Japan Limits Western Contacts n Setting the stage

Japan Limits Western Contacts n Setting the stage: n n n 1467 -1568: “Warring States” period. Daimyo: warrior-chieftains who employed samurai The daimyos fought each other for control of the country

First Attempts at Unification n Oda Nobunaga: seized the imperial capital Kyoto n n Used firearms effectively during battle for the first time in Japan Committed seppuku after betrayed by his own general.

n Toyotomi Hideyoshi: Nobunaga’s best general n n n Through force and alliances he controlled most of Japan He invaded Korea and began long campaign against Korea and Ming dynasty in China Died without being victorious

Tokugawa Shogunate n Tokugawa Ieyasu: ally of Hideyoshi who unified Japan n Defeated enemies at the Battle of Sekigahara. Became shogun (leader) of Japan Moved his capital to Edo, which later became Tokyo

n Reforms: n n n Forced daimyo to spend every other year in Tokyo Had to leave their family in Edo as hostages Result was rule of law over rule by sword

Tokugawa Society n n Peace meant greater production of food. Merchants class became rich but peasant farmers still led difficult lives.

n Confucian ideas were important in Japan but led to different results than in China n n Farmers were heavily taxed, and people flocked to cities Cities grew, and Edo’s population was greater than one million in 1600.

n Culture: n n Kabuki: elaborate costumes, dance, mime concerned with urban life Haiku: poetry that presented ideas. It had a very particular structure. n Basho: greatest Haiku poet.

Japan and Europe n 1543: Portuguese sailors wash up onto Japan is interested in the outsiders. n n Portuguese traders bring eyeglasses, tobacco, and clocks to Japanese markets Daimyo were interested in European firearms and cannons.

n Christian missionaries arrived alongside merchants n n Francis Xavier: led the first mission to convert Japanese The missionaries were successful: 300, 000 converts by 1600.

n n Ieyasu reacts to the success by banning Christianity in 1612. In 1637 there was a rebellion by peasants against the government n Many of the peasants were Christians therefore the government persecuted Christians eliminated the religion in Japan.

Closed Country Policy n Japan eventually closes off their country to outsiders n n n One port (Nagasaki) is left open to Chinese and Dutch ships Japanese government has monopoly on foreign trade This isolation exists for over 200 years