In this lesson, you will get acquainted with the original culture and history of Japan. Japan in the 17th-19th centuries is a country of brave and courageous samurai, artisans who make original goods, merchants engaged in trade, as well as peasants who, like in other countries at that time, had the most unenviable position. In this lesson, you will learn about Japan during the Tokugawa Dynasty, which was on the throne for about 250 years. This is the time of the closure of Japanese borders and the original development of Japan. Only Emperor Mutsuhito will open the Japanese borders, but this will happen much later.

This lesson will focus on the development of Japan during the Tokugawa Dynasty.

XVII-XIX centuries in the history of Japan is called the period Edo. The name of this period was given by the capital of the state at that time - the city of Edo (Fig. 1) (modern Tokyo). XVII-XIX centuries - this is the era when Japan was ruled by a feudal military elite, headed by Tokugawa dynasty. In 1603, the representative of the Ieyasu Tokugawa dynasty was able to defeat his opponents and take the title shogun. The shogun is the military and political leader of the country, the leader. However, under the shoguns, the title of emperor was also retained. Emperors at this time were more high priests than the real rulers of Japan. Despite this, the Tokugawa dynasty was able to hold on to power until 1868.

Rice. 1. Edo city - the capital of Japan ()

The Edo period is characterized by a clear division of society into classes. The class system of that time was 4 estates(an estate is a social group of people endowed with certain rights and duties that are inherited): samurai, peasants, artisans and merchants. For each of these estates, the position, opportunities were clearly defined, every part of the life of the Japanese of this period was legally prescribed.

The leading estate was the estate samurai (as warriors were called in Japan) (Fig. 2). Samurai had a huge number of privileges. Only they had the opportunity to carry 2 swords with them in peacetime: long and short (Fig. 3). This showed that the samurai had the right to punish as they saw fit. If one of the representatives of the lower classes behaved inappropriately in the presence of a samurai, then he had the right to execute the offender. Samurai made up 10th of the population of Japan and were a formidable force. When the bloody wars end, the samurai have nothing to do. Samurai are warriors and they are not adapted to peaceful life, because they do not know how to do anything peaceful. The question arose: what do samurai do in peace? Some of the samurai became mercenaries. Others opened schools of martial arts and became masters of their craft, such as swordsmanship (Figure 4). Some of the samurai became officials, and some tried to turn the course of the development of the state and again called for wars. More than once, the shoguns had to suppress samurai uprisings.

Rice. 2. Japanese samurai ()

Rice. 3. Samurai swords ()

Rice. 4. Japanese samurai ()

Position merchants (Fig. 5) and artisans(Fig. 6) was even worse. Most of the cities belonged to either the shoguns or the princes. In such cities, the arbitrariness of samurai officials had no restrictions. There were few large shogunal cities where the position of merchants and artisans was tolerable, for example, Osaka, Hakata, Kyoto.

Rice. 5. Japanese merchant (right) ()

Rice. 6. Japanese artisans ()

But the worst was the position of the peasantry (Fig. 7) because the peasant had no rights. They were the main part of the taxpayers, and the samurai feudal lords treated them as they pleased.

Rice. 7. Japanese peasants ()

Like other peoples of the Pacific region, in the XVII - XIX centuries. the Japanese had to deal with the increased activity of Europeans in the region. The first shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa (Fig. 8), was suspicious of foreigners, but still allowed trade and settlement on the territory of the Japanese islands. But over time, relations between the Japanese and Europeans began to deteriorate. The reason for this is largely the fact that the uprisings that rose against the Tokugawa shoguns often had precisely christian character. In 1612, a decree was issued that forbade Tokugawa subjects from converting to Christianity.. The shoguns demanded that all their subjects renounce this religion. Soon, repressions began against Christians on the islands. Trade with Western powers began to decline sharply.

Rice. 8. Japanese shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa ()

In 1635, a decree was issued prohibiting the Japanese from leaving the territory of the state. Those Japanese who were outside the country at the time of the decree were prohibited from returning.

In the second half of the 17th century, the logical result of this policy was the prohibition, under pain of death, for foreigners to visit Japan. The country was completely isolated from the possibility of contact with the Western world.. This policy has led to conflicting results. On the one hand, Japan was able to successfully defend itself against European influence. The dominant religious denominations in the country were Buddhism and Shinto. On the other hand, Japan could not thus learn the scientific achievements that Europe brought to Asia. In historical science there are different assessments of the "closure of Japan", but the fact remains that Japan was able to get out of the period of the 17th-19th centuries. a country with its own tradition, culture and its own vision of foreign policy.

Especially popular during the Tokugawa were those religious trends and teachings that supported the power of the shogun. Yes, it was known the teachings of Zhu Xi (Fig. 9). This doctrine defended the ideals of subordination of the younger to the elders, the inviolability of traditions. Such exercises contributed to the growth of the nationalist atmosphere in the country. The Japanese were proclaimed the leading nation and believed that it was their path that was the most faithful and correct in the whole world.

The Tokugawa dynasty held on to power for a long time, about 250 years. However, over time, namely in the XIX century, there was a famous Meiji Revolution, during which power in Japan returned to the hands of the emperors. Emperor Mutsuhito of Japan (Fig. 10) made many important innovations, such as opened Japan to foreign trade, under him, foreigners began to appear in Japan again, he led Japan along the path of modernization. It was under the emperor Mutsuhito Japan is back on the world stage.

Rice. 10. Emperor of Japan Mutsuhito ()

Bibliography

1. Vedyushkin V.A., Burin S.N. Textbook on the history of modern times, grade 7. - M., 2013.

2. Dann Ch. Traditional Japan. Life, religion, culture. - M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2006.

3. Kitagawa J. M. Religion in the history of Japan. - St. Petersburg: Nauka, 2005.

4. Leshchenko N.F. Japan in the Tokugawa era. - 2nd ed. - M.: Kraft+, 2010.

5. Mase F., Mase M. Japan of the Edo period. - M.: Veche, 2013.

6. Tolstoguzov S.A. The Tokugawa shogunate in the first half of the 19th century and the reforms of the Tempo years. - M., 1999.

