January 2025
To begin this series on Japan and its meteoric rises in the late 19th and late 20th centuries, there are a few key periods to cover, the first two of which I plan to discuss here. We have:
The purpose of this series is not to provide a comprehensive overview of Japan's history, but rather to provide an easily-consumable introduction to Japan's rapid industrialization in the late 1800s and its rapid rebuilding post-WW2.
There is much that we can learn, both what to do and what not to do to help nations industrialize, by studying Japan's history.
Sengoku period
The key point to note about the Sengoku period is that it was marked by internal instability. There were numerous civil wars going on at any time, and one contributing factor was the decentralized power within Japan at the time. Daimyo, the equivalent of feudal lords which existed in Europe at the time, were vying for power throughout Japan, and this often led to both fighting between daimyo for land, as well as infighting amongst members of the noble families. And that's not counting the discontent amongst the commoners, who would often rebel. Eventually, a few of these daimyo decided that it was time for a change, and worked to restore a central government. [1]
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa period (also referred to as the Tokugawa shogunate) was a period of relative peace and stability. Perhaps that is an understatement. A central government was reestablished, and to keep the daimyo from rebelling, their wives and children had to live in the capital, effectively held as hostages. That alone can do much to maintain regional stability.
The government also enforced isolationism through a policy known as Sakoku, which banned foreigners and heavily restricted and regulated foreign trade.
Japan also had a strict social hierarchy during this period. Unlike previous periods, where a commoner could rise in social rank by fighting valiantly and becoming a samurai, that was no longer common. In Tokugawa Japan, you had your place in society. You were born into it, and there wasn't much you could do about it.
All of this, combined with the central government making good faith efforts at civil administration, gave Japan an opportunity for economic growth during the early Tokugawa years, and allowed Japan to begin to explore the arts.
The development of art, in conjunction with the isolation, gave Japan a unique cultural identity. One that largely persists to this day. This will likely be important in future posts, as how to maintain identity whilst industrializing and importing the best ideas is one that many nations today (including Japan) are grappling with.
But with that isolation, came the inability to import new ideas and technology. And that led to Japan falling behind. By the early 1800s, it was apparent that Japan could not compete militarily with Western powers, and in conjunction with internal discontent, by both the commoners and a big portion of the ruling class, the government was ripe for a change. The final blow came with the embarrassment of Commodore Matthew Perry's use of the US Navy to force a reopening of Japan.
All of this sets the stage for the Meiji restoration.
Notes
[1] This is a gross oversimplification of the Sengoku period, which has periods of relative instability and peace within it. I kept it brief because the focus of this blog post series is on Japan's rapid economic rise during the early Meiji period and post-WW2.