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Archive for June, 2009

By the end of the Meiji Period (1868~1912), Japan was a considerable power in Asia. And following its participation during the short Taisho Period (1912~1926) in the First World War, under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902, it was recognized as one of the world’s great powers. But following the World War and the Russian Revolution, the world was undergoing great turmoil. As if to mirror this, Japan suffered the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 in which 140,000 people were killed or missing. This was followed by the succession of the Emperor Horohito and his Showa Period (1926~1989).

This reign started out well, with continued progress in the country’s industrialisation. But the Great Depression FROM 1929, a series of incidents in China and political scandals at home all combined to take their toll on Japanese society. In 1932, Japan established a puppet-state in ‘Manchukuo’ or Manchuria. In 1933, the country withdrew FROM the League of Nations. Japan signed an anti-communism treaty with Germany in 1936. As the political parties began to lose their influence, the military started to increase theirs, invading northern China in 1937, an event partly covered in Bernardo Bertolucci’s film ‘The Last Emperor’ (this second Sino-Japanese War actually lasted until the end of World War II in 1945). In 1938, premier Konoye Fumimaro pressed China for concessions and declared Japan’s goal of a new ORDER in East Asia.The political parties were forced to back the war and were later dissolved and a united national party formed in their place. This party and the Diet (parliament) itself were effectively powerless in the years up to the Second World War.

Fires rage after the 1923 earthquake

Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro

Tojo Hideki at the Tokyo War Crimes Trial

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During the Edo Period (1600~1868), the most famous Shogun of them all, Tokugawa Ieyasu got rid of the decentralized feudal system and installed the bakufu (military government) in the city of Edo, better known to us all as Tokyo (even today, people born in Tokyo are known as Edo-ko, or children of Edo).

Japan had experienced its first contact with European culture and religion some 60 years before. And although one of his advisors was an Englishman, Will Adams, Ieyasu saw European influence as a threat to the newly-found national stability and decided on a closed-door policy. He prohibited virtually all cultural and diplomatic contact with the outside world. Those who dared to venture abroad were executed on their return to prevent any form of ‘contamination’. The only trade allowed was with the Dutch, who were confined to the small island of Dejima (left) in Nagasaki, and the only people allowed INTO contact with them were merchants and prostitutes. In the strict class structure, chonin (merchants) were considered the lowest, although in subsequent years they were to prosper. The once strong samurai class lost most of their relevance amidst the peace and stability while the military leaders held complete power and expected total and unwavering obedience. Read the rest of this entry »