1. Locking Out the World

2. 1848. Ranald MacDonald, a 24 year old Metis, insisted that he be set adrift in a small boat off the coast of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. The captain and crew of the Plymouth, the American whaling ship that Ranald MacDonald was leaving, tried to persuade the young man to stay with them. Why did he want to enter a country that was known to execute strangers? When the rudder from his boat was later found floating in the sea, word was sent to North America that the young Metis was dead. Ranald MacDonald was the son of Princess Raven, a Chinook, and Archibald MacDonald, a Scottish official of the Hudson's Bay Company. He grew up in the Pacific Northwest of the early 1800s. As a child, he had heard of three Japanese sailors who were shipwrecked and landed in Fort Vancouver. Ranald MacDonald was fascinated by these men and the country they came from, a country that would not let them return. As Ranald MacDonald grew, so did his plan to visit Japan. He felt a connection between his Chinook ancestry and the Japanese. He dreamed of becoming an interpreter and teacher, to gain fame and fortune when Japan would eventually open up to the world. Q: Why do you think the Japanese sailors who had landed in Canada were not allowed to return?

3. Threats from the West The Portuguese sailors who arrived in 1543 were generally welcomed in Japan By the late 1500s-1600s, however, the attitude towards foreigners had started to change They were seen as a threat to the Shogun's control If local daimyo were given strong European weapons, they may be able to challenge the Shogun's authority In 1597 there was a rumour that missionaries were acting as spies for Spain The shogun arrested 6 missionaries and 20 Japanese who had converted They were executed by crucifixion They became the first Christian martyrs in Japan

4. New Ways of Belief and Thought Loyalty to a Christian God and the Church were believed to be threats to the shogun's authority In 1614 all Christian missionaries were ordered to leave Japan Churches were destroyed All converts were in danger of execution This persecution did not stop until 1640 Thousands of Japanese were killed 70 missionaries were killed Most converted daimyo followed the shogun's orders to give up their religion Peasants and Ronin were harder to convince It must have been quite inconceivable to him [the shogun] how these people without power and wealth could resist the ruler's will, unless they were mysteriously seduced and supported by a foreign power. They were clearly traitors who deserved the sternest punishment.

5. Exclusion Laws Although they were not allowed to enter Japan, missionaries still arrived, often disguised as traders Because of this, Shogun Iemitsu passed exclusion laws All Christian missionaries and foreign traders were forced to leave Japan Newcomers could no longer enter Japanese citizens were not allowed to travel abroad Ships which were able to travel long distances were destroyed and no new ones were to be made Any Japanese citizens who were out of the country were not allowed to return Many foreign objects were forbidden  Books with Christian messages  Scientific books

6. Cutting off Contact Iemitsu also made travel within Japan more difficult and controlled Special documents were needed to travel from one domain to another A curfew was put in place to stop elicit travel at night Wheeled transport was banned In 1639 Portuguese ships and all foreigners were banned Except Dutch, Korean and Chinese traders  The Dutch were only allowed on a small island in Nagasaki's harbour These actions were deemed essential for national security Eliminate threats to shogun's power and protect Japanese culture

7. Exceptions to Exclusion The only European traders allowed to remain in Japan were the Dutch They were considered less of a threat because they were only interested in trade, not religion There were strict rules they had to follow, however The Dutch traders' families were not allowed to join them Japanese servants were not allowed to talk to them Once a year they were required to travel to Edo and pay their respects to the shogun  Had to stay for 3 months  They were asked many questions about the West

8. Cultural Contact The shogun had a small group of Japanese scholars learn from the Dutch traders They were to learn Dutch medicine and language They were known as the Dutch Scholars The Dutch Scholars were instructed to learn Western ways Sons of samurai were sent to learn the Dutch language This led to some positive results In 1720 European books (except ones on Christianity) were allowed The study of astronomy was encouraged Most Japanese people were not exposed to Western ideas, however

9. Maintaining Rule in Japan During the time of exclusion and minimal contact, Japan was still operating under the Feudal System The economy was still tied to agriculture and fishing The social classes remained extremely rigid and unchanging The shogun was determined to prove that Japan was strong and that he was strong in his rule