Essay on tokugawa seclusion policy

Introduction:

It was in the 17th century that Japan entered into a period of seclusion from the western countries and the period was called ‘ sakoku’. The period was dictated by the tokugawa government in Japan and on the same aimed at protecting it from the outside unnecessary foreign influences. The end of the sakoku seen by the arrival of the US, led to Japan suffers the national infringement. These consequences since the country cannot be able to protect itself from the outside forces witnessed to the country having little access to the political, economical and literally the ideological influences from the outside world making it vulnerable.
The origin of sonno joi movement in the late sakoku period was aimed at reforming moral decay rather than address the various institutional problems. This called for unity under the imperial rule and consequently opposed the foreign intrusions. These forces that aimed at protecting the political doctrines from being exposed to the western civilising forces, the anti-bakufu cropped up and effectively persevered in the midst of the growing concerns over the western countries. This was in relation to the success witnessed and colonial influences after the first opium war of the years 1839-1842 in china.
The internal forces that led to the fall of the tokugawa shogunate regime was issues to do with the antagonistic forces that were pushing the regime to accept the outside forces. The concept of universalism contributed such. On the other overview the concept foreign pressure brought by the arrival of the US made the country exposed to the foreign pressure and this led to the infringement of the forces of resistance which ultimately saw the fall of the regime into shackles.

Works cited

Pyle, Kenneth. ” The Making of Modern Japan.” (Jan 1995).
John P. McKay; Bennett D. Hill; John Buckler. A History of World Societies: Since 1500 (1992).