A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower
Kenneth G. Henshall
Language: English
Pages: 252
ISBN: 0312233701
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
The Snow Empress (Sano Ichiro, Book 12)
Religion and Psychotherapy in Modern Japan
Otaku: Japan's Database Animals
on the continuing general Japanese reluctance to become involved with strangers.14 Collective and severe punishments also applied in theory and sometimes in practice in the countryside of the daimyo domains, but life there was often easier. This was because many daimyo were generally happy not to interfere in the affairs of any village in their domain provided its collective taxes were paid, and provided there was no blatant law-breaking or defiance. Discipline in the villages was, except for
taxed.43 66 A History of Japan The rise of the merchant was particularly important for Japan's future. It was in this period that certain huge merchant houses such as Mitsui and Sumitomo developed.44 The whole idea of profit-making, which was once scorned by the ruling class as undignified, became gradually more acceptable. Ishida Baigan (1685–1744) even developed a philosophy that extolled profit-making and the role of the merchant.45 The rise of the merchant, however, was also one more
of their men, Yoshida Shoin (1830–59), had unsuccessfully attempted to stow away on one of Perry's ships in order to learn about the west and thereby strengthen Japan. Soon afterwards he was executed for plotting to assassinate a shogunal representative, becoming a martyr for the cause of Sonno Joi. In July 1863 and again in September 1864, angered at the shogunate's inaction, Choshu even began firing at foreign vessels in the Strait of The Closed Country 69 Shimonoseki (adjacent to its
to around 10 per cent.54 A Phoenix from the Ashes 149 Another major economic reform, seen as being in the interests of both demilitarisation and democratisation, was the move to dissolve the zaibatsu. At the end of the war the ‘Big Four' – Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, and Yasuda – controlled between them 25 per cent of Japan's paid-up capital, and six lesser zaibatsu a further 11 per cent. These ten were the principal targets for reform.55 Measures taken from late 1945 included dissolving
activities of the communists and the need to ban the general strike were unfortunate. Public peace of mind was also still less than perfect, and the economy was still very weak. Utopia still seemed attainable, but it did seem to have a few clouds on its horizon. 6.2 Cold War Realities Reshape the Dreams The banning of the general strike was an opportunity for reflection, for both government and public, both American and Japanese. Ever since A Phoenix from the Ashes 151 the Occupation