The Charter Oath

Tokugawa Ieyasu, the third of Japan’s unifiers, was able to create a stable regime that brought peace to Japan for 250 years. Under his system, “the centralization of feudal state and society went much further than it had in the earlier periods.” (Sources, 121). During this time, Shogun and roughly 260 feudal lords, called daimyos, ruled Japan. According to law, the positions of daimyos were inherited, which meant that a daimyo would be succeeded by one of his sons and this succession would be approved by the Shogun. The Shogun was theoretically selected by the emperor, who fulfilled his role as the “final legitimizing authority in Japan” (sources 121).

The main idea of document 1 is to show what is expected from a samurai. Initially, the image shows the proper armour that the samurai should be wearing. The armour consists of a kimono, helmet, and many more. This picture proves that samurai should be wearing the proper armour. Also, samurais are expected to carry the right weapons. For example, a samurai must have bow and arrow, and two swords. The image demonstrates the weapons that samurai is expected to carry with him. Moreover, a samurai must follow Bushido. Samurais are expected to follow the unwritten code of conduct. The central idea of Document 1 is to describe what is expected from a

The Japanese empire was in great power by this time period, and they thought themselves as the king of the East Asian race. Japan, the “old order”, also believed that some day Europe and America would take over their power and become the “new orders”(Doc A). Japan was one

When Japan was at the turning point of its economy and in the process of forming a new government, Nakae Chomin wrote A Discourse by Three Drunkards on Government, a political theory book that primarily deals with question of Japan’s future with an interesting debate between Champion and the Gentleman. Character Champion thought that Japan should step out of their isolated island and become more forceful in its handling of foreign disputes. He believed that Japan will stay weak if Japan did not have the strength and forces to conquer other nations. The Western learning Gentleman on the other side is a proponent of the modern Western notion of liberty and equality. He criticized Western nations for maintaining large armies that drained their economy. He suggested that Japan should abandon all attempts to compete with the West militarily and commit itself fully to the values that the West did not have. Approximately sixty years has passed since then, and Champion, Gentleman, and Master Nankai have gathered around once again to discuss the postwar Japan, the rise of the militarism, imperialist aggression, and the subsequent adoption

During the post classical period, 650 C.E to 1450 C.E, Japanese leaders were confronted with several issues that threatened political order in Japan. The problems that arose during that time included a lack of respect for Buddhism, for example, monks were not taking their vows seriously. Another problem included the division between classes in the social structure, one instance was when the lady-in-waiting in the temple showed disdain for the peasants in a lower class than her. Ultimately, one last problem was the lack of overall respect for the government. Samurais were not being properly trained and the Daimyo were fighting among themselves simply for power. The issues that presented themselves during this time period can be solved in many ways. Buddhism, a unified religion, reestablishing Confucian values and relationships, and properly training the Samurai are just

One of the biggest changes that happened in the Japanese society because of the Meiji Restoration was the change in social structure. Instead of being dictated their roles in life by the Tokugawa Shogunate, “millions of people were free to choose their occupation and move without restrictions” (AFA, 2014). However not all previous social roles were allowed to continue on under Emperor Meiji. The Samurai social class was made obsolete (ABC Splash, 2016). Instead a new army, modelled on the superior strength of the American army was formed. By making people free to choose their

While ongoing change became the status quo in late-Tokugawa era Japan the ideals of the samurai—and the respect they receive—endured. And, because samurai could still fall back on the prestige their class represented, members of society still

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.

Avakian, Monique. The Meiji Restoration and the Rise of Modern Japan. Boston: Silver Burdett, 1991. 38-54.

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

In the movie, The Mission, the Jesuit Priest, Father Gabriel, played by Jeremy Lyons, in an effort to liberate the Guarani people by proselytizing them to Christianity, becomes their oppressor by changing their natural beliefs and practices. While his intentions are meritorious, they display another form of colonialism and oppression. He does learn the Guarani’ language. However, this appears to be only as an attempt to teach them his way or the Jesuit way. Instead of learning the Guarani culture and assimilating therein, he attempts to convert them to European culture. As an example he teaches them music, which they had no knowledge of prior to his coming. He decides what is best for the people and what they should learn. In one of the earliest scenes in the movie the people did not wear clothes. Later on, we see the Guarani fully clothed, which was an indication that the priests taught them that they should wear clothes. Prior to his coming, the Guarani could be said to be in a “Garden of Eden” state

College sports are rapidly increasing in the United States. Crowds of up to 75,000 fans squeeze into stadiums and arenas to watch teenagers play the sport they love. Many people may even argue that college sports are over powering professional sports. Students in college are solely playing for their love of the game and not millions of dollars. These student athletes are generating millions of dollars for their colleges every season and in return they receive scholarships. Some may say that sports have no official place in college and are compromising academic standards and are not fair to students who are not athletes. Others may say that it is wrong for football coaches to earn more than university presidents. Although these ideas are true, colleges should strongly support their sport teams and help bring the school together as a whole.

Meiji Restoration was a significant historical event not only in Japanese history but also in world history. A study (Hunt, Lynn, Thomas, & Barbara, 2009) concluded that the word “Meiji” means “enlightened rule” and the goal was to combine “modern advances” with “eastern” values. This event restored practical imperial rule to Japan under Emperor Meiji in 1868 (“Meiji Restoration”, 2017). As a result, it led to the tremendous changes in political and social structure of Japan, and spanned both the Late Tokugawa period and the beginning of the Meiji period (“Meiji Restoration”, 2017). The main causes of Meiji Restoration can be analyzed from the following different aspects.

are strongly interconnected: water is needed to produce energy from its different sources and energy is