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History.com: Tokugawa Shogunate, the Meiji Restoration and the Russo-Japanese War

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History.com: Tokugawa Shogunate, the Meiji Restoration and the Russo-Japanese War

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Rise of Tokugawa Shogunate

During the 1500s, power was decentralized in Japan, which was torn apart by warfare between competing feudal lords (daimyo) for nearly a century. Following his victory in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, however, Tokugawa Ieyasu swiftly consolidated power from his heavily fortified castle at Edo (now Tokyo).

The prestigious but largely powerless imperial court named Ieyasu as shogun (or supreme military leader) in 1603, beginning a shogunate dynasty that would rule Japan for the next two and a half centuries.

Did you know? Just seven years after the Meiji period ended, a newly modernized Japan was recognized as one of the "Big Five" powers (alongside Britain, the United States, France and Italy) at the Versailles Peace Conference that ended World War I.

From the beginning, the Tokugawa shogunate focused on reestablishing order in social, political and international affairs after a century of warfare. The political structure, established by Ieyasu and solidified under his two immediate successors, his son Hidetada (who ruled from 1616-23) and grandson Iemitsu (1623-51), bound all daimyos to the shogunate and limited any individual daimyo from acquiring too much land or power.

Japan Self-Isolates

Suspicious of foreign intervention and colonialism, the Tokugawa regime acted to exclude missionaries and eventually issued a complete ban on Christianity in Japan. Near the beginning of the Tokugawa period, there were an estimated 300,000 Christians in Japan.

However, after the shogunate's brutal repression of a Christian rebellion on the Shimabara Peninsula in 1637-38, Christianity was forced underground. The dominant faith of the Tokugawa period was Confucianism, a relatively conservative religion with a strong emphasis on loyalty and duty.

In its efforts to close Japan off from damaging foreign influence, the Tokugawa shogunate also prohibited trade with Western nations and prevented Japanese merchants from trading abroad. With the Act of Seclusion (1636), Japan was effectively cut off from Western nations for the next 200 years (with the exception of a small Dutch outpost in Nagasaki Harbor).

At the same time, Japan maintained close relations with neighboring Korea and China, confirming a traditional East Asian political order with China at the center.

Edo Period: Economy and Society

The Neo-Confucian theory that dominated Japan during the Tokugawa Period recognized only four social classes- samurai warriors, artisans, farmers and merchants-and mobility between the four classes was officially prohibited. With peace restored, many samurai became bureaucrats or took up a trade.

At the same time, they were expected to maintain their warrior pride and military preparedness, which led to much frustration in their ranks. For their part, peasants (who made up 80 percent of the Japanese population) were forbidden from engaging in non-agricultural activities, thus ensuring consistent income for landowning authorities.

The Japanese economy grew significantly during the Tokugawa period. In addition to an emphasis on agricultural production (including the staple crop of rice as well as sesame oil, indigo, sugar cane, mulberry, tobacco and cotton), Japan's commerce and manufacturing industries also expanded, leading to the rise of an increasingly wealthy merchant class and in turn to the growth of Japanese cities.

A vibrant urban culture emerged centered in Kyoto, Osaka and Edo (Tokyo), catering to merchants, samurai and townspeople rather than to nobles and daimyo, the traditional patrons. The Genroku era (1688-1704) in particular saw the rise of Kabuki theater and Bunraku puppet theater, literature (especially Matsuo Basho, the master of haiku) and woodblock printing.

Gunboat Diplomacy

As agricultural production lagged in comparison to the mercantile and commercial sectors, samurai and daimyo did not fare as well as the merchant class. Despite efforts at fiscal reform, mounting opposition seriously weakened the Tokugawa shogunate from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century, when years of famine led to increased peasant uprisings.

A series of "unequal treaties" in which stronger nations imposed their will on smaller ones in East Asia, created further unrest, particularly the Treaty of Kanagawa, which opened Japanese ports to American ships, guaranteed them safe harbor and allowed the U.S. to set up a permanent consulate in exchange for not bombing Edo. It was signed under duress when Commodore Matthew Perry, who used the tactics of "gunboat diplomacy" by menacingly sending his American battle fleet into Japanese waters.

Meiji Restoration

In 1867, two powerful anti-Tokugawa clans, the Choshu and Satsuma, combined forces to topple the shogunate, and the following year declared an "imperial restoration" in the name of the young Emperor Meiji, who was just 14 years old at the time.

The Meiji Constitution of 1889-which remained the constitution of Japan until 1947, after World War II -was largely written by Itō Hirobumi and created a parliament, or Diet, with a lower house elected by the people and a prime minister and cabinet appointed by the emperor.

The peace and stability of the Tokugawa period, and the economic development it fostered, set the stage for the rapid modernization that took place after the Meiji Restoration.

During the Meiji Period, which ended with the emperor's death in 1912, the country experienced significant social, political and economic change-including the abolition of the feudal system and the adoption of a cabinet system of government. In addition, the new regime opened the country once again to Western trade and influence and oversaw a buildup of military strength that would soon propel Japan onto the world stage.

