A revolution took place in the centuries from the time of the Kamakura shogunate, which existed with the Tenno's court, to the Tokugawa, when the bushi became the unchallenged rulers in what historian Edwin O. Reischauer called a "centralized feudal" form of government. Instrumental in the rise of the new bakufu was Tokugawa Ieyasu, the main beneficiary of the achievements of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Already powerful, Ieyasu profited by his transfer to the rich Kantō area. He maintained two million koku of land, a new headquarters at Edo, a strategically situated castle town (the future Tokyo), and also had an additional two million koku of land and thirty-eight vassals under his control. After Hideyoshi's death, Ieyasu moved quickly to seize control from the Toyotomi family.…
They both had prior experience of imitation. Japan had copied from China and Russia from Byzantium and the Mongols. They knew that learning from the West could be profitable and wouldn’t destroy their native cultures. In Japan, the Emperor Meiji sent out samurai to parts of the West to pick up ideas. Western style clothing such as ties, pants, and loafers replaced traditional samurai outfitting.…
Robert Eskildsen’s paper, “Of Civilization and Savagery: The Mimetic Imperialism of Japan’s 1874 Expedition to Taiwan,” provides a fresh turn in the historiography of Japanese imperialism by examining and revisiting imperialist aspects of Japan’s 1874 Taiwan Expedition and its connection with the process of Japan’s modernization from a cultural perspective in commercial representations of the event. This review paper gives a recapitulation of the article and an evaluation on its arguments and contributions. The article, divided into five parts, examines Japan’s military expedition to Taiwan in 1874 to punish the aborigines who killed the Ryukyu fishermen from shipwreck earlier in 1871. The first part provides the context in which the expedition took place.…
Japan in the 1600s and 1700s was controlled by a system of Tokugawa shoguns who ruled effectively. They instituted union, order, and peace during the reign. Japan was unified under 3 important leaders, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu who enforced unification within Japan. During this time Japan was going through many changes too, like urbanization, creating an ordered society, and also sustaining traditional ways.…
Introduction Fukoku-Kyōhei, meaning “enrich the country and strengthen the military” quickly became the motto for a reinvigorated Japan stepping onto the global stage commanded by the West, while also acting as the mold for which they would inevitably fit through their rather abrupt transformation: The Meiji Restoration (Christensen 1). What may have ultimately began as an endeavor to modernize, may have also become the trigger for exponential societal change and an undertaking that would eventually boast Japan’s military confidence and induce drastic social change. The Meiji Restoration had significant rippling effects around the world during the late 1800’s and allowed Japan to become recognized as an influential world power, but also an…
The samurai played a significant role in Japan’s history and culture for thousands of…
In the 17th and 19th century, Japan went through isolation within contact from the outer world. Isolation in Japan had resulted to changes because the Shoguns and Daimyos were unable to trade goods with other countries. So how did Japan influence of those in the outer world? Isolation affected Japan’s worldview because they created it themselves, and were not influenced by other countries outside of Japan. However, modernization of Japan occurred changing the country’s political, social, and economic outlooks during the Meiji Period.…
The Onin War and Its Effect on Future Eras in Feudal Japan Throughout the time of Feudal Japan, the might or warriors was spread throughout the nation. The legendary tales of Samurai and Bushido fill the text books of Japanese children today. Talk of Honor and peace is widely spread throughout Generations. However, the mention of the trials that Japan had to face in order to become what it is today are hardly mentioned.…
The Meiji Restoration transformed and introduced Japan to an industrialised western culture which influenced Japan’s social structure and values. The Meji restoration brought tremendous social change as millions of people were suddenly able to choose their occupation and move without restriction. By providing a new financially secure environment, the government increased it’s investment in new industries and technologies. As Japan citizens began to live in cities that introduced them to abroad influences, creating social situations in which the traditional authority was undermined. Industrialisation neglected traditional values, and emphasised efficiency, independence, individualism and materialism.…
Imperialism in Japan Japan was one of many countries imperialized and influenced by western culture. Japan however didn’t get negatively effected through western influence due to shogun Tokugawa deciding peace over war. Japan may have lost culture in surrender but they gained immense military and industrial power. 1853 General Matthew Perry entered tokyo bay with 4 ships never seen before, and technology japan had not even come close to. With massive ships that japan thought as dragons Japan was faced with a tough enemy.…
19 February 1942. A total of 365 days have passed since the Japanese bombing of Darwin. Our now heavily populated thriving city of Townsville has transformed drastically from our once only main hub of Flinders Street. Many of us repeatedly question the Japanese and their motives behind their desire to bomb our golden country. Without a doubt, Japan has one of the strongest and loyal approaches to imperialism.…
The Last Samurai Review: Set in 1876, The Last Samurai is about American mercenary Nathan Algren (played by Tom Cruise) who goes to Japan to help train and modernise their army. Along the way, Algren is taken in by the very samurai rebels he had been sent to help destroy. Algren adopts traditional Japanese ways and is soon fighting alongside his former enemy against the imperial forces. The film's samurai leader Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) and his rebellion against the Japanese government are clearly based on the Satsuma rebellion.…
Toyotomi Hideyoshi saw a burning Japan. As he looked over his country he realized that since Oda Nobunaga was gone, he would have to take control. Japan was in ruins and there was no central power. The country continued to shatter as daimyo (Military Rulers) fought each other day after day for territory. Then three people set out to restore Japan to its once peaceful society.…
Shoguns are “chief military commanders,” governing Japan they are said to have “given the country two and a half centuries of peace by emphasizing loyalty and learning, while providing enough money and freedom to spawn vibrant cities .” This emphasizes the positives of the Shogun government, in peace, learning, and freedom. However, this same government is often called a dictatorship . A dictatorship, understood as one ruler over a country, usually contains negative connotations due to dictatorships occurring by force, and then that one person contains so much power, they can make laws without restraint . This fear of a dictatorship is part of what pushed the reconquering from Edo to Meiji.…
Japan Country Analysis Japan is one of the most popular countries in the world, which has a history of more than one thousand years. Notably, the country has been involved in difference occurrences such as wars, natural disasters, economic turmoil and expansion. Although there were different consequences against the country, but its government was able to manage Japan to survive and growing for many centuries. During the 15th century, Japan was experienced in different civil wars. These wars caused the country in worse situations and instability society in term of economic and political standpoints.…