7. Yudovskaya A.Ya. General history. History of the New Age. 1500-1800. - M.: "Enlightenment", 2012.

Homework

1. What were the four estates that existed during the Tokugawa era in Japan?

2. Why in Japanese history of the XVII-XIX centuries. called the Edo period?

3. Why did Japan close its borders to Europe?

4. When does the “opening of Japan” start?

Ever since the Land of the Rising Sun first appeared in ancient Chinese chronicles, its history and cultural traditions have never ceased to amaze.

Although almost everyone has heard about how the Mongol invasion of this country was thwarted by the tsunami or how Japan was cut off from the rest of the world during the Edo period, there are many other strangely interesting facts in Japanese history, and technological achievements are amazing today.

1. Prohibition on eating meat

Beginning in the middle of the 7th century, the Japanese government introduced a ban on eating meat that lasted for over 1200 years. Probably inspired by the Buddhist commandment not to take the life of others, Emperor Temmu in 675 AD. issued a decree that forbade the consumption of beef, monkey meat and domestic animals on pain of death. The original law prohibited eating meat only between April and September, but later laws and religious practices have led to a complete taboo on meat.

After Christian missionaries appeared in the country, eating meat was again popularized in the 16th century. Although another ban was announced in 1687, some Japanese continued to eat meat. By 1872, the Japanese authorities officially lifted the ban, and even the emperor began to eat meat.

2. Kabuki was created by a woman dressed as a man

Kabuki, one of the most famous and iconic phenomena in Japanese culture, is a colorful form of dance theater in which male and female characters are played exclusively by men. However, at the dawn of its inception, kabuki was the opposite - all the characters were played by women. The founder of kabuki was Izumo no Okuni, a priestess who became famous for performing dances and skits while disguised as a man. Okuni's energetic and sensual performances were a huge success, and other courtesans adopted her style by imitating her performances.

This "female kabuki" was so popular that dancers were even invited by daimyo ("feudal lords") to perform on stage in their castles. Whilst everyone was enjoying the new frank art form, the government wasn't quite up and running. In 1629, after a riot broke out during a kabuki show in Kyoto, women were banned from the stage. Female roles began to be played by male actors and kabuki turned into the theater as it is known today.

3 Japan's Surrender Nearly Failed

On August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers during a nationwide radio broadcast known as the "Jewel Voice Broadcast". The radio broadcast was not actually broadcast live, but was recorded the previous night. In addition, it was not carried out from the imperial palace. The same night that Emperor Hirohito wrote down his message, a group of Japanese military men who refused to surrender launched a coup d'état. The leader of this coup, Major Kenji Hatanaka, and his men took over the Imperial Palace for several hours.

Hatanaka wanted to disrupt the Jewel Voice Broadcast. Although his soldiers carefully searched the entire palace, the capitulation record was never found. Miraculously, despite the fact that everyone leaving the palace was thoroughly searched, the recording was carried outside in a laundry basket. However, Hatanaka did not give up. He rode his bicycle to the nearest radio station, where he wanted to announce live that a coup had taken place in the country and Japan was not surrendering. For technical reasons, he never managed to do this, after which he returned to the palace and shot himself.

4 Samurai Tested Their Swords By Attacking Passers By

In medieval Japan, it was considered shameful if a samurai's sword could not cut through the opponent's body with one blow. Therefore, it was extremely important for a samurai to know in advance the quality of his weapons and to check each new sword even before real battles. Samurai usually tested swords on criminals and on corpses. But there was another method called tsujigiri (“kill at the crossroads”), in which random commoners who had the misfortune to go to the crossroads at night became targets. At first, cases of tsujigiri were rare, but eventually it became such a problem that the authorities felt it necessary to ban the practice in 1602.

5. Trophy noses and ears

During the reign of legendary leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Japan invaded Korea twice between 1592 and 1598. Although Japan eventually withdrew its troops from that country, its incursions were very brutal and resulted in the death of one million Koreans. During this time, it was not uncommon for Japanese warriors to cut off the heads of their enemies as spoils of war. But since it was rather difficult to carry the heads back to Japan, the soldiers instead began to cut off their ears and noses.

As a result, entire monuments were created in Japan for these terrible trophies, which were known as "ear tombs" and "nose tombs". One such tomb in Kyoto contains tens of thousands of trophies. Another in Okayama contained 20,000 noses, which were eventually returned to Korea in 1992.

6. The father of the kamikaze committed hara-kiri

By October 1944, Vice Admiral Takijiro Onishi believed that the only way to win World War II was the infamous Operation Kamikaze, in which Japanese suicide pilots crashed their planes into Allied ships. Onishi hoped that such attacks would shock the US enough to force the Americans to abandon the war. The vice admiral was so desperate that he once even said that he was ready to sacrifice 20 million Japanese lives for victory.

Upon hearing of Emperor Hirohito's surrender in August 1945, Onishi was distraught when he realized that he had sent thousands of kamikazes to their deaths in vain. He considered that the only acceptable atonement would be suicide and committed seppuku on August 16, 1945. In his suicide note, Onishi apologized to "the souls of the dead and their inconsolable families", and also asked young Japanese to fight for world peace.

7. First Japanese Christian

In 1546, the 35-year-old samurai Anjiro was a fugitive for killing a man in a fight. While hiding in the trading port of Kagoshima, Anjiro met several Portuguese who took pity on him and secretly transported him to Malacca. During his time abroad, Anjiro learned Portuguese and was baptized under the name Paulo de Santa Fe, becoming the first Japanese Christian. He also met with Francis Xavier, a Jesuit priest who went with Anjiro to Japan in the summer of 1549 to establish a Christian mission.

The mission ended unsuccessfully, Anjiro and Xavier went their separate ways and the latter decided to try his luck in China. Although Francis Xavier failed to evangelize Japan, he was eventually made a saint and patron of Christian missionaries. Anjiro, who is believed to have died as a pirate, has been completely forgotten.

