Japan Essay Research Paper In Japan And

Japan Essay, Research Paper

In Japan And Its World, by Marius B. Jansen, Jansen describes the changing ideas the Japanese have had of themselves and the Western world as well as the ideas the Americans has had of the Japanese. The Japanese have had to adapt to a different world and yet go from a weak country to a major power in today s world.

In the book Japan From Shogun To Sony, by John R. Roberson, Roberson principally discusses a brief history of Japan. He also discusses Japans hardships and what it had to overcome to make it own independent status in the world today. Its difference from Japan And Its World is that Jansen deals more with the ideas economical status of Japan, while Roberson deals with a greater history.

Oda Nobunaga achieved control over the province of Owari in 1559. As many other daimyo, he was keen in uniting Japan. Strategically favorably located, he succeeded in capturing the capital in 1568. After establishing himself in Kyoto, Nobunaga continued to eliminate his enemies. Among them were some militant Buddhist camps, especially the Ikko camp that had become very powerful in several provinces. Nobunaga destroyed the Enryakuji monastery near Kyoto completely in 1571. His fight against the Ikko sect continued until 1580. Rather fortunate was Nobunaga concerning two of his most dangerous rivals in the East: Takeda Shingen and Uyesugi Kenshin. Both of them died before they were able to confront Nobunaga. After Shingen’s death, Nobunaga defeated the Takeda clan in the battle of Nagashino (1575), making use of modern warfare.

In 1582, general Akechi murdered Nobunaga and captured his Azuchi castle. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a general fighting for Nobunaga, reacted very quickly, defeated Akechi, and took over control. Hideyoshi continued to eliminate remaining rivals. He restrained the Northern provinces and Shikoku in 1583 and Kyushu in 1587. After defeating the Hojo family in Odawara in 1590, Japan was finally reunited. In order to bring the country under absolute control, Hideyoshi destroyed many castles that were built throughout the country during the era of civil wars. He forbade the samurai to be active as farmers and forced them to move into the castle towns. In 1587, Hideyoshi issued an edict expelling Christian missionaries. Nevertheless, Franciscans were able to enter Japan in 1593. In 1597 Hideyoshi increased the persecution of Christian missionaries, forbade further conversions, and executed 26 Franciscans as a warning. Christianity was seen as an obstacle in establishing absolute control over the people. Many Jesuits and Franciscans had acted aggressively and intolerant towards Shinto and Buddhist institutions.

After uniting the country, Hideyoshi’s next aim was to conquer China. In 1592 the Japanese army invaded Korea and captured Seoul within a few weeks; however, they were pushed back again by the much stronger Chinese army in the following year. Hideyoshi stubbornly didn’t give in until the final evacuation from Korea in 1598, the same year in which he died and Tokugawa Ieyasu became the most powerful man in Japan. Against his promises he did not respect Hideyoshi’s successor Hideyori because he wanted to become the absolute ruler of Japan. In the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Ieyasu defeated the Hideyori loyalists and other Western rivals.

In 1603, Ieyasu was appointed Shogun by the emperor and established his government in Edo. The Tokugawa shoguns continued to rule Japan for over remarkable 250 years. Ieyasu brought the whole country under tight control. Ieyasu continued to promote foreign trade. He established relations with the English and the Dutch and enforced the persecution of Christianity from 1614 on.

In 1633, shogun Iemitsu forbade traveling abroad and almost completely isolated Japan in 1639 by reducing the contacts to the outside world to very limited trade relations with China and the Netherlands in the port of Nagasaki. Despite the isolation, domestic trade and agricultural production continued to improve. A strict four-class system existed during the Edo period: at the top was the samurai, followed by the peasants, artisans and merchants. The members of the four classes were not allowed to change their social status. Outcasts, or people with professions that were considered impure, became a fifth class.

In 1720 a decline of the financial situation of the government led to higher taxes and riots among the farm population. Also, Japan regularly experienced natural disasters and years of famine that caused riots and further financial problems for the central government and the daimyo. As the merchant class grew increasingly powerful, some samurai became financially dependent of them.

Commodore Perry in 1853, and again in 1854, forced the Tokugawa government to open a limited number of ports for international trade. However, the trade remained very limited until the Meiji restoration in 1868. Many people soon recognized the big advantages of the Western nations in science and military, and favored a complete opening to the world. In 1867-68, the Tokugawa government fell because of heavy political pressure, and the power of Emperor Meiji was restored. The emperor Meiji was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo, which became the new capital. The actual political power was transferred from the Tokugawa Bakufu into the hands of a small group of nobles and former samurai. The Japa