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Japan
End of 15th
- a. End of 15th: Japan at point of near anarchy, but by 16th, powevuful individuals achieved unification
- i. Tokugawa Ieyasu= shogun (general), which initiated the most powerful and longest lasting of all the Japanese shogunates
- 1. Tokugawa rulers completed restoration of central authority and remained in power until 1868
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Japan
Opening to the West
- i. Portuguese traders landed on islands of Japan in 1543à their ships began stopping at Japanese portsregularly to take part in regional trade between Japan, China, and SE Asia
- 1. First Jesuiit missionary, Francis Xaviar, had some success in converting to Christianity
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Japan
Opening to the West Reaction (at first)
- 1. Visitiors welcomed by curious Japanese, who were awed by tobacco, clocks, etc.
- a. Local nobles interested in buying European weapeons and armaments to defeat enemies and unify islands
- i. Effect of Japanese military architecture was striking as local lords began to erect castles in stone on Euroepan model
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Japan
Opening to the West Success of Catholic missionaries
- 1. Provoked strong reaction against presence of Westerneers
- a. When missionaries interefered in local politics, Tokugawa Ieyasu, expelled them all and persecuted Japanese Christians
- i. A Christian peasant revolt in Kyushu was bloodily suppressed (1637)
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Japan
Opening to the West: European merchants
- 1. Government closed the two major foreign trading posts on island of Hirado and Nagasaki
- a. Only small Dutch community in Nagasaki allowed to remain because the Dutch didn’t allow missionaries to interefere with trade interests
- i. Terms of staying strict
- 1. Allowed to dock at Nagasaki harber just once a year and could remain for only two or three months
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