8. The slave trade led to the abolition of slavery

Shortly after Japan first made contact with the Western world in the 1540s, Portuguese slave traders began buying up Japanese slaves. This slave trade eventually grew so large that even the Portuguese slaves in Macau had their own Japanese slaves. The Jesuit missionaries were not happy with such activities and in 1571 convinced the King of Portugal to end the enslavement of the Japanese, although the Portuguese colonists resisted this decision and ignored the ban.

The Japanese warlord and leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi was furious about the situation with the slave trade (and, paradoxically, he had nothing against the enslavement of the Koreans during the raids in 1590). As a result, Hideyoshi in 1587 issued a ban on the trade in Japanese slaves, although this practice continued after that for some time.

9. 200 School Nurses of the Battle of Okinawa

In April 1945, the Allies launched an invasion of Okinawa. The bloodshed, which lasted 3 months, claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people, 94,000 of whom were civilians in Okinawa. Among the civilian dead was the Himeyuri Student Corps, a group of 200 schoolgirls between the ages of 15 and 19 who were forced by the Japanese to work as nurses during the battle. At first, the Himeyuri girls worked in a military hospital. But then they were transferred to dugouts, as the island was increasingly bombarded.

They fed wounded Japanese soldiers, helped perform amputations, and buried the bodies of the dead. As the Americans advanced, the girls were ordered not to surrender and, if captured, to commit suicide with a hand grenade. Many girls really killed themselves, others died during the fighting. The “Dugout of virgins” is known, when 51 girls died in a littered room during the shelling. After the war, a monument and a museum were built in honor of the Himeyuri girls.

10. Nuclear weapons program

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki shocked Japan and the world in August 1945, but one Japanese scientist may not have been surprised at all. Physicist Yoshio Nishina has been worried about the possibility of such attacks since 1939. Nishina was also the head of Japan's first nuclear weapons program, which began in April 1941. By 1943, a committee led by Nisin concluded that nuclear weapons would be possible, but very difficult, even for the United States.

After that, the Japanese continued to explore the possibility of creating nuclear weapons as part of another project "F-Go Project" under the supervision of physicist Bunsaku Arakatsu. Japan actually had all the knowledge to build an atomic bomb, it just didn't have the resources. Proof of this is the fact that in May 1945 the United States Navy intercepted a Nazi submarine heading for Tokyo with a cargo of 540 kg of uranium oxide.

The history of Japan is not counted from any particular date. The settlement of the territories began about 40 thousand years ago, although, of course, there was no talk of any state then. The ancient Japanese lived in small communities of 20-30 people, hunting, fishing and gathering. Approximately three centuries BC, technologies of rice growing and blacksmithing were brought to the islands from Korea and China. Agriculture meant a settled way of life, and the cultivation of rice, which required constant watering, led to the fact that communities began to move to the river valleys. It was with the advent of agriculture that tribal unions began to unite in the likeness of small states.

The first mention of the states located on the territory of modern Japan appeared in the Chinese chronicles of the 1st century AD. Three dozen out of a hundred, which are mentioned in the historical chronicles of those years, established contacts with China, sending their embassies and tribute there.

Under the rule of the Yamato tribe, the country began to gradually unite. It was Yamato who gave Japan an imperial dynasty, the first representative of which was Emperor Jimmu, who allegedly ascended the throne in 660 BC. However, most historians tend to consider Jimma a mythological character, and the very emergence of the dynasty is attributed to the period no earlier than the middle of the 1st century BC.

Kofun period

By the end of the 3rd century AD, the unification of small states into a kind of federal formation under the rule of the emperor, who lived with his court in the capital, was practically completed. Each new emperor moved to a new capital, since custom did not allow him to live in the place where the grave of his predecessor remained. And only in 710, the permanent capital of the state, the city of Heijo-kyo (modern Nara), was founded, and just 9 years before that, the first legislative code was drawn up, which was formally valid until the adoption of the Constitution in 1889.

Around the middle of the 6th century, Buddhism began to spread. Despite the opposition of Shinto priests, which led to conflicts and several wars, over time, the teaching gained popularity in the upper strata of aristocratic society and became the state religion. However, the lower strata of society continued to practice Shinto.

In 645, the aristocratic Fujiwara clan came to power, which concentrated actual power in their hands, while the emperor was left with only the role of high priest.

Nara and Heinan period

The countdown of the period begins with the construction of the capital of Heijo in the territory of the modern city of Nara. At that time, more than 60 provinces were subordinate to the capital, each of which was headed by its own governor appointed from the center. According to the code of laws adopted a few years earlier, the land and the population living on it were considered the property of the state. During the Nara period, which lasted about 80 years, the influence of Buddhism greatly increased. The largest temples and monasteries were built in the capital. One Buddhist monk from a seedy provincial family managed to subjugate the Empress Koken, who was living at that time, who received the name Shotoku upon her second accession to the throne, to such an extent that he even desired to become emperor. However, the death of the empress interfered with his plans, and in order to avoid the influence of Buddhists on members of the imperial family, the capital is transferred to the city of Heian. Not a single Buddhist temple was built in the new capital.

During the Heian period that followed, actual power was concentrated in the hands of the Fujiwara clan. For several centuries, the girls of this clan married members of the imperial dynasty, strengthening family ties more and more. This led to the fact that people incapable of state activity often found themselves in key positions.

At the end of the 9th century, Japan terminated official relations with China, which had been quite limited until that time. If until that moment China was considered a kind of standard, then in subsequent centuries, due to the absence of Chinese influence, Japan developed a unique and isolated culture, reworking all previous borrowings in its own way.

Emperor Gosanjo, who ascended the throne in the middle of the 11th century, had no family ties with the Fujiwara family and wanted to rule the country on his own. Having abdicated in 1086 in favor of his minor son, he actually ruled the state from the monastery. Subsequent rulers did the same, and until 1156 the country was ruled by monk emperors.

