WHI.27

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Topics on the Page

 * Japanese Isolationism **
 * The Edo Period **
 * ** Poetry, Noh Theatre, and the Tea Ceremony **
 * Commodore Perry and the Opening of Japan (1853-1854) **
 * ** The Black Ship Scroll **

//Focus Question: What were the influences and consequences of Japanese isolationism in 1800?//
===//For more, see AP World History Key Concept 4.2//===

Japanese isolationism was influenced by the leaders of the Japanese government enforcing the policy called sakoku, which meant "closed country."
o Shoguns were military kings, who ruled under the emperors of Japan. o Emperors were believed to be descendants of the gods. o Daimyo were local governors, backed up by dedicated soldiers, or samurai


 * This time period is known as the "Edo Period". **
 * While the official capital city during this period remained Kyoto, Edo (today known as Tokyo) rose to be the actual seat of power in this time.
 * While Japan had historically been a fairly isolated island nation segmented by various factions, the unification of Japan occurred at nearly the same time as the arrival of Europeans in the early 16th century.
 * Around this time Japan opened its ports for trade with powers, but the cultural exchange proved too potent for Japanese leaders.
 *  In the year 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued an edict prohibiting Christian activities declaring that Japan was ‘the land of the Gods,’ and the destruction of shrines by the foreigners was “something unheard of in previous ages” (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2005, p. 353). By 1612, another edict ordered all missionaries out of Japan for good.

Nevertheless, the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from (1603-1867), enforced a policy called [|sakoku], or closed country, prohibiting all foreign contact with anyone except Korea, China, Taiwan, and the Dutch Republic from 1641 to 1853.
 * Japan was closed to all European nations, except the Dutch, who had established a trading post there.
 * Even though Japan had isolated itself from the rest the world during this period, Japan thrived through new tools of manufacturing and the population growth of its major cities. For example, by the 1750s Edo (Tokyo) had a population of over one million making it one of the largest cities in the world (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2005, p. 355).

Many different Japanese customs were brought into life during the isolation including poetry, Noh theater, and the tea ceremony. A lasting peaceful period was a result of the isolation.
 Here is a short documentary from UNESCO about kabuki theater.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Even though Japan remained relatively isolated, Japanese literature, writing, and poetry saw great development and advancement in the Heian period (794-1185 AD).
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The Edo period (1615-1868) was also a great time of internal development for Japan. The outcome of having limited contact with other nations was the nurturing of many traditional Japanese arts and practices.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">These practices included poetry writing, Noh theater, and tea ceremonies. During this time, poetry flourished, kabuki theater was first performed, and playwrights for all theater forms were in high demand, including those for bunraku (Japanese puppet theater.)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">For More on the art of this period including a gallery, follow this link the Metropolitan Museum of Art [|here] and for a video detailing the art click [|here]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Scholars even studied and theorized on earlier Japanese literature. Since this was a period of peace, <span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[|samurai] <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">, instead of fighting each other, dedicated their time to learning tea ceremony, martial arts, and literature. Many of these Japanese traditional customs are still practiced today.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The Edo period was also characterized by Confucian conservatism, balanced by the establishment of “pleasure quarters” in major cities, where theaters, artists, prostitutes, and others were allowed to entertain patrons. The social philosophy also included strict hierarchy in government and society.
 * Japanese weddings during this time period also began to take shape and became very elaborate ceremonies. Upon the engagement, work began on assembling elaborate trousseaus for the bride. The wealthier the family of the groom, the more elaborate the trousseau was. The daughter's of Shoguns marrying a Daimyo could receive a trousseau consisting of over 400 pieces including furniture, kimonos, books, art utensils, mirrors, writing boxes, incenses, musical instruments, dolls and more. These items were then considered family heirlooms and passed down to future generations.
 * [[image:rotating gif.gif width="66" height="66" link="teachingresourcesforenglish/Haiku Poetry"]]See Special Topic page on Haiku Poetry**

**Commodore Matthew C. Perry and the Opening of Japan (1853-1854)**


Attempts by the United States and other nations to establish formal relations with Japan were repeatedly rebuffed.

In response to this situation, in March 1852, President Millard Fillmore ordered Matthew C. Perry to command the U.S. Navy's East India Squadron and to establish diplomatic relations with Japan.

Perry initially delivered President Fillmore's request for a treaty to a representative of the Japanese emperor in July 1853. Perry returned with a larger force in 1854, arriving in Edo (Tokyo) Bay.

He obtained the signature of Japanese authorities to the **Treaty of Kanagawa** on 31 March 1854.
 * As a result of this treaty of permanent friendship, a U.S. consul was stationed at Shimoda, U.S. vessels were allowed access to the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to obtain provisions, and shipwrecked seamen from U.S. vessels were to receive the assistance of Japanese authorities.
 * This treaty led to significant commercial trade between the United States and Japan, contributed to opening Japan to other Western nations, and ultimately resulted in the modernization of the Japanese state.


 * [[image:Screen Shot 2017-02-21 at 10.27.35 AM.png link="@https://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/black_ships_and_samurai/bss_essay01.html"]]For more, see Black Ships and Samurai to see how Japanese artists visualized the arrival and impact of Perry's fleet.**


 * **Watch the Black Ship Scroll Unfold at this site from MIT**


 * [[image:Screen Shot 2017-02-24 at 12.30.24 PM.png link="@http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1750_perry.htm"]]Commodore Perry and Japan **

If you are interested in women's history in Japan, please check out this essay discussing the changing role of women in Japanese society.
 * Women also received some samurai self defense training
 * A detailed overview of what life was like for Japanese women during this period can be found here

PBS also provided a episode in its series //Empires// called [|Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire] which has been posted on Youtube. Check the Links below:

Part I: [] Part II: [] Part III: [] Part IV: [] Part V: [] Part VI: []

<span style="color: black; font-family: &#39;Arial&#39;,&#39;sans-serif&#39;; font-size: 13.5pt;"> **Sources** <span style="color: black; font-family: &#39;Arial&#39;,&#39;sans-serif&#39;; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[1] Virtual tour of Edo Japan [] <span style="color: black; font-family: &#39;Arial&#39;,&#39;sans-serif&#39;; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> [2] Link for Sakoku: [|http://www.pitt.edu/~annj/courses/sakoku.html] <span style="color: black; font-family: &#39;Arial&#39;,&#39;sans-serif&#39;; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> [3] Traditional practices [] <span style="color: black; font-family: &#39;Arial&#39;,&#39;sans-serif&#39;; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> [4] Japanese history, the Edo period 1603-1867 [] <span style="color: black; font-family: &#39;Arial&#39;,&#39;sans-serif&#39;; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> [5] Mayer, Eric (2007). History of Japan. Retrieved March 24, 2007, from emayzine.com Web site: [] <span style="color: black; font-family: &#39;Arial&#39;,&#39;sans-serif&#39;; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> [6] Timline of Japan's empires [] <span style="color: black; font-family: &#39;Arial&#39;,&#39;sans-serif&#39;; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> [7] Major events in Japan 1522-1645 [] [8}<span style="font-family: &#39;Arial&#39;,&#39;sans-serif&#39;; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Retrieved February 19, 2010 from Wikipedia:<span style="font-family: &#39;Arial&#39;,&#39;sans-serif&#39;; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[] [9] Friedmen, Seth. "Women in Japanese Society: Their Changing Roles." Retrieved February 19, 2010: [] [10] //Japan: Memoirs of an Empire//. Retrieved February 19, 2010;http://www.pbs.org/empires/japan/ [11] Videos from Youtube: //Japan: Memoirs of an Empire.// Retrieved February 19, 2010. [12} []

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