CHAPTER IV JAPAN, Land of the Rising Sun LAND y y y y Archipelago or island chain composed of 4,233 islands in East Asia.

Main islands- Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Hokkaido Area of 145,822 sq. miles It is bounded on the west by the Sea of Japan, Korea, Russian Pacific territories o North Sakhalin Island o East & South- Pacific Ocean o Southeast East China Sea Climate is temperate It is dotted with mountains o Mt. Fuji most known mountain  Separates by arable valleys One sixth of the land can be cultivated Earthquakes, tidal waves (tsunami) and storms regularly strikes the archipelago o 60 active volcanoes o 2,000 tremors shakes the islands each year Tokyo- capital city Major cities- Osaka, Yokohama, Kobe and Nagasaki

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PEOPLE   Ainus- aborigines who originally inhabited the islands 2 oldest and most basic characteristics of Japanese society o Shinto religion o Deep reverence and respect for the emperor

Shintoism    Ancient religion means the way of the Gods Animistic religion teaching that spirits inhabit even in objects as waterfalls, trees, sand and stones. It is polytheistic o Kami number of Gods ( means superior)

The chief Shinto virtue is ceremonial cleanliness rather than ethical good

Reverence and respect for the emperor    Stronger than Shinto as a foundation for Japanese life. Japanese emperors claimed divine descent from Ameterasu (sun goddess) One dynasty in entire history

PRESENT POLITICAL SYSTEM    Constitutional monarchy with parliamentary system of government It had elected a Parliament (Diet) and allowed competitive political parties since Meiji restoration in 1899 1947 Constitution promulgated under the direction of General Douglas McArthur during the US Occupation in 1945-1952 o The Emperors power became just symbolic and ceremonial Japanese Emperor head of state (symbol of the State and of unity of the people) o have no powers related to government Prime Minister they vest their executive power (acts as head of government) Cabinet all members of the Diet

 

EARLY HISTORY y y y February 660 BC Jimmu (the first emperor) was crowned 405 Chinese writing was first introduced into Japan from Korea 550 a Buddhist monk introduced Buddhism o The adoption of Chinese writing and Buddhism also led to adoption of Chinese ideas such as ancestors worship and filial piety. Also artistic designs, engineering, medicine, furniture, weights and measures 607 - they sent their first envoys to China 640 Japanese students returning from China worked to promote further the adoption of Chinese culture in their country o Powerful clans dominated early Japanese society. The heads of these clans formed an aristocracy
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645 an edict called the Great Reform removed the clan systems o It decreed that the emperor had absolute power and that he owned all lands in Japan 702 Emperor proclaimed the Great Treasure (code of laws) which regulated all aspects of Japanese life: land holding, defense, taxes, religion, marriage & funerals. o The law stressed the allegiance of all the people to the emperor and insisted that no sacrifice was too great for them to make for the emperor. o The emperors built 2 capital cities; (1st at Nara then later in Kyoto in 794)

FEUDAL JAPAN The Japanese tried but failed to establish a civil service system similar to China. y 800s the Japanese developed feudal system that resembled that of Europe in some ways o It has 2 power structures:  One was indirect form of central government under which a powerful clan exercised power in the name of the emperor.  Second outside of the control of the central government, consisted of military groups who exercised authority over territories they occupied. Fujiwara clan 1st to dominate the emperors o By holding powerful positions in the government and by intermarriages with the emperors family, they dominated the central government from the early 800 to the mid 1100s. 1185 After the struggle with the Taira family, the Minamoto clan finally won control and held the central government until 1338. 1192 Yoritomo, a Minamoto warlord was given the title Shogun (Barbarian Subduing General) by the emperor. o The Shogun was not only the Chief Commander of the military forces on the central government but he also controlled the law, courts, and finances. He exercised these powers at the military headquarters at Kamakura.

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LOCAL MILITARY UNITS y Daimio (great names)- military groups were led by warrior/landlords o Their authority rested in part of his control of the land, in part, on his aristocratic ancestry and in part, on his skill with sword. Samurai - fighting force maintain by Daimio Bushido (way of warrior)- code of conduct of Samurai resembled the knights of medieval Europe that stressed honor, courage, loyalty and politeness. To Samurai, to fight and die for his lord was the highest obligation. Seppuku (hara-kiri or belly slitting) - ceremonial suicide o If the Samurai failed or disobeyed his lord, he had the opportunity to redeem himself by committing this.