Kamakura period

Starting from the XII century, provincial military clans began to exert increasing influence on the political life of the state. The main rivalry unfolds between the Taira and Minamoto clans. The more fortunate Taira, who established ties with the imperial dynasty, aroused the discontent and envy of their rivals, which led to a protracted war in which the latter were victorious. The representative of the Minamoto Yoritomo clan, having consistently eliminated all competitors, receives from the emperor the position of sei taishogun, and in Japan, an actual dual power is established for many centuries. The administration of external rituals remains behind the imperial house, and all real power belongs to the military rulers of the shoguns. A new government (shogunate) was established in Yoritomo's hometown of Kamakura.

In 1274, the Mongols, having conquered China, set off to conquer Japan. The 30,000-strong fleet, having previously plundered the islands of Iki and Tsushima, is sent to Hakata Bay. The Japanese troops, inferior to the Mongols both in numbers and in armament, were doomed to defeat, but a typhoon swept the enemy fleet, and it did not come to a direct collision. A second attempt, made by the Mongols in 1281, ended with the same result - a storm that had flown buried most of the Mongolian ships. It was then, apparently, that the concept of "kamikaze" was born, which literally translates as "divine wind" that destroys enemies.

Muromachi period

In 1333, the split between Emperor Godaigo and his former associate Ashikaga Takauji resulted in an open military confrontation. Victory remains with Takauji, and the emperor has to flee for his life. He chooses Yoshino as his new residence and establishes the Southern Court. At the same time, another emperor ascends the throne in Kyoto, supported by the Ashikaga clan. The Muromachi district, where government buildings were located, gave its name to this period of the country's history. Until 1392, there were two emperors in parallel in Japan, and two courts - Northern and Southern, each of which appointed its own shoguns.

However, neither the Ashikaga clan nor the Minamoto shogun dynasty that preceded them possessed full power - the provincial military houses were in constant rivalry for positions and patronage of the ruling house. Naturally, someone remained deprived, which eventually resulted in an armed confrontation. As a result of the ten-year military conflict of 1467-1477, the capital Kyoto was destroyed, and the Ashikaga shogunate lost power. The loss of central control led to the strengthening of the provincial military clans, each of which began to issue their own laws within their domains. Japan entered a period of feudal fragmentation that lasted over 100 years.

It was at this time that the first Europeans entered the country, who turned out to be merchants who, among other goods, brought muskets with them. On the basis of the purchased samples, the Japanese are establishing the actual manufacture of firearms. Following the merchants, missionaries arrive who convert some Japanese feudal lords to Christianity. The religious tolerance of the Japanese quite allowed the practice of several religions at the same time, the adoption of Christianity did not mean a rejection of the faith of their ancestors, but it contributed to the establishment of strong contacts with Europeans.

Azuchi-Momoyama period

It is called so due to the castles of Azuchi and Momoyama, which were owned by Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

The troubled period of feudal fragmentation ended in 1573 with the expulsion of the last shogun Ashikaga from Kyoto, for participating in a conspiracy against one of the future unifiers of Japan, Oda Nobunaga. Starting from 1568, Oda systematically and consistently destroyed his enemies, fighting, among other things, with Buddhist schools, which completely controlled some provinces. After the death of Nobunaga, the unification of the country was continued by his associate Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who subjugated the northern provinces, as well as the islands of Shikoku and Kyushu.

Hideyoshi confiscated weapons from monks and peasants, forced the samurai to move to cities, conducted an audit of state lands and a population census. By a special decree, all Christian missionaries were expelled from the country, to intimidate them even several dozen Catholic monks had to be executed.

After the unification of the country, Hideyoshi began to plan for expansion to the mainland, dreaming of conquering China and Korea. However, his death put an end to the unsuccessful military campaign on the Korean Peninsula, after which, until the end of the 19th century, Japan abandoned attempts to invade other countries.

Edo period

The unification of Japan was completed by Tokugawa Ieyasu, who ruled his lands from Edo Castle. In 1603, he became the founder of the last dynasty of shoguns. During this period, a 5-class system was created: samurai, peasants, artisans, merchants and "eta" - pariahs of Japanese society, engaged in the dirtiest work. It was impossible to change the status.

After Tokugawa dealt with his last opponents in 1615, a time of peaceful calm came. An attempt at a peasant revolt in Shimabara, which had Christian slogans at its base, led to the fact that the shogunate issued a decree forbidding Europeans to be in the country, and the Japanese to leave its borders. From 1639 until the middle of the 19th century, Japan entered a period of voluntary self-isolation.

Peaceful life led to the flourishing of culture, creativity and various crafts. Literature and theater developed actively.

However, the restriction of contacts with the outside world was not to everyone's taste. The merchants needed markets, and the outside world did not want to ignore the existence of Japan. In 1853-54, the American officer Parry forced the Japanese government to open several commercial seaports. His actions, coupled with a complex of accumulated problems, led to dissatisfaction with the shogunate, which, under pressure from the military, was forced to transfer power to the emperor. The 6-century rule of military houses has ended.

Meiji period

After the Restoration, the emperor moved to the new capital - Tokyo. A period of active reforms begins: social classes are abolished, freedom of religion is declared, and compulsory primary education is introduced. The government buys land from the feudal landowners and carries out an administrative reform. Compulsory conscription is introduced. The transport system and communications are developing. Many students go to the West, and foreign teachers are invited to Japan. In 1889, the first Constitution was adopted and a parliament was created.

A conflict of interest leads to a war with Russia, in which Japan wins and expands its territory. In 1910, it increases even more due to the annexation of Korea.

World War II and post-war period

The policy of aggressive militarism leads to the occupation of Manchuria in 1931, followed by the bombing of Shanghai. The Second Sino-Japanese War began in 1937 and continued until 1945. Only the defeat in World War II and the signing of an unconditional surrender by the emperor put an end to Japan's militaristic aspirations.

The war-ravaged country, which survived two atomic bombings and was occupied by the Americans, also lost part of its territory. Under the leadership of the American General MacArthur, the reform of the political and economic structure of the state began. In 1947, a new constitution was adopted that forbade Japan from having its own armed forces.

