Tokugawa Japan (1600-1868)
Period of strength
Stability and adaptation
“national consciousness” – what is Japanese?
Shinto revival
Government structure
Shogun  daimyo  councils  chamberlain
Secret police – watch and listen for rebels
Economy
Development of roads and inns – alternative attendance
Enemies of the emperor were sent to farthest reaches of Japan
Come to capital for certain periods of time, families kept in the capital
All daimyos had to do it, but enemies more often (every other year)
Peasants and handicrafts – diversify (cotton cloth, pottery, mulberry trees, silkworms)
Merchants (Osaka and Edo –cities)  money
Banks and trading houses – have economic interest in many different areas
Floating world – Geisha, Bunraku(puppet theater), Haiku, woodblock prints (new art, depicts reality), Kabuki Theater
Concept – life is temporary, enjoy while you can
More money for more people
Standard of living is good
Isolationism and Western Contacts
1632 – Western not invited to come to Japan, trade not important
foreign ships not allowed to dock
ban on building oceangoing ships
keep relations with China, SE Asia, and the Dutch
Dutch – don’t care about religion
Christianity conflicts with idea of Emperor
Allowed one port – Deshima
1-2 ships a year  international gossip
Colonialism is not something Japan wants to get caught up in
Decline begins – 1830s
Loss of flexibility and ability to adapt
Financial demands
Aim at a static society – stop migrations to cities
Taxes in kind – pay taxes on rice with rice
Tax amounts – “assess value”
Same as they were 200 years ago
No changes
Government going to go bankrupt
Take out national learning – elements that aren’t Japanese (Chinese, Korean, Western)
Incomes rise
Taxed income – rice, mulberry trees, salt mines, and natural resources not included
Ability vs. Heredity – those most able = least power
Those least able = most power
Balance Sheet – Who’s happy
Emperor – no, no real power, no freedom
Shogun – no, fear, in debt to merchants
Daimyo – no, debt, no power and no access to it
Yes, economy’s good
Samurai – no, debt
Peasants – no, poor
Yes, rich, economy good
Artisans – no, poor
Yes, rich, economy good
Merchants – no, no power and no access to it
Tokugawa attempts at Reform
Debt cancellation – merchants mad – daimyo need to borrow again, interests are raised
Cut government expenses – retainers, samurai
Modernization – expensive
Internal pressure meets external pressure
Views of the West – China – negative relations with West, Vietnam – dominated by French, India – dominated by the British
U.S. – Commodore Matthew C. Perry – goes to Tokyo, begins relations with Japan
Challenge to the Togugawa: protection
Rhetoric – government is supposed to protect the people
Vs. Reality – government not capable of protecting the people
Two Opinions
Kaikoku – modernize, open ports
Joi- keep foreigners out
Perry forces them to sign treaties for trade
Treaty of Kanagawa, 1854
“The Unequal Treaties” – no negotiations, West has a list of wants, Japan expected to give in to all demands
Harris Treaty, 1858
Wants additional ports, control over tariffs, and extraterritoriality – laws from home work in Japan
Challenge to the Tokugawa
Other Daimyo families (Satsuma, Choshu, Tosa, Hozen)
Satsuma, 1862 – assassination of Westerner and retaliation
Choshu, 1863 – straits of Shimonosek, bombing boats that come through
War, 1866 – to get rid of Tokugawa