Transcript Responses to the I.R.

Japan Modernizes
Early 1700s
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Japan shut itself off from contact with other nations
Ruler—shogun—society closely controlled
Feudalism—peasants worked for and lived under their
lord and his samurai
Peace and relative prosperity for two centuries
The Final Decades of the Tokugawa Shogunate
– Alliance with daimyos, samurai
– Neo-Confucianist culture thrives – increase in schools
By 1850s - Economy slowing; rural riots
Early 1800s
►Pressure from West for Japanese to open ports to
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foreign trade
British, French, Russian & US merchants eager to
trade with Japan
1853 - Matthew Perry (US) took four modern
naval ships to Tokyo harbor
Shogunate bureaucrats - open trade reluctantly
Others want to end isolation & western reforms amazed by steam-powered ships, rifles, cannons
Conservative daimyos want isolation
Letter from President Fillmore
do not write this down!!
It seems to be wise from time to time to make new
laws…If your Imperial Majesty were so far to change
the ancient laws as to allow a free trade between the
two countries, it would be extremely beneficial to
both….Our steamships, in crossing the great ocean,
burn a great deal of coal, and it is not convenient to
bring it all the way from America. We wish that our
steamships and other vessels be allowed to stop in
Japan and supply themselves with coal, provisions,
and water. They will pay for them, in money, or
anything else your Imperial Majesty’s subjects may
prefer.
Treaty of Kanagawa 1854
● Japan opened two ports to American ships
 US allowed to open an embassy in Japan
 By 1860, Japan had opened ports to foreigners and
extended extraterritorial rights to many nations
 Civil War breaks out in 1866 – 1868 - shogunate
defeated by samurai armed w/US guns (left over from
Civil War)
 Japan finally realized their superiority was false
Meiji era
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Emperor Mutsuhito (Meiji – “Enlightened One”)
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Feudalism abolished
Daimyos replaced w/prefects – regional
administrators
Samurai ambassadors sent to other nations to
observe Western ways and bring back
recommendations for modernization
Samurai status & pay abolished – poverty, rebellion
National military established
Tax reform
Japan’s imitation of the West
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Japanese admired German strong centralized
gov’t with a strong military
Used the German constitution as a model for the
new Japanese constitution – DIET – parliament –
very limited power (only advisors)
Japanese adopted the discipline of the German army
and the British naval advances
Adopted the American public school system and
started requiring Japanese children to go to school.
Hired foreign teachers and encouraged students to
study abroad.
Early 20th century Japan
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Economy was as modern as those of the Western
powers
Zaibatsu, 1890s - Industrial combines (monopolies)
State-protected factories produced tea and silk for
world trade
Depended on imports of Western equipment
Development of modern shipbuilding and weapons
made Japan competitive with Western powers
Women suffered – exploited for low wages; sold by
families
Labor organization repressed
Japan as an Imperialist power
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By 1890, Japan had the strongest military
in Asia.
Like Western powers, Japan saw empire
building as a way to protect its security
and meet its growing economic needs.
National pride – nationalism - also played a
role in Japan becoming an imperialist power
Sino-Japanese War
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Japan attacked China because of competition
over who would control Korean trade
Chinese troops were driven out of Korea in a few
months of fighting
Chinese navy was destroyed
Japanese began taking over Manchuria (northern
China)
Peace treaty gave Japan its first colonies—Taiwan
& Pescadores Islands
Russo-Japanese War
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Russia & Japan - two major powers of East
Asia
Fought over control of Manchuria
Feb, 1904 Japanese launched surprise
attack against Russian navy
Japan drove Russian troops out of Korea
Korea under Japanese occupation
Korea under Japanese control
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1905 Korea became a protectorate of Japan
Japanese were harsh rulers of Korea
Imposed totalitarian state—
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no political protest
no freedom of press
banned study of Korean language
took land from Koreans and gave it to Japanese
settlers
Korean businesses given to Japanese
Japanese controlled schools
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Western powers saw clearly the Japanese
abuses in Korea but said nothing.
US and European powers ignored what was
happening in Korea to meet their own
imperialistic ambitions.
Women In Japan
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Japanese society was extremely restrictive
for women—dress, footwear
The supreme duty of a woman was to
honor and obey the men in her life—
father, husband, brothers, sons
Not allowed to stray too far from home
Women in 2000s
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Today, women are increasingly working
outside the home, mostly in offices.
Still limited opportunity for advancement
However, more and more Japanese women
are becoming managers in businesses and
are becoming more vocal about societal &
political affairs.