1. Japan Limits Western Contacts
Setting the stage:
: “Warring States” period.
Daimyo: warrior-chieftains who employed samurai
The daimyos fought each other for control of the country

2. First Attempts at Unification
Oda Nobunaga: seized the imperial capital Kyoto
Used firearms effectively during battle for the first time in Japan
Committed seppuku after betrayed by his own general.

3. Toyotomi Hideyoshi: Nobunaga’s best general
Through force and alliances he controlled most of Japan
He invaded Korea and began long campaign against Korea and Ming dynasty in China
Died without being victorious

4. Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa Ieyasu: ally of Hideyoshi who unified Japan
Defeated enemies at the Battle of Sekigahara.
Became shogun (leader) of Japan
Moved his capital to Edo, which later became Tokyo

5. Reforms: Forced daimyo to spend every other year in Tokyo
Had to leave their family in Edo as hostages
Result was rule of law over rule by sword

6. Tokugawa Society Peace meant greater production of food.
Merchants class became rich but peasant farmers still led difficult lives.

7. Confucian ideas were important in Japan but led to different results than in China
Farmers were heavily taxed, and people flocked to cities
Cities grew, and Edo’s population was greater than one million in 1600.

8. Culture:
Kabuki: elaborate costumes, dance, mime concerned with urban life
Haiku: poetry that presented ideas. It had a very particular structure.
Basho: greatest Haiku poet.

9. Japan and Europe
1543: Portuguese sailors wash up onto Japan. Japan is interested in the outsiders.
Portuguese traders bring eyeglasses, tobacco, and clocks to Japanese markets
Daimyo were interested in European firearms and cannons.

10. Christian missionaries arrived alongside merchants
Francis Xavier: led the first mission to convert Japanese
The missionaries were successful: 300,000 converts by 1600.

11. Ieyasu reacts to the success by banning Christianity in 1612.
In 1637 there was a rebellion by peasants against the government
Many of the peasants were Christians therefore the government persecuted Christians eliminated the religion in Japan.

12. Closed Country Policy
Japan eventually closes off their country to outsiders
One port (Nagasaki) is left open to Chinese and Dutch ships
Japanese government has monopoly on foreign trade
This isolation exists for over 200 years