Sakamoto Ryoma Research Paper

3. What was the nature of Japanese society and economy during the period of the daimyos?

Samurai, the warriors, were instructed to fight for their lord. This created chaos when daimyo used samurai to fight for land in the bloody Onin Wars. On pg. 308, paragraph 2, it states "During the conflict, the city of Kyoto (Heian) was almost completely destroyed." Kyoto was a major city, which got wrecked during that war.

Tokugawa rulers during the 17th century greatly improved a multitude of separate political aspects and as a result, positively impacted the nation and citizens. A primary example of this is Tokugawa’s establishment of the capital at Edo which in present day Japan is called the iconic Tokyo. Additionally, he established a strong central government, along with his shoguns imposing an era of unity, stability, and peace in Japan. The shoguns closely monitored and controlled the local daimyo possessed a relative amount of power but remained to be tested for their loyalty and kept under control by the shoguns who restricted their family and eventually became hostages. The daimyo was required to maintain two residences in an attempt to prevent rebellion because of this wasting factor which prohibited them as they had minuscule amounts of time to construct a powerful army due to constantly needing to defend two residences. The Tokugawa period was an era of peace, stability, and

However, there were some unforeseen adverse effects. These effects have influenced and affected Japan as a nation and culture, enriching the culture and lifestyle that we associate with Japan today. Japan's isolation allowed them to develop their culture without the influence of other countries or religions. The economy of Japan also flourished during the Sakoku period. The long period of stability and peace was central to the economic boom. Moreover, the Japanese culture became richer because of the sakoku. Without foreign influence, they further developed their own unique culture. For example, traditional rituals and customs. The Japanese politics were also affected by the sakoku; the emperor continued to appoint the shoguns to keep his subjects in and foreigners out. These foreign traders and Christians were not welcomed by authorities. This was because they were afraid they would cause an uprise in the feudal system. On the other hand, this isolation had a negative effect because overtaxing and the rice payment continued. Sakoku also adversely affected the environment; the most noticeable impact was widespread deforestation. Without the ability to import wood, there was not enough for every person in the country. With an ever-growing need for natural products such as wood, the land was

Japan was a very nationalistic country in which the purpose of the civilians was to fight until death for their emperor. This was evident in the fact that they had practiced an extremely nationalistic concept of Bushido. This concept made surrender unacceptable for all Japanese people and they lived to die for the emperor. There nationalism was fueled by the fact that they won 2 large battles (Sino Japanese War and Russo Japanese war) against larger countries. Along with this, the Japanese also had Kamikaze pilots who suicide by deliberately crashing planes into American warship as a tactic of fighting. This extreme nationalism shows that they could not be fought with regular weapons and so posed a threat for the whole world.

Japan had a strong military society. The Daimyo were the Japanese military leader. Samurai were well trained. Japan was able to develop a great military society due to its strong leaders and honorable warriors, that when the emperor fell they took over and reunified Japan.The samurai effected the growth of Japan. The stronger the military the faster Japan would grow. If japan had no army they would be overthrown. Japan could not protect. In other words, the stronger the stronger the society. The military society is the most important thing for Japan. Without any military there would be no Japan. The Shoguns and the Samurai. The Samurai were honorable and well

Kotoku was born in 1871 in rural Tosa and matured in the hectic reform years of the Meiji period. During his maturity, Japan was undergoing changes that lead to impending dangers. The years of the Meiji Restoration in 1868 changed from feudal system of the Edo period to a compulsory system of equal education and enlistment to the army. Japan underwent intense reforms that changed its social, political, and economic aspects. The reforms shook the foundations of the dying regime and gave birth to a new society. The social Caste system was toppled, and the day to day lives of the Japanese changed with a revolution. This achievement was shortly thereafter betrayed by the ruling party. The ruling elite’s imperialistic pursuit was viewed as a betrayal to the Meiji Restoration. The revolution promised a fair society in submission of universal ideals. While in Tosa, Kotoku was educated in the new educational system and its new political ideals, which had opened up due to radical Meiji reforms. He was known as a socialist and anarchist because of his distaste towards the political leaders as he felt betrayed by the promise of the Meiji restoration. The revolution became a restoration of the past and reinstated the emperor as the one true ruler. Kotoku believed in completing the revolution that had

