around their bodies held only in place by a knotted rope; they tweezed the hairs from their faces and wore their hair in oily buns on the tops of their heads. All of these differences could have very well been the negative road block that would have stopped all progress in the relations between the two civilisations. Alessandro Valignano was quick to recognise this potential disaster. He ordered that his Jesuits live like natives to create harmony and understanding. He wrote a manual for them to follow with all the behaviours this foreign country was built upon. He also encouraged them to “think and behave as though they were Japanese, to act with dignity and stoic decorum”. In turn, the Jesuits became accustom to the way of life of the Japanese, and found themselves to be much more successful in their relationships with them. When William Adams came to the Land of the Rising sun, he was at first incredibly homesick

By the 900’s, the Japanese government began losing control over rural areas due to its weak ruler and the samurai warrior class stepped in to take control. This was due to a civil war called the “Hogen Rebellion” in 1156. This rebellion was due to conflicts regarding Imperial Japanese succession and unexpectedly laid the groundwork for the samurai clans to gain dominance. With both “would-be emperors” losing the Hogen Rebellion, the imperial government of Japan lost all of its remaining power. This led to the Heiji Rebellion in 1160 which was fought between two samurai clans, the Minamoto and Taira. With the victory of the Taira clan, the first samurai-led government (Shogunate) was formed. This type of government was controlled by the samurai clans, and the Emperor of Japan was only used as a figurehead to the government.

Ultimately, the Tokugawa shogunate wanted to maintain political and social stability in Japan. By seizing power, Ieyasu was able to quell domestic unrest but another threat was still presented for total control. Foreign influence proved to be a serious threat to stability within Japan. The initial threat to Japan was presented by Christian missionaries. After an initial introduction to Christianity, the shogunate conducted a purging and outlawed the religion. This led to a prolonged isolation of Japanese society from Western influence. The shogunate wished to prevent daimyo from conspiring with foreigners thus

World War II is considered by many to be the single most significant event of the 20’th century. The outcome of that war defines the modern world. World War II led to the tragic death of a huge population of people across the globe. What led to the loss of so many lives? What led the nations of the world to tread down the path of war? This analysis tries to answer those questions in terms of autonomy and responsibility, and focuses on Japan. Japan was a major player in the war. As an aggressor of the war Japan had entered into military action before the European war had started and was not defeated by the Allied powers until VE Day. Several factors came together to Create war

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

This act is interesting because it displays that while Tokutomi initially supported the spread of Western influence, the West deliberately interfered with Japanese beliefs drove him away from Western views. The fact that the Japanese were influenced by Western ideals connects directly into the culture of their society and their ethical and moral values. Although Westernizing Japan, to a certain extent, allowed for advancement and improvement to remain competitive, tampering of Japanese culture occurred. However, this form of competitiveness became the driving force into what made Japan an economic powerhouse during and after World War Two. Although Christian Bands were one of the contributing factors to the

Before we delve deep in the designated people group, it is key to focus on Japan as a whole. Japan’s first contact with the gospel came through the Catholic Missionary Francis Xavier in 1549. Thanks to Portuguese traders the doors were opened for Jesuit missionaries to set foot on the islands of Japan. Interestingly, the trend of missionaries arriving in foreign locations, which would then be followed by trade, was not the case for Japan. Instead, trade preceded the missionaries and allowed them access to this closed nation. At that time, the feudal Lords welcomed anything that would benefit the increase of trade. So, the question emerged of whether or not to trade, since trade brought the promise of financial gain.

Not only was Japan introduced to a religion that would transform their society, but they were also presented with the Chinese system of writing – due to the fact that the sutras were written in Chinese script. Japan also acquired Mimana, a trading colony in Korea. The use of this colony enhanced Japanese economic prosperity.

Sakoku, or the national seclusion, of Japan by the Tokugawa Iemitsu in the 1630s was one of the most important periods in Japanese history. Many people perceived that Japan became uniquely unique because of the Sakoku. However, during the Sakoku, Japan was not complete sealed off from foreign influences and trades. The national seclusion of Japan is believed by some people that there is only limited trade with the Dutch and Chinese in Nagasaki. According to Oxford Art Online during the Edo period, the Bay of Nagasaki is “the only port open to overseas trade” (Bonnie), which was not true. During the Sakoku, Japan was not restricted to only the bay in Nagasaki, but Japan had total of four designated places that allowed foreign contacts. Before the detail of the four areas of foreign relations during the Sakoku period, the reasons for the Sakoku need to be explained.

During the mid-15th century, Japan entered one of its bloodiest civil wars in its history. It was a time of social upheaval combined with political uprising due to constant military conquest. This drastic phase in Japan’s history is known as the Sengoku Period or Japan’s Warring State era. During the Sengoku Period, Japan also entered the international stage through European countries. Nations such as Portugal and Spain came to Japan in the 1540sbrought their merchants with European goods to the mostly Buddhist nation. These trading merchants also eventually brought the Jesuits, missionaries of the Catholic Church. The Jesuits saw a great opportunity to spread their faith in Japan due to the

With the Tokugawa era, foreign travel was banned and Japan closed itself to foreign trade. The only countries that Japan traded with was the Dutch and the Chinese. The Dutch was relegated to Dejima in Nagasaki which was an island that the Dutch were forced to live in and trade from. Japan had only recently opened trading back up with China. Japan did not want any foreign influence in their growing country. In 1844, King Holland II of Holland sent a letter to the Shogunate to warn Japan of the outside world and its evolving technology. However, the Tokugawa officials did not heed the warning from the King and continued to live in their seclusion. Soon, the Japanese would experience first-hand what the outside world and its technology was all about.