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INDEPENDENCE FROM CHINA y 1200s Japan began a period of independence from China. o the Chinese were busy thwarting off the Mongol invasion o Later the Yuan (Mongol) government in China was unable to conquer Japan, although they attempted several times to occupy the islands. 1281 - Chinese-Mongol fleet of 3,500 ships carrying 100,000 troops invaded Japan but was dispersed by a powerful typhoon. They called the storm Kamikaze (divine wind).

ASHIKAGA SHOGUNATE (1338-1575) y 1338 - Ashikaga family took over the Shogunate from the Minamoto o Feudalism was weakend by series of wars among the Daimio. o Banditry was common o Japanese made its first contact with Europeans Early as 1453 Portuguese discovered Japan o Portuguese merchants brought silk textiles and traded them for Japanese silver and copper. o Christian missionaries followed the Portuguese traders 1638 With the aid of Dutch naval forces, the Japanese destroyed the last Portuguese stronghold.

1715 They permitted Dutch two merchant ships to trade each year at Nagasaki.

CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN y 1549 Francis Xavier (the Apostle of the Indies) a Jesuit arrived in Japan o After preaching in Goa, India and the Moluccas. o He stayed in Japan for 3 years converting about 2,000 Japanese to Christianity 1615 - 500,000 Japanese became Christians 1614- During the height of Tokugawa persecution, all Christian missionaries were deported and Japanese Christians were ordered to renounce Christianity or suffer severe punishment. o Filipino Lorenzo Ruiz - one prominent martyr of the persecutions who was later canonized as a saint by the Vatican. During the Tokugawa Shogunate that the persecution reached its peak; Japanese Christians fled and became refugees to other countries like Philippines.

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NOBUNAGA, HIDEYOSHI, AND IYEYASU  Oda Nobunaga - Son of a Daimio, emerged as a victor y By conquest & intermarriages, he became powerful Daimio that subsequently able to overthrow the Ashikaga Shogunate. y he establishe military dictatorship Hideyoshi - succeeded Nobunaga, inherited his predecessors plan y He invaded Korea with 160,000 men in 1992. y A historical writer hailed him a great military hero (Napoleon of Japan) but was also assailed as the first Japanese ruler to persecute the Christians in Japan. Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Iyeyasu y most famous triumvirate of Japanese heroes

TOKUGAWA SHOGUNATE y 1603 Iyeyasu succeeded Hideyoshi and founded the Tokugawa Shogunate
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o Iyeyasu levied taxes against them to provide relief after earthquake and other natural calamities and to built forts & shrines. o He banned Christianity and persecuted missionaries coming from the Philippines Seclusion Decree 1639 issued by Iyemitsu (Iyeyasus grandson) closing the Japanese archipelago to the world.

OPENING OF JAPAN y 1853 A naval squadron under Commodore Matthew Perry entered Tokyo Bay and compelled the Tokugawa Shogun to open Japanese ports to American trade, as well as safety of American sailors. The Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854 opened 2 Japanese ports to the Americans. o It also provided better treatment to shipwrecked sailors. o Within 2 years, Japan signed similar treaties with Great Britain, France, Russia and Holland.

MODERNIZATION OF JAPAN (MEIJI RESTORATION) y y 1860s A civil war broke out between pro-emperor forces and the shogun. 1867 A group of progressive Daimio from southwest Japan overthrew the last Shogun and gave complete authority to the emperor. January 1868 Emperor Mutshihito proclaimed the restoration of absolute monarchy and took the name Meiji ( enlightened peace) 1912 it lasted and often called Meiji Restoration.

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MEIJI RESTORATION y y They took the road toward westernization & industrialization. 35 years - Japan almost duplicated the industrial development that had taken 150 years in the west.
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They established a system of universal compulsory education that soon removed illiteracy almost completely. Compulsory military was also introduced.

THE NEW GOVERNMENT y y 1889 Emperor Meiji proclaimed the constitution drafted by Hirobumi Ito. 1889 Constitution provided for a bicameral legislature but the emperors orders were superior to any of its acts. o The Emperor remained the sacred descendant of the gods. o He also absolute veto power over all laws passed by the lawmaking body. o He was the Supreme Commander of the Japanese armed forces and could have declared war & make peace. 1889 Constitution gave Japan an absolute monarchy with a constitution. o It gave a legislature that could not initiate lawmaking, declare war or make treaties. o It made Japanese military the most powerful sector o The Supreme War Council & the Supreme Navy Council advised the emperor as to who should serve as Minister of War & Minister of the Navy.

