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When Commodore Matthew Perry’s squadron arrived in the ports of Japan in 1853, he was aware that his mission was not simple. However, he made sure that his request was presented in a manner that made it hard for the Japanese to say no. Interestingly, among all the American’s requests, only one was quite pressing. The American Navy wanted a coaling base for its steamships and Japan provided the perfect location. However, the success of Perry’s mission ended up changing the history of Japan and the world at large. For instance, the Tokugawa Shogunate’s reign over Japan was greatly undermined by the arrival of Perry’s squadron.
Before the Commodore’s expedition to Japan, the country had remained isolated since 1600. The Shogunate had ensured that it did not allow foreigners to Japan, fearing the influence that Western powers had shown over their neighbors in China and Korea. Before the American treaty, only the Dutch had access to Japan, and they ensured that they maintained this advantage over other Westerners. In the politics of 1853 Japan, the ruling elite had control over all aspects of life in the country and the emperor was mostly ceremonial. All the leaders of the day included individuals who were allied to the Tokugawa, and their power was directly connected to their proximity to the ruling elite.
The Kanagawa treaty tore down Japan’s defensive walls against outside influence. Soon after, the ruling regime realized that they were losing control over the local currency as a result of foreign monies that were entering the country. This inflation also meant that those opposed to the Tokugawa were able to consolidate power using other methods of influence. Other nations from the West also reignited their interest in Japan, and this led Japan to sign other treaties with countries such as Russia, France, Britain, and the Netherlands.
Initially, these treaties did nothing to improve Japan’s interests because they were often unequal. In the ensuing confusion that resulted from the Western influence, the Meiji Restoration was able to capture power from the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1867. The Meiji was an alliance of clans that saw the opportunity to challenge the weakened ruling regime and ascend to power thereby returning power to the emperor.
The social order of the Japanese was intact during the Tokugawa even though freedom was largely limited. A sizeable portion of the population believed that the ruling elite was tolerable. However, the influence of the West, and the subsequent fall of the Tokugawa became a golden opportunity for the population to be enlightened. Consequently, the fall of the Tokugawa was inevitable because “they alienated many Japanese from the politics of the state and many people were unrepresented, as a result, political murmurings of unhappiness and the need for change were ever-present on the local level” (Blumberg 72).
Works Cited
Blumberg, Rhoda. Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun. New York: Harper Collins, 1985. Print.
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