Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Strayer Reading, 577-580
The reading that we did in our textbook gave us some significant details about Japan's attitude and situation in the 19th century. The primary documents gave us mostly just a sense of how much pride Japan had at that time. The documents didn't show us the process of the shoganate being brought down from power. This struggle for power between the shogunate and the revolutionary samurai from the south was brief and not very bloody, but still significant. It shows that there was some political unrest in that time, not just a scientific and economic growth spurt. It was also a little surprising to learn just how much the Japanese despised foreigners. They wouldn't even take in shipwrecked refugees from European or US ships. Despite this, they still adopted some of the foreign ideas to strengthen their own sense of self as a country. In fact, it seems like the acceptance of western ideas partially led to the downfall and overruling of the shogunate because it showed signs of weakeness in the govrenment, despite being better for Japan.
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I too was completely surprised that the Japanese were so xenophobic - there really was no idea of the good samaritan. That they would turn away shipwrecked refugees... You'd think that if they were so eager to be rid of them, they would send them home on a fast ship.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you that "the acceptance of western ideas partially led to the downfall and overruling of the shogunate." In my opinion, it was the fact that the government accepted treaties that were not advantageous to Japan that did this. As Robby said earlier, this upset with the government united the people, allowing strength and passion when it was most needed. For the most part though, I felt that Japan was West crazy and appropriated much of western culture.
Nicole, nice vocab word. Rina, I like your points but I don't agree that accepting western ideas brought about the fall of the government. I'd say that the odd social classes and unrest within the country led to the upheaval, not new ideas and technology.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about the documents being biased, of course, because they were written by the Japanese, and displaying a strong sense of national pride. The book didn't really give us this same opinion, but it was purely facts (like all textbooks should be)
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with your interpretation of what led to the downfall of the shogunate. Like Emily said, I think it was more the social classes leaving people unhappy and wanted change. The merchants wanted status, the samurai wanted money, the peasants wanted respect. The people of Japan were unhappy yet still peaceful, and this was what led to the downfall of the shogunate without a bloody war.
I think I agree with both the commenters before me and you, Rina. Though I think that yes the collapse was probably because of the previous social unrest, I think that the new ideas brought by the western countries could have added fuel to the already burning fire of change.
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