Most people invariably associate modern Japan with high technology, advanced science and a rich culture. However, despite the high level of technological progress, the people of this country sacredly revere their ancient traditions and treasure their roots. The history of modern Japan dates back to ancient times, during which time the country experienced both ups and downs.

At the origins of history

The very first written source that mentions Ancient Japan is today considered to be “Twenty-Four Stories”. These are Chinese historical chronicles that date back to the 1st century. However, the history of Japan began much earlier, approximately 35-40 thousand years BC. Scientists came to this conclusion after studying the archaeological excavations carried out on the territory of modern Japan.

According to historians, people inhabited the Japanese archipelago during the Late Paleolithic. This period lasted until the 12th millennium BC. As history shows, in ancient Japan, people were engaged in hunting and gathering. Of the tools, only stone tools were present, which were distinguished by rough processing. Quite often this period is referred to as the pre-ceramic period.

12 millennium BC e. was marked by the onset of a period called Jomon, which can be compared with the Neolithic and Mesolithic. At this time, the Japanese archipelago was completing its formation, the first settlements appeared on the coast, and the people inhabiting these territories began to use ceramics.

As for the ethnic origin of the Japanese, according to the history of ancient Japan, its formation was greatly influenced by the Ainu and people from the east coast of the Asian mainland. In addition, Austronesian tribes lived on the islands of Shikoku and Kyushu.

Age of metal

According to archaeological excavations, at the time when the tribes began to actively master the metal, the division of people according to property began to become more and more pronounced. Evidence of this are the burials of those years. Some burials are rich in grave goods. Among the items found are daggers, swords and bronze mirrors.

Particularly striking features of property differentiation are observed in the early Iron Age (in other words, in the Kurgan era).

Japan at the beginning of our era

Approximately in the first millennium BC, immigrants from China and Korea appeared on the territory of the Japanese archipelago. Along with the migrants, innovations such as the widespread processing of metals (bronze, copper and iron), weaving, pottery and the spread of agriculture arose in Japan. It was from that time that the population began to sow rice, beans, and millet. In the history of Japan, this period is usually called the Yayoi period (900 BC - 300 AD).

In addition to the development of the economy and crafts, one should also note the unification of various tribes and clans into larger groups. However, this process cannot be called peaceful - the merger occurred as a result of inter-tribal and inter-tribal wars and skirmishes. In other words, the stronger and more numerous tribes drove out the weaker and smaller ones.

The Yayoi period was replaced by the Kofun period, which is characterized by the unification of territories under the rule of the Yamato clan. The territory of his lands included Central and Western Honshu and the lands of Kyushu.

From 538 AD The Asuka period reigned on the territory of modern Japan. The resettlement of tribes from China contributed to the penetration of Buddhism into the territory of the Land of the Rising Sun. During the Asuka period, this religion managed to spread widely among the local population. Moreover, it was during these years that the rapid flowering of Japanese culture and the development of codes of laws (it was called “ritsure”) took place.

As we mentioned at the very beginning, the history of Japan goes back centuries, it is rich and interesting, but it is impossible to tell about all the milestones in the development and formation of this state in one article. By the way, there is no reliable information about the date of the appearance of the first centralized state in the Land of the Rising Sun before the 7th century. This is explained by the lack of written language, therefore, in these matters, one can only rely on other historical chronicles, such as Chinese.

The Development of the Country in the Nara and Heian Era (710-1185)

In 710, the first official capital appeared in Japan - the city of Nara. During the construction of the city, Chinese settlements served as the main reference point. In particular, many monasteries were erected here, and the buildings in appearance completely repeated Chinese houses. This feature largely influenced the future fate of the city. So, in order to avoid the strengthening of the political weight of Buddhist temples, in 1184 they decided to move the capital to the city of Nagaoka, and even later to Heian (it had the status of the main city of Japan for almost 1000 years).

The Nara era in the history of Japan was marked by the fact that the Chinese influence on Japanese culture was somewhat weakened. If before that the main language was Chinese, now the Japanese have created their own alphabet - “kana”.

As for political power, it was for a long time concentrated in the hands of the Fujiwara clan.

The “Taika reforms”, adopted a little earlier, have already managed to affect the life and life of the people of Japan. The main essence of these reforms was to increase taxes from the peasants. Along with this, the aristocracy and monasteries, on the contrary, were exempted from paying taxes. The result is an increase in the influence of large landowners and a people left below the poverty line.

At the beginning of the 12th century, Fujiwara's power was limited. At the same time, the struggle for power unfolded between two clans: Minamoto and Taira. As a result of the uprising in 1159, the Taira clan was able to keep the reins of government in their hands, whose dominance continued until 1178. The death of Taira Kiyomore again plunged the country into a struggle for power, which resulted in the Gempei War (1180-1185).

Kamakura era (1185-1333)

The Battle of Dannoura (in 1185) brought victory to the Minamoto clan, which defeated the Taira clan by a large margin. Already in 1192, the Minamoto were able to appropriate the title of shogun (which means commander in chief). Their main goal was to weaken the influence of the imperial house and establish their own power in the country. The history of Japan during this period is characterized by dual power.

They located their headquarters in the city of Kamakura (from which the name of the Japanese shogunate came). However, the decision to locate the capital of the shogunate in Kamakura was ill-advised. This city was located in an economically backward region of the country, as a result of which economic weakness and collapse arose.

At the same time, the Mongols attacked the country, weakened by the internal political struggle. in 1266, Kublai Khan demanded recognition of his authority, but Japan resisted. The answer to such a daring refusal was the attack of the Mongol fleet. In November 1274, the enemy approached the western shores of Japan, captured the islands of Iki and Tsushima, and began landing on the northwestern coast of Kyushu.

Samurai troops fought selflessly, but they were clearly not ready for such active hostilities and such numerous enemy troops. The battle was interrupted as a result of a powerful typhoon, which destroyed about 200 ships of the Mongol army.