WAR WITH RUSSIA y y Russian troops remain in Manchuria 1904 Without declaration of war, the Japanese navy, under Admiral Togo attacked the Russian navel fleet at Port Arthur and sank a number of ships The Treaty of Portsmouth ended the Russo-Japanese War, with better terms and conditions for the Japanese victors.

JAPANESE MILITARISM y Late 800s - started the program for modernization o They need readily available sources of raw material, & at the same time, room for its fast growing population 1920s - Japans economic problems worsen 1924 the problem of population overgrowth was even aggravated when the US closed its doors completely to Japanese immigrants. 1929 the Great depression began further compounded her problems September 1931 - without warning, Japan occupied Manchuria and created a puppet state of Manchukuo 1937 Japanese troops marching through the Marco Polo Bridge near Peiping were fired upon by the Chinese, 1939 The Japanese occupied about a fourth of China, including all its seaports & many cities in the interior. Undeclared Sino-Japanese War they spread throughout China when World War II broke out.

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WORLD WAR II y y Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere- propagated the slogan Asia for Asian & considered eastern Asia and the Pacific. 1939 - Japan seized the island of Hainan off the coast of Indo-China, cutting off the British sea route from Hongkong to Singapore. o They placed French Indo-China and Indonesia (Netherlands east Indies) under their protective custody o Japan as a member of the Axis Alliance with Germany and Italy against Allied Powers had set her plan into action in the AsiaPacific Front. December 7, 1941- while Nomura, the Japanese peace representatives was still in Washington DC, Japanese war planes & submarines launched a sneak attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, sinking several battleships and destroying many aircraft on the ground. o American dead totaled 2,300, o Japanese invaded Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, and in less than 3 months they occupied Burma, Malaya, Singapore & Indonesia.
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DEFEAT OF JAPAN  May 1942 Japanese advance in the Pacific was defeated for the first time by the combined air and naval forces of Australians and Americans at the Battle of Coral Sea June 3-6, 1942- Japanese were again defeated in the battle of midway in the Pacific August 1942 Americans Marines landed at Guadalcanal of the Solomon group of islands 1944 Americans cleared the Japanese from almost all of the islands October 1944 o General Douglas McArthur landed at Leyte after defeating the Japanese in the great air and sea Battle of Leyte Gulf Early 1945 the Japanese government refused to surrender despite the intense bombing of Japanese industrial cities that began August 6, 1945- a lone American bomber dropped on the city of Hiroshima. o 80,000 Japanese were killed August 9- a 2nd and more powerful atom bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. o On the following day, Japan sued for peace. o The official surrender documents were signed and accepted by General Douglas McArthur (Supreme Allied Commander of the Pacific aboard the US battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay)

   

 

ALLIED OCCUPATION OF JAPAN y General McArthur (American Caesar of Japan) leading the American troops that occupied the country after World War II. o His first aim was to demilitarize Japan. 1947 - He proceeded to create a democratic government & adopted a new constitution. McArthur constitution provided for a parliament or Diet to be elected by popular vote. o War was prohibited & armed forces were limited for civil defense and policies purposes. 1951 Japan signed the World War II Peace Treaty.

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o It formally renounced its claimed to Korea, Taiwan, the Pescadore, the Kuriles, southern Sakhalin and Ryukyu islands.

POST-WAR JAPAN y y y y y y y y Japan produced products of high quality, 1960 Japanese economy vigorously expanded 1966 Japans Gross National Product was already $100 billion with per capita income of $790 dollars 1969 Japan GNP reached $174 billion with per capita income of $ 1,335, making her third most important industrial nation in the world 1970- they entered Asias leading industrial state 1980-1981- Japans GNP had reached a staggering $1,091 billion. Late 1960- early 1970 the balance of trade swung heavily in favor of Japan 2 important changes had occurred: (a result of its post war relative prosperity) o Japanese women received greater legal, political, economic, and social freedom. o The authority of the family, which traditionally was the center of all Japanese life, declined. Japanese youths exercised as much freedom like those of their western counterparts.

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