123 School Work

Tokugawa Shogunate s Contributions to the Modernization of Japan

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  The era of the Tokugawa Shogunate, commonly known as an era of isolation from the rest of the world with restrictions on trade with foreign nations, is often viewed negatively by Western historians. The isolation of Japan during this time, however, has allowed stability in the government and created an era of peace. The stable government and peace created an opportunity for developments in the economy, as well as changes in society that would prepare the citizens of Japan for modernization.
       The most important factor that allowed the preparations for modernization was the long period of peace, also known as the Great Peace. Achieving this peace was a great challenge considering the fact that the daimyo, or feudal lords, just ended nearly a century of civil wars. The Tokugawa Shogunate saw that in order to bring peace it needed to unify all the daimyo under their control. This unification was achieved by establishing the principle that every daimyo had to pledge an oath to the Shogunate in return for recognition of the daimyo's domain and the right to rule his domains. The oath also meant military support for both the Shogunate and the daimyo. The Shogunate also required the daimyo to live in the capital city of Edo, later known as Tokyo, for several months. This residential obligation of the daimyo proved to be a large financial burden as it required money to travel to Edo and money to establish a residence there...