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Unit 3—Handout 2-1
Japanese Modern History
Japan is the English word; in Japanese, the country is Nippon (formal) and Nihon (casual), which mean
“the sun’s origin.” Thus, Japan is referred to as the land of the rising sun. During wars, the Japanese say:
Nippon ichi—Japan is number one to inspirit their fellow warriors. They also believe in Yamato Damsashii—this
is the spirit of Japan, a sense of divine protection that could overcome all obstacles.
Feudal Japan (1185-1603)
The feudal period of Japanese history was dominated by the powerful regional families (daimyō) and the
military rule of warlords (shōgun). The emperor was a fi gurehead. During this time the shogun was very
powerful and merchants were weak. Samurai, the warriors, at fi rst owed their allegiance to the nobility but
eventually samurai became rulers. The samurai followed a set of rules that came to be known as Bushidō.
Edo, or Tokugawa period (1603-1868) —Pre-industrial Japan
During the Edo period, also called the Tokugawa period, the administration of the country was shared by
over two hundred daimyō, and the government of the federation was the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Tokugawa
clan was the most powerful, and for fi fteen generations monopolized the title of shōgun. This clan ruled from
Edo (present-day Tōkyō), commanding the allegiance of the other daimyō, who lead their autonomous regions.
In 1633, Japanese were forbidden to travel abroad. Their isolation was increased in 1639 when contacts
with the outside world became very limited. Trade relations with China and the Netherlands could only be
conducted in the port of Nagasaki. Moreover, all foreign books were banned.
By the 18th century, the samurai had become courtiers, bureaucrats, and administrators rather than
warriors because there had been no war since the 17th century.
The most important philosophy of Tokugawa Japan was Neo-Confucianism, stressing the importance
of morals, education and hierarchical order in the government and society: A strict four caste system existed
during the Edo period: at the top of the social hierarchy stood the samurai, followed by the peasants, artisans
and merchants. The members of the four classes were not allowed to change their social status. Outcasts (eta),
people with professions that were considered impure, formed a fi fth caste. However, this social hierarchy
began to break down as the merchant class grew increasingly powerful , and some samurai became fi nancially
dependent on them.
In the late 18th century, external pressure started to be an increasingly important issue, for example, when
the Russians fi rst tried to establish trade contacts with Japan. The Russians were followed by other European
nations and the Americans in the 19th century. Commodore Perry in 1853 and again in 1854, arrived with
his squadron of “Black Ships,” forcing the Tokugawa government to open ports for international trade and
establish diplomatic relations with the U.S.—”gunboat diplomacy.” However, trade remained very limited until
the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
In 1867-68, the Tokugawa government fell , defeated by Imperial forces in the Boshin Civil War.
Moreover, there was heavy political pressure; the Japanese people recognized Western advances in science and
the military and favored an end to Japan’s isolation. Emperor Meiji became the symbolic leader of the Meiji
Restoration.
Meiji Restoration (1868-1912)
The restoration of the Meiji emperor saw the beginning of a period of nationalism and socio-economicindustrial-political
restructuring known as the “Meiji Restoration.” In 1867/68, political power, via the Charter
Oath, was transferred from the Tokugawa Shogunate to a small group of nobles and former samurai, elder
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