CHAPTER 19.3 JAPAN RETURNS TO ISOLATION

New Feudalism Under Strong Leaders ts_main&playnext=1&list=PL0234D BA06 ts_main&playnext=1&list=PL0234D BA06 Civil war begins in 1467 between north and south War shatters Japan’s old feudal system Shogun loses power to territorial lords Sengoku (meaning warring states) begins Daimyo – meaning “great name,” become lords – Daimyo built castles – Created small armies of samurai – War against other Daimyo

New Leaders Oda Nobunaga takes control – Believes in “rule by force” motto – Uses muskets for first time and crushes enemy samurai – Unable to unify Japan and commits seppuku – suicide Toyotomi Hideyoshi continues Nobunaga’s mission – By 1590 he controls most of Japan – Invades Korea in 1592

Japan Unites Tokugawa Leyasu unifies Japan – Tokugawa is Daimyo ally of Hideyoshi – Tokugawa becomes sole ruler – Shogun – Moves capital to Edo – now known as Tokyo Tokugawa tames Daimyo by requiring an “attendance policy” – Every other year the Daimyo had to spend in the capital – When they returned they had to leave families as hostages – This restores a centralized government and rule of law – not sword Tokugawa Shogunate is founded and holds power until 1867

Life Under the Tokugawa Japan prospers under Tokugawa Shogunate (TS) – Farmers produce more food and population rises – Peasants taxed heavily – Merchant class thrives Society very structured – Emperor at the top, but held no real power – Shogun real leader (military commander) – Daimyo land holding samurai – Samurai (fighters/knights) – Peasants and artisans were next in line – Merchants were at the bottom, but eventually gain more power Peasants and farmers bore main tax burden – Eventually abandon farm life for urban setting – Cities expand (rural to urban migration) – Edo (Today: Tokyo) becomes largest city in the world (1 million people) – Rise of commercial centers increase employment opportunities (among women, too)

Confucian Ideal Society Confucius’s ideal society centered around agriculture – not commerce Farmers were ideal citizens – not merchants – Merchants made their money “supporting foreigners and robbery.” – Merchants made money off the backs of others

Culture under the TS Traditional culture thrives Tragic noh dramas popular among samurai Townspeople enjoy new type of realistic fiction Many people enjoy haiku—three-line poetry that presents images rather than ideas Kabuki theater—skits with elaborate costumes, music, and dance

Contact with Europe Euros come to Japan in 1500s during the Warring States period – 1543 Portuguese sailors wash ashore after shipwreck – Portuguese merchants follow with clocks, eyeglasses, tobacco, and firearms – Daimyo interested in guns – Japanese warfare forever changed from sword to firearm. Japanese begin producing weapons. Japanese welcome traders and missionaries Euros introduce new technologies and ideas Euros eventually wear out their welcome

Christian Missionaries 1549 Christian Missionaries arrive Japanese accept them. Why? Trade for muskets and European goods Jesuits, Franciscans, and Dominicans came to convert By 1600: 300,000 Japanese convert Tokugawa banned Christianity: Why? – Found aspects of Christianity troublesome – Missionaries actively sought converts – Scorned traditional Japanese beliefs – Involved themselves in local politics Peasant Christians rebel in 1637 – Shogun believes Christianity at root of problem – Christians persecuted – Euro missionaries killed or driven out of Japan – Japanese forced to demonstrate faithfulness to some branch of Buddhism – Policies eliminated Christianity in Japan and leas to exclusion policy

A Closed Country Persecution of Christians was an attempt to control foreign ideas – At first, Japanese could not contain Euro’s ideas and involvement Strong leaders who later took power did not like Euro influence – but did like trade Tokugawa Shoguns later exclude both missionaries and merchants By 1639 Japan seals borders and institutes a “closed country” policy

Japan in Isolation Most commercial contacts with Euros end Only Dutch and Chinese merchants allowed in the port of Nagasaki – English leave voluntarily – Portuguese and Spanish were expelled For more than 200 years, Japan is isolated from Europe Japanese forbidden to leave (afraid of bringing back foreign ideas)