Tokugawa Settlements and Rule of Meiji in Japan

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Main body
Conclusion
Woks Cited

Introduction

While analyzing and describing Tokugawa settlements and the rule of Meiji in Japan, it would be relevant to mention that in the middle 1800s Western powers established trade and diplomatic relations with this country. The opinion toward foreigners among Japanese varied. Some in Japan were more opposed to foreign impositions than others, there were those who considered them barbarians that invaded their motherland and destroyed their traditions.

Main body

Tokugawa, also called Ieyasu, founded the Tokugawa shogunate, which was a typical military government. Under the rule of Tokugawa’s shogun (mail family leader – emperor), emperor’s power was challenged by feudalistic territorial lords called daimyo, “rulers of the 250 or so fiefdoms (han) that divided Japan” (Beasley, 1990). But shogun was able to resist them efficiently by the system of checkpoints (seki) located near the main roads and by monopoly on abroad supply of saltpeter (key ingredient of the gunpowder). This led to the stability, effective rule and peace in Japan for a couple of centuries.

Ieyasu settlements may be characterized as successful ones, because he establish himself in the most agriculturally rich and wealthy part of the country. Thus, he enabled himself to affirm his power and authority on the national level. Following this, Ieyasu settled for the entire hegemony over Japanese nation. He established a rule under which the daimyos (feudal lords, gathered by him in the system of centralized feudalism) had almost complete autonomy over their own feudal domains, but in return they were obliged to pay allegiance to Ieyasu’s headquarters –Edo; daimyos were also personally subject to Ieyasu’s jurisdiction.

There were three kinds of daimyos owned and ruled their feudal territories -domains that made up Japan through the Tokugawa period: “fudai, or hereditary daimyos, who had become the vassals of Ieyasu before the battle of Sekigahara; tozama, or outside daimyos, including both Ieyasu’s allies and opponents at Sekigahara; and a small number of shimpan, or collateral daimyos, who were directly related to the Tokugawa family” (Beasley, 1990).

Speaking about the relations between Ieyasu and West, it is necessary to say that he was opposite to the relations with Portuguese and Spanish as they wanted to spread Christianity over Japan, but he was totally satisfied with English and Dutch businessmen as they managed trade without engaging in missionary (religious) activities. Ieyasu appointed Englishman – Will Adams as an adviser on foreign affairs.

Iemitsu- the third Tokugava emperor continued the basic policies of his grandfather, founder of the shogunate. “By the time of Iemitsu’s death in 1651, the Tokugawa regime was firmly set in the form that it was to retain for two more centuries. Whereas Nobunaga undertook unification and Hideyoshi completed it, Ieyasu made it enduring.” (Hane, 1992). It should be pointed out that Ieyasu was one of the greatest army commanders as well as one of the greatest governmental leaders and administrators in the history of Japan.

It is necessary to say that agricultural production under Tokugawa (Ieyasu and Iemitsu) rule increased considerably, but it also caused the great disparity between different social groups. The position of warrior aristocrats – samurai, who served territorial lords, within the context of such changes became difficult, as they became more dependent on money lenders.

Such unstable situation was really beneficial for West powers with their superiority in weaponry, advanced skills in the spheres of technology and science that were welcomed by the Tokugawa government with the view to improve economy in Japan. Following this were signed the 1850’s “Unequal Treaties” with such economy giants as: Britain, the United States, France and Russian Empire. Those treaties “opened the cities of Edo and Osaka to foreign residents, and ports were opened to foreign ships. In these ports Westerners were granted extraterritorial rights – exemption from Japan’s laws. And the Western Powers took control of Japan’s foreign –trade tariffs, creating a trade balance unfavorable to Japan” (Hane, 1992).

Japan’s sophisticated elites became more interested in Western goods; unlike their emperor, they did not care anymore about their traditions and religion. These events and moods led to the Civil war since 1863 till 1868, when the territorial lords allied with Meiji deposed the old emperor and declared Meiji as a new one. But instead to “expel the barbarian” (Hane, 1992) (Western powers) as he promised before, Meiji, forced by military leaders, established a policy of entire cultural, scientific and commercial relations with the West.

Meiji established the new ideology – Confucianism and new social orders (his government abolished class system; there was declared a constitution in 1889. All these were made in order to modernize and improve the country’s economy. In 1871 government gave peasants freedom to cultivate whatever they wanted on their land; since 1872 people were aloud to buy and sell land. The Meiji government made great investment in agriculture by establishing special agricultural colleges and experimental farms, by providing people with farming advice and improving planting techniques as well as irrigation systems. “By 1890, agricultural production was almost double what it had been in 1873 – up 175 percent to be exact” (Beasley, 1990).

Conclusion

As a conclusion, it might be stated that such growth led to the improvement of Japanese economy and helped the development of manufacturing and, thus, industrialization. These caused the creation of shipping lines and a telegraph network, building of railroads in Japan. But the process of industrialization was happening to rapid in this country as the government wanted Japan to become a powerful state – “rich country, strong army” (Beasley, 1990), and the laborers suffered a lot during it, what, eventually, led to different strikes. The Meiji government had no other choice as to declare strike as a crime.

Woks Cited

Beasley, W. G. The Rise of Modern Japan. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 1990.

Hane, M. Modern Japan: a historical survey. Boulder: Westview Press, 1992.

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Tokugawa Settlements and Rule of Meiji in Japan

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