The Mongols undertook a new campaign against Japan in June-August 1281. The invaders approached the Japanese coast from two sides: the first armada moved from China, the second from the Korean Peninsula. In total, about 3,500 ships and boats participated in the campaign. By that time, the Japanese had already managed to strengthen the fortifications and prepare, but this time the enemy fleet was also sunk by a typhoon. Since then, typhoons have been called “kamikaze”, which means “divine wind” in Japanese.

Muromachi era (1333-1573)

Emperor Godaigo in 1333 managed to restore his former power due to the weakening of the Hojo regents and the removal of the shogunate. However, he did not manage to keep power in his hands for a long time. The outdated state apparatus, the lack of support from landowners and representatives of the aristocracy - all this led to an uprising against the court in 1336. The leader of this movement was Ashikaga Takauji. Godaigo fled, and another emperor ascended the throne.

In 1338, Takauji proclaimed himself shogun and became the founder of a new government in Kyoto.

A fierce struggle between the two imperial courts was waged for more than 50 years - it was endless confrontations, skirmishes and wars. The history of Japan during this period is considered tense: the Northern Court most often won, as a result, the Southern Court completely surrendered in 1392, and Japan again fell under the rule of the shoguns and the emperor.

During the reign of Shogun Yoshimitsu, the country managed to establish profitable trade relations with the Ming Dynasty in China. At this time, agriculture was intensively developing, new cities were being built. At the same time, in the 15th century, the influence of large agricultural warriors called “ji-samurai” was growing. They managed to divide the whole country into separate parts, which led to constant internecine wars.

By the middle of the 16th century, Jesuit missionaries and merchants from Portugal began to visit Japan, whose main product was firearms. In 1550, the Jesuit Francis Xavier arrived here, spreading Christianity. Many people in Japan adopted this religion as they were interested in close trade relations.

In the Muromachi era, peasants began to use such innovations as a water wheel, natural fertilizers, traction animals - this made it possible to receive 2 crops per year.

Craftsmen mastered the production of cotton, silk, paints, varnish and oils, metallurgy received 2 directions: forging and foundry. Fairs were often held in large settlements, and the population of Japan established trade with other countries.

Thanks to the efforts of the capital's shogunate, a mixture of the culture of the samurai and the nobility occurred. The emerging new culture of Japan had striking features of the aesthetic images of China and elements of Zen Buddhism. It was during this era that much of what the culture of Japan is known for to this day was born. This is a cabinet style interior, tatami, ikebana, Japanese tea ceremony, rock garden, sumi-e monochrome paintings.

The era of Azuchi Momoyama (1573-1603)

Large landowners who seized a large amount of land (sometimes even entire provinces) were called daimyo. All of them were interested in the unification of Japan and the seizure of power. To achieve this goal, the daimyo were constantly forced to fight. At the same time, the advantage often turned out to be on the side of more armed groups (firearms were actively used in wars).

General Toyotomi Hideyoshi was able to quickly respond to the situation and in 1583 subjugated the island of Shikoku and the northern provinces, and in 1587 the island of Kyushu. Toyotomi's victory over the Hojo clan in 1590 allowed for the complete unification of Japan.

The history of the country from the first day of the reign of Toyotomi Hideyoshi was filled with transformations. Dozens of castles were destroyed throughout the country, all samurai had to leave agriculture and move to cities. A "hunt for swords" was conducted, in which all weapons were taken from the peasants and monks. The entire population of the country was clearly divided into classes. In 1583, those in power conducted an audit of state lands, and a little later (in 1590) a population census.

To reduce the influence of the Christian church, Toyotomi Hideyoshi expelled missionaries from the country in 1587 and forbade them to change their faith, and even executed 26 people for disobedience.

Wanting to increase his possessions, in 1592 Hideyoshi moved to conquer China, but the army was defeated. In one of the battles, Hideyoshi was seriously wounded and later died.

Edo period (1603-1867)

After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1598, Tokugawa Ieyasu, an associate of Toyotomi, got involved in the struggle for power. He promised to take care of the son and family of the former ruler, but he broke his word. In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu was proclaimed shogun and established his own government in the city of Edo. The reign of the Tokugawa shogunate lasted 250 years.

During his reign, Ieyasu distributed the land among the daimyo. Those who supported him even before coming to power received the best (strategically important) plots. The entire population of the country was divided into 4 classes. At the top of the pyramid was the samurai class. Below were merchants, artisans and peasants. There was also a fifth grade - it included "pariahs" (people with "dirty" occupations and professions). It was strictly forbidden to change "one's" class and profession.

Much attention was paid to trade relations - ties were established with Germany and England.

The Tokugawa clan had practically no strong opposition, so this period in the history of Japan can be called quite peaceful and quiet. In order to prevent the weakening of his power, the ruler forbids Christianity (in 1614), in 1633 he forbids long-distance voyages, and in 1639 he completely limits external relations to trade with China. All foreign books at that time were banned. Japan remained closed to outside influence until 1868. This fact significantly influenced the level of development of the country, because the country did not have the opportunity to adopt the scientific and technical discoveries of the world.

Meiji era (1867-1912)

In 1867-1868, the power of Emperor Meiji was fully restored, who moved to the new capital of Tokyo. The Meiji era in the history of Japan's development is full of great changes. The opening of the “curtain” made it possible not only to trade with most countries, but also to learn from their experience and discoveries. The economy and military affairs developed at a rapid pace.

The boundaries between social classes were erased - the government decided to democratize the country. In 1873, a law on freedom of choice of religion was passed. The reforms affected the education system, compulsory education was introduced, the study of Shinto and Confucianism was present in all schools.

To counter European nationalism, Japan paid much attention to the development of the army: compulsory military service was introduced, the fleet was built like the British one, and the army was assembled and modernized like the Prussian one.

Specialists were needed to lift the country. To do this, hundreds of students went to study in other countries, and teachers from abroad were invited to teach in educational institutions in Japan.

