Lecture reading 1 - The Meiji Restoration Flashcards
(39 cards)
Who was Ii Naosuke?
The shogunate’s chief policy maker.
When was Ii Naosuke assassinated and what was this incident known as?
Third Month of 1860, Sakuradamon incident.
Explain the ‘naiyū gaikan’
6 nai, 1 yu
‘Troubles from within and without’
Within:
- samurai impoverishment and declining martial spirit
- merchants living beyond status and financial means
- famine and death
- peasant uprisings and riots
- ideological ferment and mystical religions
- failed reform
Without:
Matthew Perry arrival in 1853
Why was Ii Naosuke assassinated?
Ii signed treaties establishing diplomatic relations and trade with US/European nations in 1858 believing that trade would benefit Japan and that Japan was not strong enough to say no.
Viewed as a coward and a traitor for submitting to outside pressure.
First of many acts of violence towards ‘foreign barbarians’ and shogunate officials who tolerated them.
When and why did samurai families in Kanazawa turn to commercial pursuits?
Early nineteenth century, because their standard of living was declining.
What economic problems did warrior families face and who were they jealous of?
Warrior families were no longer enjoying a lifestyle appropriate to their status, and blamed the merchants for living above their means.
Samurai stipends were cut, most daimyo were spending three quarters of their revenue on alternate attendance system.
When was the Tenpō famine?
1833-1838
Which text was considered to capture the essence of original Japanese personality and what was it ‘corrupted by?
Man’yōshū, corrupted by foreign neo-doctrines such as Buddhism and Confucianism.
Who believed Japan to be superior to other countries and why?
Motoori Norinaga, due to divine linkage with Amaterasu.
Name two foreign studies that came into Japan.
Rangaku (Dutch studies) - important works such as mathematics, anatomy, botany.
Chinese translations of western books.
Which three things were the new generation encouraged to debate in the mid-nineteenth century?
- utility of Confucian-based social heirarchy
- rule of shogunate in troubled country
- dangers and advantages of foreign cultures
What set Satsuma and Chōshū domains apart from the others?
They were successful in reforming during the Tenpō period between 1830-1844.
Which country was denied the establishment of commercial relations with Japan and launched raids against Japanese settlements?
Russia.
When did Russia launch raids against Japanese settlements and which settlements were they?
Sakhalin and southern Kuril Islands in 1806 and 1807.
Which country did Japan not want to end up like?
China after the Opium War.
Which country demanded supplies from Japan and when?
Britain in 1808.
What happened after Britain demanded supplies from Japan?
Local city magistrate provided supplies and then committed suicide for failing to protect Nagasaki.
What did Japan become fearful of after Hong Kong was ceded to Britain?
That Britain or any other powerful nation might use gunboat diplomacy to extent treaty port system across East Asia.
What did Aizawa say Japan should do and how should it do it?
Rediscover its ‘kokutai’ (national essence).
Shogunate had to revive the monarch’s role as the leader of religious-based state rituals (Heavenly Sovereign).
What ‘gifts’ did America want to bestow upon Japan?
- advantages of American civilisation
- industrial revolution
- Christianity
What year did Commodore Perry force Japan to open its ports?
1854
Which countries received similar treaties to Kanagawa?
Britain, France, and Russia.
What was significant about the Treaty of Kanagawa?
Unequal treaty.
How did Japan resolve to not end up like China after the Opium War?
Slogan ‘Eastern Ethics, Western Science’ - Japan should adopt the useful elements of Western technology and marry them to Eastern morality, not denigrate the rise of Western science and maths.