Russo-Japanese War

In 1904, the Russian Empire under Czar Nicholas II, was one of the largest territorial powers in the world. When the Czar set his sights on a warm-water port in the Pacific Ocean for trade and as a base for its growing navy, he zeroed in on the Korean and Liaodong peninsulas. Japan, fearing the growth of Russian influence in the region since the First Sino-Japanese War of 1895, was wary.

At first, the two nations attempted to negotiate. Russia refused Japan's offer to give them control of Manchuria (northeastern China) in order to retain influence in Korea, then demanded that Korea north of the 39th parallel serve as a neutral zone.

The Japanese responded with a surprise attack on the Russian Far East Fleet at Port Arthur in China on February 8, 1904, kicking off the Russo-Japanese War. The conflict was a bloody one, and over 150,000 people lost their lives as the fighting waged on between 1904 and 1905.

The war ended with Japanese victory and the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth, which was mediated by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt (who later won the Nobel Prize for his role in the talks). Sergei Witte, a minister in Czar Nicholas' government, represented Russia, while Harvard graduate Baron Komura represented Japan. Some historians refer to the Russo-Japanese War as "World War Zero" as it set the stage for the coming global wars that would reshape global politics.

Sources

The Meiji Restoration and Modernization. Asia for Educators.
The Meiji Restoration: The End of the Shogunate and the Building of a Modern Japanese State. Nippon.com.
After 150 years, why does the Meiji restoration matter? The Economist.
Gunboat Diplomacy. U.S. Department of State.

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Meiji Restoration: Edo Period & Tokugawa Shogunate - HISTORY

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The Meiji Restoration of 1868 toppled Japan's long-reigning Tokugawa shoguns of the Edo Period as U.S. gunboat diplomacy forced Japan into the modern era.

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1. How would you describe the way the Japanese are depicted?

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the japanese are depicted as short and aggresive

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the japanese are shown as small compared to russia, but still aggressive and are bullies as seen from the japanese stepping and kicking a korean person

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2. Who did the author think will emerge as the victor in the Russo Japanese conflict?

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The Russians seem to be fearless of the Japanese, even if they point their swords at Russia, showing that the Japanese are not people that others should take seriously?

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the japanese looked like they were belittled by the author

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japan depicted as trying to snatch korea from russia. he's sly and cunning. the author thought russia would win the russo japanese conflict

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1. the japanese were significantly shorter and smaller compared to other countries; russia, china and the US. he is drawn to have been the one to start the russo-japan war.

2. the author had thought that russia will be able to reign supreme.

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the Japanese were depicted as much smaller as compared to other countries such as Russia, but are still brave enough to put up a fight against other bigger countries

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the Japanese are depicted as aggressive and greedy. While Russia is being portrayed as the 'big protector' of the countries that were being "bullied". Russia is also drawn pretty normally, where as the Japanese are drawn ridiculously short and ugly, almost similar to a monkey. Russia also seems to be unafraid of Japan, no matter how aggressive the Japanese seemed

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What is Prince Konoe suggesting in this pamphlet?

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What is Prince Konoe suggesting in this pamphlet?

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Hint: Based on what he is saying, what can you infer about Japan's plans? Explain why!

Use evidence to support!

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he is saying that Japan wants to join britain and france and germany to colonise other countries and reap the economic benefits. the source states that "we must require all the powers to open the doors of their colonies to others, so that all nations will have equal access to the markets and natural resources of the colonial areas." this tells me that japan is urging britain and france to share their colonies so that the stronger countries can exploit the colonies together by using it's natural resources. japan wants to team up with other countries wanting to colonise and split up the resources rather than letting things stay where britain and france gets all the benefits just because the colonised the place first.

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Japan thinks that it also needs to gather as many resources as they can through colonisation. They also wanted to make sure that the western powers do not continue to ignore Asians and ensure that equality can be achieved. The source sates that "we must require all the powers to open the doors of their colonies to others, so that all nations will have equal access to the markets and natural resources of the colonial areas". This shows that Japan wanted in on colonisation so that they would be able to get more resources and ensure that it is not only the western powers that receive them. The source also states that "it is also imperative that Japan insist upon the eradication of racial discrimination". This tells us that Japan wanted Asians to be seen as equals and wanted to start colonisation to show western powers that they were also powerful. This would help them have more influence over the western powers and ensure that they are not looked down upon. Therefore, Japan needed more power to convince the western powers of their idea of racial equality and also change whatever was happening then.

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Prince Konoe said "We must require all the powers to open the doors of their colonies to others, so that all nations will have equal access to the markets and natural resources of the colonial areas." He is saying that in order for Japan to survive, they too have to colonise regions like the Anglo-American countries, or they would end up like Germany who was too late and left with no land to colonise. So that Japan would join the established powers exploiting the resources for their own gain, justifying why by saying that it is only fair to everyone if they do so. If they are the ones to make the resources available to everyone, other countries might respect them more, and may finally be seen as equals to the stronger powers.

