How was Japan’s imperialist
experience unique?
The Opening of Japan
Notes
The Tokugawa Shogunate or
Tokugawa bakufu (also known as the
Edo bakufu) was a feudal military
dictatorship established in 1603 by
Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the
shoguns of the Tokugawa family until
1868. This period is known as the
Edo period and gets its name from
the capital city of Edo, now Tokyo.
The Tokugawa period, was based on
the strict class hierarchy established
by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The warriorcaste of samurai were at the top.
The Tokugawa
Shogunate had
restricted Japan
to foreigners and
forbid Japanese
travel overseas
Interesting info your don’t have to write
• Only the Dutch were allowed limited trade at the port of Nagasaki.
They had to do
business inside a
walled artificial
island in the port.
The Japanese
did not want
foreigners in
Japan!
• . In 1853 Commodore
Matthew Perry
carried a letter
that demanded
Japan open her
ports to the US.
If Japan refused,
the United
States would
declare war
against her.
Matthew Perry
How the Japanese saw
Matthew Perry
• Since Japan had no way to defend herself, the
US was granted trading rights under the
Treaty of Kanagawa.
• In response, the Japanese restored Emperor
Meiji to power, bringing change to Japan.
Overthrown Tokugawa shogunate
Emperor Meiji 
It’s over!
• This event
marks the end
of Tokugawa
(feudal) Japan.
• To modernize Japan, leaders of the Meiji
government studied Western institutions and
technology.
The Meiji Restoration
• The Japanese did not want to be humiliated
again by Western powers. The people were
mad at the Emperor for letting them down.
• Under
feudalism
the Emperor
was really a
_________.
His power
was restored
by the
_________ &
daimyo class.
The new Emperor Mutsuhito
(1868-1912) was only 15 years
old. He adopted the name Meiji
which means “enlightened rule.”
• Japan started to MODERNIZE and adapt ideas
from the West.
• A U.S. - style public education system was
established and a strong Navy was formed.
Constitution
• Based on German constitution. Strong,
centralized government, a small group of men
had most of the power
GOVERNMENT =Diet
• Japanese system of legislature. The Diet was
first convened as the Imperial Diet in 1889 as
a result of adopting the Meiji Constitution