Black Ships and End of Sakoku
Introduction
Japanese history has been characterized by various issues which took place in different periods. For instance, during the Edo period, Sakoku policy was established by the government which was in power. The policy was meant to inhibit any communication and interaction between Japan and the rest of the world. During the Edo period which lasted from 1603 to 1868, there was no trade or any exchange that was taking place in Japan. However, Japan was conducting some business with Dutch as well as with Chinese Merchants (Cullen pp. 3). The business was being conducted through Nagasaki port as all the other ports were already closed. The period of isolation came to an end after an open sea vessel was first constructed in Japan. The vessel enabled Tsunenaga Hasekura to travel to Europe for the first time. With that background in mind, this paper shall discuss about the black ships and the end of Sakoku. More specifically, there paper shall discuss the history of the policy, why it happened as well as its impacts.
Background Information
There are many factors that may have contributed to the establishment of Sakoku although the main reason may remain dubious. To begin with, Japanese government feared the consequences of foreign imperialism which results from foreign interference. Secondly, the government feared a domestic unrest and therefore it had to curtail any factor that may have contributed to the same. Lastly, there was great fear which was caused by the antichristian movement which had started in the 16th century. Although the policy had lasted for over two centuries, there were internal and external challenges like western influence and natural disasters which contributed greatly to its end. The end of Sakoku was marked by a new beginning in Japan in all sectors. New technologies as well as new ideas could flow easily to Japan since its ports were reopened. The period that followed closely was known as Meiji, indicating the new beginning. Some drastic changes occurred after the end of Sakoku. For instance, there was the introduction of the western technology which led to mechanization especially in the manufacturing industry as Brown( pp. 426) records.
Positive Effects of the Sakoku
There were some benefits which were realized after the establishment of Sakoku that lasted for about two centuries. The government officials referred as Tokugwa Shogun were able to achieve stability which they had desired for a long time. For the two centuries Sakoku was in place, Japan was marked by a lot of peace. Moreover, it was possible for Japan to concentrate on its own cultural aspects as there was no interference from the rest of the world. That was the main reason why the Japanese culture was complex and very rich compared to other cultures in the world. Most important was the economic benefits because Japan was able to become self sufficient when the economy of other countries was dependent on colonization and world trade (Isolation par. 20).
Negative Impacts of Sakoku
Although there were incredible benefits of the Sakoku, there were still some disadvantages of the same. As highlighted earlier, there were some developments in the cultural sector. Nevertheless, lack of interaction with citizens from other parts of the world led to a situation of cultural and intellectual stagnation. The academic and other fields like design were marked by lack of creativity as there was limited access of ideas. Sakoku created a very wide gap between Japan and other European countries. When other countries were expanding, Japan was deteriorating due to lack of contact with the rest of the world (Ancient Japan par. 14).
The end of Sakoku
After returning to Japan with seven ships, Perry forced the Japanese government to sign a peace treaty which was aimed at establishing diplomatic relationship between Japan and United States. Immediately after, Japan managed to continue signing other treaties with various countries from the west. The treaties were very significant since they helped to form a foundation of the relationship between Japan and the western countries. Moreover, most of the Japanese nationals continued to go to the west with an aim of learning about the western civilization (National Committee of Japanese Historians, pp. 11 ).
The end of Sakoku was very significant in Japan. The centuries which followed after isolation were marked with vast economic growth which is evident even today since Japan is among the super powers. Westernization became the norm in the country and the same contributed greatly to the cultural change. For instance, Japanese men could dress in western clothes and therefore, western fashion was adopted by virtually everyone given that even the army used to wear uniforms of the western origin.
Conclusion
Sakoku was a well thought and planed policy by the Japanese government although to the foreigners it was not only considered irrational, but also unnatural. Although before its establishment trade was still taking place between Japan and other foreigners, it has been described as a development policy. Nevertheless, it is important to note that development that took place after the end of Sakoku overshadows any development that took place during the era of isolation. For example, there was remarkable agricultural and technological development in the seventeenth century. Although it is difficult to understand the impacts of Sakoku, it is an understatement to conclude that the policy was not successful (Eicher pp. 82).
Works Cited
Ancient Japan. Web. 17 November 2010.
Brown, Delmer M. Black Ships and end of Sakoku . Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1993. Print.
Cullen, Louis M. A history of Japan 1582-1941: internal and external worlds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print.
Eicher, Joanne Bubolz. Dress and ethnicity: change across space and time. Oxford : Berg Publishers , 1995. Print.
Isolation. 2010. Web. 17 November 2010.
National Committee of Japanese Historians . Historical studies in Japan (VII) 1983-1987. Boston: BRILL, 1990. Print.
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