Summary
Modern History of Japan Summary
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English summary of the book and lectures.
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4 reviews
By: ramzy_ragab • 7 year ago
By: karelhof • 7 year ago
By: Joostvano • 7 year ago
Incompleet
By: Kokelenberg • 6 year ago
Hello Joost. Too bad you only found 1 star. In the description it is however clear that the last chapter of the book is not included.
By: jacobbarthak • 8 year ago
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MH L1&2&3: Meiji1.End of tokugawa:
A.Intro:
Bakufu: feudal, no central government, peace on their terms, owned 1/3 land, eco
growth b.o. Edo-daimyo trips
Black ships arrive in 1835 for unequal treaties
Combining social & economical instability + Western power (Opium war) = end of
Tokugawa soon to come. 1870's: maybe we're not as civilized like we think, maybe
the West is more civilized. => feeling of impotence of Tokugawa power
2.Bakumatsu pressure points:
A.Economy & trade: inflation/impoverishment, foreign competition ( unequal
treaties)
B.Extra territoriality & other foreign insults (W-judges&courts for W-criminals)
C.Divided loyalties: bakufu (shogun)
imperial court (selfless, reigned not rule)
domains (lord of samurai, daimyo)
nation?
D.Defense matters: Tokugawa disarmed peasants & relocated daimyo
E.Class/status: lower vs upper samurai ('aristocratic revolution'?)
samurai vs commoners
samurai vs merchants
F.Modernization/Westernization: Contact with W-powers so nationalism grows( b.o.
shared sense of oppression) Samurai good position if they would switch loyalty from
daimyo to emperor.
Setsuma &Chooshuu.: 2 domains who overthrowed Tokugawa b.o. powerful armies
(dominant military players & political players in new regime). become allies & armed
peasants.
Festivals: spontaneous(political) party b.o. 'wtf''-& powerlessfeeling
3.How revolutionary:
A.Rich country,strong army: Fukoku kyoohei
=> everyone could agree to meiji slogan. HOW TO GET THERE?
B.Follow the west: assimilation?
1. Changing attitudes towards the West:
Sonnoo Jooi: revere the emperor/expel the barbarians
Late bakumatsu 'stratigic patience: learn techn. as long as they are here'
Early meiji: high tide of Westernization. "Maybe we are a bit behind"
2.How far to follow:
Nationalism as reason of succes in W. How combine nationalism &
westernization?
Modernization= Westernization, Pride/ID (W have this to!), Mixed
feelings/motives & Chr-Budh?
,Japan had to compete w W-industrie, later industrialization than some Eur.
E.Scouting the West:
Iwakura Mission 1871-1873
==> 1,5year to the West for observation & study
Members:
Prince Iwakura tomomi
Kido Takayoshi
Okubo Toshimichi
Ito Hirobumi (j. constitution author& prime minister)
Countries/places visited:
US,Br,FR,E-EU,Russia,
Aim:
-negotiate treaty revisions (too optimistic!)
-Investigation of various countries' institutions and cultures
4.Meiji Reforms:
Unity=Strenght
A.1 nation:
Return of domainlands to emperor (daimyo stay in place for a while), pay off
daimyo(political possitions,tax %)
à little countries in comparison w. domains
àB.O. contact with W: insight in requierements for 'strong nation';
Domains replaced with Prefectures( easier to administer )
+ new boundaries (get rid of old loyalty to domain)
à(samurai unhappy, satsuma rebellion)
B.1government:
central,local off. appointed by central government, government ministeries
established, 1885: cabinet system (responsible to emperor, actually advisers)
C.1people:
abolition of Tokugawa status/occupation system.
-Setbacks & opportunities (soc.struc. same guys at the top despite vertical mobility
fo commoners) eta become burakumin( untoucheable to village people).
-Heavy favoritism: samurai of satsuma& chooshuu appointed friends? daimyo &
samurai get payed off (samurai less)
Moves towards merit/broader participation:
1878 elected prefectural assemblies (advisory only)
1887 examination system (for public officials)
1889: Constitution/Diet (Japanese parliament)
D.1economy: different currencies & taxes in different domains
-centralized tax system
, -tax collected from individuals & based on land value
-titles issued for all land
-Consistent revenue ( tax payed in cash instead of rice--> not influenced by rice
prices) rationalizing tax
-Burden/opportunity to landholders/peasants (depending on economy)
-Government investments:
military,railroads,shipyards,mines,textiles, model enterprises'
-Cheap selloffs to private investors (1880's)
*zaibatsu: 'big wealthy corporations'
E.One army: *
From samurai to commoner army
-Blood tax (conscription), pay tax on agruculture and military
-Participation/Disciple a problem( Gordon: not a tradition, but is was for the
samurai...)
--> invented tradition, code of samurai sort of transferred to commoners
F.One ruler:
One emperor
-symbol of national ID,unity
-reigns but doesn't rule (approves but does not debate etc.)
-Cultivation of Imperial Aura (indoctrination of Emperor as father of the nation)
-Mix of religion and politics= trouble ( shinto encouraged)
LImits to the revolution:
-payoffs to daimyo,samurai
-landlords benefit (titles to landholders,tax burden passed on to tennants,
concentration of landholding)
-state lands become imperial lands (emperor as the biggest landlord)
-cheap selloffs to capitalists
-sat-choo favoritism (led the government)
Universal education:
W- example (stop keeping pple ignorant)
Hopes&fears at the top (pple get ideas & potential, possible threat)
3years for all, later more (compulsory)
Unpopular at firstn ater a rage(middle meiji insight of edu=key to succes)
French-style Pyramid system= elitist hierarchy
Questions:
• Why not a colonie? Japan didn't have natural resources, colonies cost
money+effort. Breathing space for adjustement & modernisation (despite
unequal treaties)
• to what extend do we consider Meiji a revolution? no revolution if you pay off
the elite
• Class overthrows itself? Class was stratificated.
==>Early Meiji: half meritocratie-aristocratie. (low) Samurai could only rise to
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