Tokugawa Period & The Meiji Restoration World History Unit 3: Japan

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How did Japan transform from feudalism to a modern nation in the 19 th century. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Examine how Japan went from warring states to a unified nation and eventually isolated itself from the world.

UNIFIED JAPAN For years warring states prevented unification Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a strong general, unified Japan in 1590 After his death there was a struggle for power

TOKUGAWA IEYASU Starting in 1603, he created a shogunate that lasted until 1868 He solidified his power against Toyotomi loyalists with a victory during the Summer Siege of Osaka in 1615

TOKUGAWA He and Hideyoshi are consider two of the greatest leaders of feudal Japan He forced the daimyos to live at the new capital city of Edo (eventually it becomes Tokyo)

TOKUGAWA Tokugawa regime was focused on reestablishing order in social, political, and international affairs His successors bound all daimyos to the shogunate and limited their power/land Only four social classes: – Warriors, peasants, artisans, merchants (tradesmen)

Japan: Memoirs of Secret Empire The Will of the Shogun

TOKUGAWA During the Tokugawa Shogunate there was relative peace Leaders were able to focus on creating roads, cities, banks and schools Agriculture, commerce and manufacturing, and the merchant class all increased Rise in Kabuki theater and Bunraku puppet theater

ISOLATION The leaders did not like foreigners and missionaries coming into their country Ban on Christianity (about 300,000 in Japan) Forced underground Main religion was Shinto and the main philosophy was Confucianism

ISOLATION Trade with Western nations was forbidden 1635 – Act of Seclusion  no one allowed in or out If a person left he/she would not be allowed to return Exception: Small Dutch outpost in Nagasaki Harbor Isolation lasted for 200 years Japan did still trade with Korea and China!

The End of Isolation In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry arrived at Edo Bay on a steamboat The Japanese had never seem something like this before and quickly realized their country could not defend themselves against foreign powers Japan & the U.S. set up a trade agreement

Arrival of the West

The End of Isolation This led to the rise in the importance of the merchant class Agriculture was lagging behind mercantile and commercial sectors  unrest in the general population

Meiji Restoration 1867  Choshu and Satsuma clans combined forces to topple the shogunate In 1868 they declared an “imperial restoration” in the name of the young Emperor Meiji – He was 14 years old

Meiji Restoration Changes: – Feudalism and the samurai abolished – Established a constitutional monarchy – Rapid modernization – Built up their military strength – Opened to Western trade

Meiji Restoration The Meiji Period lasted until 1912 (death of Emperor Meiji) However, by this time Japan was one of the top five nations in the world!

SAYONARA For now…