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japan wants to spread resources out more equally. the main focus of this source would be equality

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japan wants to obtain more natural resources through the colonisation of other smaller countries and also to establish itself as an equal to the european powers through the ability to take other countries as colonies

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japan plans to be involved in colonising other countries as well so as to obtain sufficient resources for their country. it states that “We must require all the powers to open the doors of their colonies to others, so that all nations will have equal access to the markets and natural resources of the colonial areas”. this suggests that prince fumimaro konoe felt that this was needed to be in place for peace. japan tried to threaten them by giving them a warning by stating that they “would have no resort but to destroy the status quote for the sake of self preservation”. this would ensure that japan would get access to natural resources as well as to benefit themselves, this putting themselves at an advantage.

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Prince konoe is suggesting that Japan should be treated with the same respect given to other western countries. The pamphlet states that "It is also imperative that Japan insist upon the eradiction of racial discrimination" This shows me that despite all the racism comments made to Japan, Asian countries, one of the main goals of Japan is to get rid of racism and Japan wanted to be treated the same as the Western countries. The statement is said after the Paris Peace Conference also because Japan was humiliated during the Conference. During the conference, the naval strength between powers was decided as USA and Britain having 5, Italy and France country gulity of World War 1 having 1.67 of the ratio. It completely make sense for both Italy and France to have a lower ratio however Japan, was one fo the countries that caused war and yet it has a lower ratio of naval strength. This made Japan felt mad as the Western countries were indirectly telling Japan that they are in no position to compete with Western countries and that Japan is a insignificant country as they have no rights to make any decisions since they are an Asia country. Hence, Prince konoe is suggesting that Japan should be treated with the same respect given to other western countries.

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Japan's plan is to be seen as equal powers and to not be looked down on.

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Japan hopes to gather resources and be seen as an equal so as not to be looked down on.

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Japan is hoping to work with other countries to gain resources and eventually be seen as equal to other countries, while trying to remove racism. seen from "We must require all the powers to open the doors of their colonies to others, so that all nations will have equal access to markets and natural resources of the colonial areas. it is also imperative that Japan insist upon the eradication of racial discrimination."

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"The Doormat" - A cartoon drawn in 1933 by a British cartoonist about Japanese actions in East Asia 

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"The Doormat" - A cartoon drawn in 1933 by a British cartoonist about Japanese actions in East Asia 

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Background of Lugou Bridge Incident, the beginning of Japan's full-scale invasion of China

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This video shows how China commemorated the 80th Anniversary of the Nanking Massacre. It was done through a staging of an opera, through memorial services at various historical sites where atrocities were committed, and through observing moments of silence throughout the city.

The historical footage of only a small part of the carnage on the people was recorded by an American missionary living in Nanking then, John Magee. SKIP 0:36 to 1:06 if you are squeamish as it shows footage of victims at a missionary hospital.

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Nanjing Massacre: A story that must never be forgotten

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i can tell that japan wants to be able to be seen as equal to the other european powers, such as Russia, for example, who have been looking down on them. to prove their power, they would want to obtain more natural resources, by gaining control of the other countries, colonising them, just like how the european powers are able to do so.

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the japanese were depicted as aggresive

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this source shows that the league was weak and inferior to japan. in hte source, japan stepping on the league while the people nearby bow down. someone is also feeding the league a face saving outfit. this suggests that the league was shameful and was so weak that the japanese did not respect them. Hence the message of the source is that japan treats the league like they are inferior.

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the message of this source is that Japan perceived the league of nations as weak and they did not even dare to confront japan. this is because even when japan started an attack on manchuria and the league of nations told them to stop, japan refused to and because they were angry, they just stepped out of the league of nations. This can be seen in the source where the japanese are literally stepping over the league of nations, which proves how the japanese did not bother about the league of nations

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It is to make fun of the LON's weakness and helplessness against Japan's growing aggression. Japan went to Manchuria to gain raw materials for their economy and military and then bombed the railway to blame on the chinese ( wow offended ). The LON condemned the Japanese's actions on trying to take over Manchuria in the name of trying to 'defend' themselves. The LON told Japan to leave Manchuria and make Manchuria a half-independent country from Japan and China which angered the Japanese greatly, which quickly resulted in them leaving the LON and completely invading Manchuria. The LON lost their asian power and did not do anything when Japan took over Manchruia, therefore drawing a smaller man ( Japan ) stepping on the LON like a doormat to show how weak and laughable the LON is once again.

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this source shows that the LON was powerless to Japan and Japan could actually ignore and take advantage of the LON. This is seen by Japan stepping on the LON in the source, using the LON as a doormat. This shows us that Japan did not respect LON at all and the LON was just something there to take advantage of and was a stepping stone to continue their reign of terror

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This source shows that the LON was easily taken advantage of. This can be seen in the source as Japan is stepping over the LON. The LON serves as a doormat to clean Japan's dirty shoes. This shows us that the LON was stepped on and disrespected by Japan and had no control over Japan. It shows that Japan used the LON to shift the blame of the Mukden incident away from themselves and instead blame it on the LON.