Between 1968 and 1912, Japan was going through a reformation called Meiji Restoration in order make the country strong as western countries. It had caused changes in many parts of Japan such as society, government, military, etc. Some of these changes still can be seen in the Japanese society today such as emperors are honored by Japanese citizens and seen as a special figure. Since this reformation had a great impact on development of Japan, it can be consider as a very important part of Japanese history.This study will seek to answer the question: To what extent did the Meiji Restoration succeeded to reform and strengthen Japan? In order to answer the question, the investigation will analyze military reform and economic reform caused by

Japan is an unique oriental country in many aspects, especially in politics and economy, both western practices and traditional nationalism are coexisted in this country. The period 1890-1940 was just followed the Meiji restoration, and was typical in the history of Japan, at that time, Japan was on the way from a feudal country to a capitalistic country, called modernization. Many western practices were being more and more adopted, however, at the same time, traditional rules still had strong influences in Japan. Under this background, this report will discuss the Japanese cultural factors during 1890-1940 that influenced the disclosure

The young warriors were taught to sacrifice everything for the emperor or lord. In Japan, the emperor represented the laws and the state and was considered divine. Loyalty was an ethical demand stemming from this political theory. A samurai was obligated to appeal to the wisdom of his lord by committing seppuku.

Sakoku, or the national seclusion, of Japan by the Tokugawa Iemitsu in the 1630s was one of the most important periods in Japanese history. Many people perceived that Japan became uniquely unique because of the Sakoku. However, during the Sakoku, Japan was not complete sealed off from foreign influences and trades. The national seclusion of Japan is believed by some people that there is only limited trade with the Dutch and Chinese in Nagasaki. According to Oxford Art Online during the Edo period, the Bay of Nagasaki is “the only port open to overseas trade” (Bonnie), which was not true. During the Sakoku, Japan was not restricted to only the bay in Nagasaki, but Japan had total of four designated places that allowed foreign contacts. Before the detail of the four areas of foreign relations during the Sakoku period, the reasons for the Sakoku need to be explained.

War played a central part in the history of Japanese samurai. As regional clans gathered manpower, resources and struck alliances with each other, they formed a hierarchy centered around a toryo, or chief. This chief was typically a relative of the emperor

Gluck, Carol. Japan’s Modern Myths: Ideology in the Late Meiji Period. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985), 73.>> The emperor, “as an embodiment of Japan’s sense of national identity, as a bridge linking traditional sources of legitimacy to the new state authority, as the father figure which justified his subjects’ self-discipline and sarifice [became] both a rallying point for his people and a means of concentrating authority behind the emerging national leadership; the emperor came to symbolize all the forces of self-control and enforced stability which combined to channel the prime energies of the Japanese toward meeting the foreign challenge and toward adopting essential social and economic reforms.” <<5

From the commencement, the Tokugawa command fixated on rebuilding instruction in social, political and global activities after a period of conflict. The political construction guaranteed all daimyos to the shogunate and limited any discrete daimyo from obtaining too much land or control. Like most civilizations I find the social hierarchy to be very fascinating. In japans case it went from peasants, artisans, farmers, samurai, daimyo, shogun and emperor.

The three drafts all agree that ‘the common people may be permitted to pursue their respective callings’. Furthermore, the three versions Charter Oath agree on the unification of the samurai and common people in the ‘administration of economic and financial Oath and the principle of ‘open discussion’ in the matter of state affairs. These policies reveal that the new Meiji government put priority on the equal representation of the people in the matters of state affairs in Japan’s future.