1889 was marked by the adoption of the first constitution. Despite the appearance of a parliament, the independence of the emperor was preserved (he dominated the army, navy, legislative and executive powers).

In 1894-1895, a war broke out between Japan and Korea, the reason for this was disagreements on Korean issues. The victory was won by Japanese troops, they even captured Taiwan, but the West forced them to give other territories to China.

1904-1905 - the time of the Russo-Japanese War, which broke out on the basis of the interests of China and Manchuria. Japan emerged victorious in the war, thanks to which it received unprecedented fame and respect on the world stage.

By gaining influence over Korea, Japan was able to annex it in 1910.

20th century in Japanese history

The 20th century is inextricably linked with the First and Second World Wars. In other words, the new history of Japan was once again marred by loss and destruction. During the First World War, Japan acted together with the allies against the German troops, but its role in this was not so significant. In the post-war years, the country was gripped by a difficult economic situation, which was exacerbated by the Great Earthquake (1923), as well as the global economic crisis that occurred in 1929.

In the 1930s, strict military control was established, censorship in the media, careful processing of information in educational institutions, and the persecution of communists.

Wanting to conquer China, in 1931 Japan occupied Manchuria and called it its protectorate. In the same year, the bombing of Shanghai was carried out. It was carried out by the Japanese Air Force, the purpose of which was to protect those Japanese who were in China from the anti-Japanese movement. Because of such harsh actions, Japan withdrew from the League of Nations in 1933.

Japan has played an important role in world history. Independent actions of the Japanese military led to the beginning of the second Sino-Japanese war. The fighting began in July 1937. The coast of China was occupied, while the Japanese invaders acted extremely cruelly towards the local population. Despite this, China continued to fight until 1945.

In addition, Japan decided to establish the "Great Belt of Asian Prosperity" by conquering the south. As part of this program, Japan joined Italy and Germany and took over Vietnam (French Indochina). Britain and the US responded with an oil boycott. To solve this problem, the Japanese army took over Indonesia with its rich oil fields.

In 1941 (December), Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor, which made it possible to maintain its control over a vast territory for six months.

In June 1942, the United States utterly defeated the enemy and, together with the allies, recaptured the occupied lands. After the bombing of Japanese lands in 1944, the Japanese began to use kamikaze in battles - pilots who commit suicide.

The last battles were fought back in 1945 on Okinawa.

When, on June 27, 1945, Japan was asked to sign a surrender under the Potsdam Declaration, the war ministers refused and continued the confrontation. The US response was the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (this happened on August 6 and 9). The Japanese military remained adamant, but Emperor Hirohito spoke out in favor of signing the declaration on August 14.

The history of Japan since ancient times has been riddled with countless wars and civil strife. Long exhausting hostilities significantly affected the economic and technical situation of the country, but the restoration of friendly relations with the Soviet Union (1956) and China (1972) led to some stabilization. Much has been done to restore the country. As a result of intensive work in recent history, Japan has become an economically prosperous state and is now a member of the G8.

Since the country was first mentioned in ancient Chinese chronicles, few places in the world can match Japan with such a colorful and interesting history. And although many have heard stories about how the Mongol invasion was thwarted by a powerful tsunami or how Japan was cut off from the rest of the world for a long time during the Edo period, there are still many other little-known strange and wonderful stories from Japanese history.

10 Eating Meat Was Illegal In Japan

The Japanese government, which came to power in the middle of the 7th century, instituted a ban on the consumption of meat. The taboo on it lasted almost 1200 years! Possibly inspired by Buddhist teachings that are against killing, in 675 CE. Emperor Tenmu issued a decree prohibiting the eating of beef, monkey meat and other domestic animals under pain of death.
Initially, the law extended the ban from April to September, but later new laws and religious practices contributed to the complete taboo of meat as food, especially beef. Contact with Christian missionaries influenced Japan, and meat eating became common again as early as the 16th century. And although a new ban was imposed in 1687, some Japanese continued to eat meat.
By 1872, the Japanese authorities officially lifted the ban, and the emperor himself became a meat-eater again. Although the abolition of the taboo was not received with ardent enthusiasm, especially by the monks, the old ban on meat soon disappeared from the life of ordinary Japanese.

9 Kabuki Theater Was Created By A Woman Who Loved Menswear

Kabuki, one of the most iconic expressions of Japanese culture, is a flamboyant form of dance theater in which female and male roles are performed only by men. However, at the very beginning, Kabuki was associated with a completely opposite sex. All roles were played only by women.
The founder of the theater was Izumo no Okuni, a priestess who became famous for performing dances and parodies in men's clothing. Okuni's sensual and energetic performances became very popular, and other courtesans adopted her style in the performances of entire female troupes. This "women's kabuki" became so popular that dancers were even invited to the daimyo (feudal lords) to perform private shows in their castles. And while most viewers were just enjoying this new art form, the government wasn't as content with what was happening.
In 1629, after a raid on kabuki performances in Kyoto, women were forbidden to go on stage. Male actors replaced them, and Kabuki as we know it today has remained a perpetuated form of male acting.

8 The Surrender Of The Japanese Army During World War II May Have Never Happened

On August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's unconditional surrender to the United Forces on the international radio broadcast Jewel Voice Broadcast. The recording was not broadcast live, but was recorded the night before. In addition, it was not conducted from the imperial palace.
On the same night that Emperor Hirohito recorded his speech, a group of Japanese military men who refused to surrender launched a coup d'état. Major Kenji Hatanaka, leader of the rebellion, and his henchmen occupied the imperial palace for several hours. Hatanaka wanted to disrupt the Jewel Voice Broadcast. And although his soldiers meticulously searched the entire palace, the emperor was not found.
Miraculously, despite searches by everyone who left the palace, the tape was passed outside in the laundry basket. But even then, Hatanaka was not ready to give up. He left the palace and went to the nearest radio station on his bicycle.
Khatanka wanted to go live, but for technical reasons this did not happen. The amazed leader of the uprising returned to the palace, where he shot himself.

