There are three reasons given by the IB for this question to be answered.
The decline of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Stagnation and demands for rapid modernisation.
Influence of the US and European countries.
The decline of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
There are arguably two perspectives to this. The first is that it was the Western influence (external) and the second was that it was the internal collapse of the country. We’ll begin with the latter…
The Internal Collapse
The famous economist Adam Smith argued that a ‘stationary state’. In his 1776 book, the Wealth of Nations, he argued that
“In a country too, where, though the rich or the owners of large capitals (money) enjoy a good deal of security, the poor or the owners of small capitals only enjoy scarce, which can be pillaged and plundered at any time… In every different branch, the oppression of the poor must establish the monopoly of the rich, who, by engrossing the whole trade to themselves, will be able to make very large profits.”
Niall Ferguson. The Great Degeneration. Penguin, 2014, p.8
- Smith was referring to China, a country that had once been successful and opulent but because it had remained stationary had ceased to grow. However, had he been alive towards the end of the nineteenth century, he may have included Japan as an example too.
Answer the following questions from the video below:
(clipped from Emperor Meiji & the Meiji Restoration Documentary :
- When and why was japan isolated, and what benefits did it bring the country? 2.40-4.15
- Why do you think the Japanese would have been too difficult to defeat and colonise in the 17th century?4.31-4.48
- Why did this change in the 19th century? What example did the Japanese use to realise this? 4.49-5.27
- What was the impact of Commodore Perry’s visit to Japan? 5.28-6.55
Stagnation and demands for rapid modernisation.
- The 17th century was a period of rapid economic growth, the population growing too. The population had grown sufficiently that economic growth Western style was possible. But feudalism prevented the movement of labour, industries were limited in what they could produce, there was largely only the domestic market, and the isolation kept technology back.
- Agriculture had some developments since the 18th century. This helped create a divide between rich and poor peasants/ farmers. Consequently, there were a series of protests against domain lords and the rise in prices during the 18th century.
- Feudal debt was a problem in the 19th century. The economy may have caused the collapse of the Bakufu (administrators of the government).
- Culture: much had come from China over the centuries (Buddhism and Confucianism). Chinese was also Japan’s classical language. Confucianism allowed the samurai to have status (their Bushido code focused on obedience, respect for the gods, courage and discipline). However, the Japanese over time believed they had cultural superiority over the Chinese.
- The Bakufu wanted absolute obedience to the emperor as this maintained their position.
- Shintoism gave the emperor imperial divinity, Confucianism obedience and a code of personal behaviour.
- Japan’s culture changed because of economics, less so politics. There was also a move away from Chinese culture and the establishment of their own.
The Samurai
How can it be argued that the samurai hindered progress in Japan?
NEED CONTENT HERE
Influence of the US and European countries.
Western Influence
What do you learn about Japan from the following source?
Aizawa Seishisai (1781-1863) was an important Confucian scholar and tutor to the lords of Mito, a branch of the Tokugawa family. Aizawa’s greatest work, Shinron (“New Theses”), was written in 1825.
- In 1853, the USA wanted peace with Japan but as long as she stopped from seeing them as enemies. The letter brought by Perry also contained a plan to bring a larger naval force in 1854, landing in Edo with eight ships. Despite the Bakufu trying to reject Perry, they knew their defences could not repel the Americans and a convention (Treaty of Kanagawa) was signed in which two ports were opened to them.
What can you infer from this source about US intentions towards Japan?
The letter continues with requests for assistance in whale fishing and improved trade links but one of the final paragraphs is as follows.
How is this different to the start of the letter?
What are the values of this letter to the historian?
And what are the limitations?
- Eventually five ports were opened to foreigners: Nagasaki and Kanagawa (Yokohama) from 1859, Niigata from 1860, Hyogo (Kobe) from 1863, and the already open Shimoda and Hakodate. Extraterritoriality (foreigners to be tried under their own law) and low tariffs were part of the deal too.
- In the Namamugi incident of 1862, a samurai murdered a British man. In response, Britain used gunboat diplomacy to extract concessions and an indemnity. Refusal led to bombardment of the mainland (Satsuma opened fire first). Japan suffered houses and ships destroyed and relented, paying 25 000 sterling in compensation (2.3 million in 2018 money).
- Foreign powers also forcibly opened the Shimonoseki Straits (between islands – see below) in 1864.
- The major powers had access to Japanese markets by 1859 despite the internal opposition (they all signed their own agreements after Kanagawa). The British victory over China in the Opium War of 1839 was a factor.
The Iwakura Mission
- What was the Iwakura Mission? 15:50-17:28
- What did they learn and what was achieved? 17:28-20:02
- Do all agree that the Meiji Restoration improved Japan? 21:00-22:00
- As expressed in this letter, what are the Emperor Meiji’s aspirations for Japan’s future? How will these aspirations be attained?
- Why is the emperor being so friendly towards the US? Think of the context here, analyse the origins and purposes to do this.