Questions taken from powerpoint information:

What about Japan’s geographical characteristics made it easy to
isolate itself?
o Japan is has many mountainous regions, and is also an island.

What role is defined as the hereditary leader of Japan?
o Emperor

What role was in charge of the military government and considered
the person with real power and authority.
o Shogun

Finish this sentence: Each region was under the rule of a
commander called a
o Daimyo

What was the last name of the emperor that finalized the
unification of Japan around the 1600’s?
o Tokugawa Ieyasu

Why did Tokugawa Ieyasu decide to limit foreign ships to land at
one port?
o Because he wanted to protect Japan’s safety and sovereignty.
He saw the Europeans establishing colonies in many of the
areas they explored.

What can be seen as the ultimate reason as to why Japan decided
to isolate itself, especially from the Western world (hint: has to do
with religion)
o The Shoguns were afraid that they would lose absolute
control if the Christians, especially Christian daimyo would
follow their spiritual leaders rather than viewing the Shogun
as their ultimate authority.

The Bakufu passed a series of edicts to control the influence of
foreigners and to tighten control over the daimyo. One example
was the closed country edict of 1635. Give me 2 items/laws that
were included in that edict:
o Any of the following: Japanese ships are strictly forbidden to
travel to foreign countries
o No Japanese is permitted to go abroad. Anyone who
attempts to do so must be executed
o If any Japanese returns from overseas after residing there,
he must be put to death
o If any southern barbarians (westerners) teach Christianity or
commit crimes, they may be put into prison
o No single trading city shall be permitted to purchase all the
merchandise brought by foreign ships.
o Portuguese ships were banned from Japanese ports. Any ship
destroyed and its crew and passengers executed

Give me the names of the social class system, started from the
highest class to the lowest, in order.
o Shogun, samurai, farmers, artisans, merchants, outcasts,
non-humans

How many major roadways criss-crossed Japan?
o 5

Why did many stopping points grow into larger cities during the Edo
period in Japan?
o As people travelled, in particular the Daimyo and their
entourages along the roadyways, they required
accommodations, food and others goods. Artisans and
merchants catered to these needs and began to set up
villages along the roadways.

Name Japan’s three metropolises and the most important feature
of each of them:
o Edo- large city and government centre
o Osaka- large commercial centre
o Kyoto- ancient capital, where the emperor resided.

Name 3 of the 6 kinds of art that the Daimyo became patrons of
during the Edo period:
o Kabuki theatre, banraku theatre, geishas, woodblock images,
books, literature

Why did the shogun relax restrictions on importing books in the
1720’s.
o He became more interested in Western books and ideas.

During Japan’s isolation, Japan was still able to trade with one
particular group of Europeans. Who were they, and how did they
influence Japan?
o Japan was still able to trade with the Dutch. They were
interested in techniques and information by the Dutch.
Eventually, interactions with the Dutch influenced Japanese
scholars’ worldviews. This eventually peaked the Shogun’s
interest and he relaxed restrictions.

One country that influenced Japan’s decisions on trading was
Russia. In a couple of sentences, explain what happened and how
that influenced Japan.
o Russians started to trade with the Ainu and were going to
try to gain new territories, but became distracted by war.
Japan panicked and became more aware of other countries’
intentions

Europe influenced Japan’s decisions on trading. In 2 sentences,
explain what happened and how that influenced Japan’s decisions.
o Originally the Dutch were the only ones allowed to trade
with Japan. Other Europeans began to try to trade, Japan
became suspicious and implement the Don’t think twice
policy. Expel all foreigners. They also requested documents
from anyone that tried to reach ports.

Though China did not directly influence Japan, it’s experiences
with Europe influenced Japan’s decisions on trade. In 2 sentences,
explain what happened and how that influenced Japan’s decisions.
o China was forced to sign unequal treaties when it lost a
battle to Britain. This scared Japan because they thought
China was a strong country. They decided to abandon the
don’t think twice edict, and thought they should begin to
negotiate with European countries before they get taken
over by force.

The U.S influenced Japan’s decisions on trading. In 2 sentences,
explain what happened and how that influenced Japan’s decisions.
Remember to mention one particularly important gentleman.
o The U.S had certain intentions for dealing with Japan. With
much persistence and negotiations from Commodore Perry,
Japan ended up being bullied into signing an unequal treaty.
Japan faced internal unrest, with many people upset and
beginning to question the Shogun. Eventually Japan was
pressured to sign unequal treaties with European countries
such as Russia, Britain, France, and Netherlands.

Give me the two conflicting points of view on whether or not
Japan should stay isolated?
o 1. It would only be a matter of time before japan would be
faced to trade. Using Western technologies would make
Japan more powerful
o 2. Japan should remain isolated, declare war on western
countries, kill all foreigners. If Japanese were exposed to
Europeans, they would undermine the social structure and
class system.

In the mid 1800’s what ecological problem lead people try to create
a new government headed by the emperor, and spark a revolt?
o Bad weather caused poor crops and the farmers and
peasants were starving. People began to question the taxes
they had to pay. They began to question the government’s
strength.

In what year did the Tokugawa era end?
o 1869

Name one strategy that the Meiji leaders used to encourage
citizens to trust in the emperor?
o Used the creation story to make the emperor seem inviolable.
o Wrote the Charter oath outlining the regime with future
policies.

What two goals did the new leaders want for Japan?
o To modernize Japan and make the economy grow
o To renegotiate unequal treaties.

What was the Iwakura mission
o When Japan sent officials and students around the world to
12 countries to find the best ideas and bring them back to
Japan.

What do we call the type of government that Japan had during the
Meiji period?
o The oligarchy decided on a Dajokan form an government, a
German style government with a strong cabinet and limited
powers of parliament.

What was the main intention of the new government?
o To establish a strong, central control.

What did the government do, socially, to make sure that people
stays loyal to the central state and the emperor rather than the
Daimyo?
o They eliminated the feudal class system, feeling that
eliminated feudal clans would strengthen national unity.

In order to adopt a fundamental law, the new leaders of Japan
wrote what in 1889?
o The Constitution of Japan