7 Samurai Sometimes Tested Their Swords By Attacking Bystanders

In medieval Japan, it was considered inglorious and shameful if a samurai sword could not cut through the body of an enemy in one blow. It was extremely important for a samurai to know the quality of his weapons, and each new sword had to be tested before the battle began.
Samurai commonly practiced cuts on the bodies of criminals and on corpses. But there was another method called tsujigiri (kill at the crossroads), according to which the warriors went out to the night crossroads and killed any random passerby.
Such tsujigiri were rare. But over time, they nevertheless became such a big problem that the authorities had to ban this action in 1602. According to an account from the Edo Dictatorship Period (1603–1868) describing the early years of that era, people were being killed daily at the same particular intersection of present-day Tokyo.

6. Japanese soldiers once cut off their noses and ears as war trophies.

During the reign of the legendary leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Japan invaded Korea twice from 1592 to 1598. Although Japan eventually withdrew its troops from foreign territory, its raids were very brutal and claimed nearly a million Korean lives.
Japanese warriors often cut off the heads of defeated enemies as war trophies, but their transportation to their homeland turned out to be difficult, and the aggressors began to cut off their ears and noses, because it was much more convenient.
At home in Japan, entire monuments were erected in honor of these terrible trophies, which were nicknamed "tombs of ears" and "tombs of noses." In one such monument in Kyoto, Mimitsuka, tens of thousands of trophies were found. Another monument in Okayama contained 20,000 noses, which were returned to Korea in 1992.

5. The father of all kamikazes committed seppuku (suicide) to atone for the deaths of dead pilots.

In October 1944, Vice Admiral Takihiro Onishi believed that Japan's only way to win World War II was to launch the infamous Operation Kamikaze, in which Japanese pilots attacked enemy Joint Force aircraft, shooting them down with their own fighters and sacrificing their lives. Onishi hoped that the shock of such attacks would force the US to surrender this war. He was so desperate that he was willing to sacrifice 20 million Japanese lives to win.
Upon hearing Emperor Hirohito's announcement of surrender in August 1945, Onishi was distraught at the thought of sacrificing thousands of kamikaze pilots for nothing. He decided that the only sure way out was suicide, and committed seppuku (suicide by ripping open the stomach) on August 16, 1945. In his suicide note, the vice admiral asked for forgiveness from the "grieving families" and implored the younger generation to fight for peace on Earth.

4 The First Japanese Christian Convert Was A Killer On The Run

In 1546, the 35-year-old samurai Anjiro was on the run from the law. Wanted for killing a man during a fight, he hid in the trading port of Kagoshima to avoid punishment. There he met the Portuguese, who took pity on Anjiro and sent him to Malacca.
While on their ship, Anjiro learned Portuguese and was baptized with the name Paulo De Santa Fe, becoming the first Japanese Christian. He also met the famous missionary Francisco Xavier, a Jesuit priest who was on the same ship with Anjiro to evangelize Japan in the summer of 1549. The mission turned out to be a failure, and the friends went their separate ways. The Portuguese priest tried to continue his work in China.
And although the evangelization of Japan was not as successful as Francis would have liked, he was canonized and declared the patron saint of Christian missionaries. Anjiro, who supposedly died as a pirate, was forgotten.

3. The Portuguese slave trade led to the abolition of slavery in Japan

Shortly after the first contact of the Western world with Japan in the 1540s, the Portuguese began actively buying up Japanese slaves. Slaves sold to the Portuguese by other Japanese were sent to Portugal and other parts of Asia. As a result, the slave trade grew so much that even the Portuguese slaves in Macau became masters of the unfortunate Japanese slaves.
The Jesuit missionaries were unhappy with this state of affairs. In 1571, they persuaded the King of Portugal to stop the enslavement of the Japanese, although the Portuguese colonists resisted and ignored the new ban.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Japanese commander-in-chief and leader, was furious about the slave trade. And although at the same time Hideyoshi was not embarrassed by the slave trade by Koreans captured by him during the raids of the 1590s, the Japanese leader openly spoke out against the trade in Japanese slaves.
In 1587, he imposed a ban, outlawing the slave trade, although the sale of Japanese slaves continued for some time after that.

2. About 200 Japanese high school girls became nurses during the battle of Okinawa

In April 1945, the Combined Forces began their invasion of Okinawa. The three-month bloodbath claimed the lives of 200,000 people, 94,000 of whom were civilians in Okinawa. Among the civilians killed was the Himeyuri Student Squad, a group of 200 schoolgirls between the ages of 15 and 19 who were forced by the Japanese to serve as nurses during the battle.
At first, girls from Himeyuri worked in a military hospital. But then they were transferred to dugouts and trenches as the bombardment of the island intensified. They fed the wounded Japanese soldiers, participated in amputations and buried the bodies of the dead. Despite the fact that the Americans were clearly winning, the girls were forbidden to surrender. Instead, they were instructed to commit suicide by detonating hand grenades.
Some of the girls committed suicide, others of them died in battle. In one incident, known as the “Dugout of the Virgins,” 51 schoolgirls were killed by gunfire in a cave in which they were hiding. After the war, a monument and museum was built here in honor of the Himeyuri girls.

1 Japan Had Its Own Nuclear Weapons Program During World War II

In August 1945, the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki shocked Japan and the world, but one Japanese scientist was not as surprised as the others. Nuclear physicist Yoshio Nishina had been worried about the possibility of such attacks since 1939. Nishina was the head of Japan's first nuclear program, which began its research in April 1941.
By 1943, a committee led by Nishina concluded that nuclear weapons were possible, but too difficult even for the United States. The Japanese continued their research in another program called the F-Go Project, led by physicist Bunsaku Arakatsu.
And although the Arakatsu program was not a success, who knows what the plot of World War II would have been if the Japanese were the first to create atomic weapons? According to writer Robert K. Wilcox, Japan had all the knowledge to build an atomic bomb, but they lacked the resources. In May 1945, the US Navy intercepted a German submarine that was supposed to deliver 540 kg of uranium oxide to Tokyo.