Economic Development of Japan

No.2 Edo Period

xxxx xxxx xxx

I. Emperor’s RuleII. Samurai’s Rule

X

III. Modern

-ization

WAR

IV. Postwar

Clan

fights

× 645

NARA

Centraliz

ation

HEIAN

Nobles,

Decentra

lization

Internal

wars,

dynamic

& fluid

society

Peace,

isolation,

conserva

tive class

society

EDO

Tokugawa

ShogunateKAMAKURA

MUROMACHI

SENGOKU

1867

MEIJI

Westerniz

ation,

industriali

zation,

militariliza

tion

Rapid

recovery

and

growth

Hunting &

gathering

Taika Reform

Rice Chinese culture &

political systemBuddhism

WEST: guns &

ChristianityWEST!!! US occupation

1945-52

1603

PP.16-17

× 671Jinshin War

The Early Age of Samurai, 12c to 16c(Kamakura鎌倉, Muromachi室町, and Sengoku戦国 period)

• Internal fights for dominance continued--samurai were real

fighters and protectors of land.

• Religion for self-discipline, pragmatism and coping with

life-or-death situation emerged (Zen Buddhism禅).

• Society was dynamic and fluid. Power and outcome, not

family name, mattered.

• External trade was active;

foreign invasion and piracy

were also carried out.

Sengoku Daimyo’s spheres of

influence around 1570

(just before reunification)

Major daimyos

Other daimyos

Transition from Sengoku to Edo(Late 16c to early 17c)

• Daimyo’s direct rule of land and farmers was established (removal of middle powers such as influential temples, manors, landlords).

• Rigid separation of samurai and farmers

--Kenchi 検地(land survey and registration) creation of family farms

--Katanagari 刀狩(confiscation of all arms from non-samurai classes)

--All samurai required to live in castle town, receive rice salary

--All farmers required to live in villages, till allotted land, and pay rice tax

Oda Nobunaga (1534-82),

merciless fighter

織田信長

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-

98), witty operator

豊臣秀吉

Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-

1616), patient winner

徳川家康

P.22

The Late Age of Samurai, 17c to mid 19c(Edo period)

• Tokugawa family ruled for 264 years (15 shoguns).

• Daimyos were ranked, and given land to rule in exchange for loyalty and submission. Agro-based feudalism and tax systems were installed.

• Peace was restored and samurai became urban bureaucrats.• Foreign travel and private

foreign trade were banned. Bakufu monopolized limited trade with China & Netherlands.

Daimyo’s assigned lands in 1664

(early Edo period)

Bakufu’s direct rule

Tokugawa relatives & original retainers

Other daimyos

Numbers show size of

han (x10,000 koku)

Samurai Glossary

Samurai Swordsmen, warrior class 侍（武士）

Bakufu Military headquarters, samurai government 幕府

Shogun Head of military government 将軍

Han Feudal province； land given to daimyo to rule 藩

Daimyo Top samurai ruler of Han (inherited) 大名

Edo Former name of Tokyo 江戸

Gosho Rich merchant families (Mitsui, Sumitomo…) 豪商

Terakoya Private primary school 寺子屋

Shi-No-

Ko-Sho

Samurai-Farmers-Craftsmen-Merchants; the

four classes of Edo period from high to low

士農工商

Sat-Cho-

Do-Hi

Satsuma, Choshu, Tosa, Hizen; four powerful

han toward the end of Edo period; now called

Kagoshima, Yamaguchi, Kochi, Saga

薩長土肥（薩摩、長州、土佐、肥前）

Bakuhan Taisei(Bakufu-Han System)

幕藩体制

--“Feudalism”

--Class societySeparation of rulers

and ruled

How to keep daimyos obedient:--Seppuku & termination of family

--Limits on military capability (e.g. one castle)

--Relocation & downsizing of hans at will

--Sankin kotai (bi-annual residence in Edo)

--Assignment of charges and public works

PP.23-25

士

農

工

商

Pre-conditions for Industrial Take-off

• Political unity and stability

• Agricultural development and commercialization

• Development of transportation and nationally unified markets

• Rise of commerce, finance and wealthy merchant class

• Rise of pre-modern manufacturing

• Industrial promotion by local governments

• High level of education

P.23

City girls Daimyo in his castle

Samurai police and merchants

0

5

10

15

20

1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1872

0

2

4

6

8

Output/land (left scale)

Farmland (right scale)

Koku/cho Million cho (=ha)

Agriculture: Positive vs Negative Aspects

• Village autonomy and family farming

• Acreage rose then stabilized, productivity rose continuously

• Technology and knowledge improved over time

• As commercial crops increased, rich farmers emerged

• Farmers were tied to land and had to pay heavy (?) tax

• Famine, discontent with policy/officials led to ikki (farmers’ rebellion)

Source: Hayami & Miyamoto, 1988.

PP.25-28

Budget, Money and Inflation

• Economy shifted from rice to cash crop, agro-processing and commerce, but revenue continued to be based on rice tax

• Bakufu and han governments launched reforms and industrial promotion to cope with budget crisis (only some succeeded)

• Bakufu monopolized foreign trade, but Matsumae, Tsushima and Satsuma Han also had foreign contact

• Inflation accelerated in late Edo period due to (i) debasement of gold, (iii) foreign trade, and (iii) famine (entire period)

PP.28-30

0

1

2

3

4

5

1720

1730

1740

1750

1760

1770

1780

1790

1800

1810

1820

1830

1840

Million koku

Output & Tax on Bakufu Land

Rich Merchants in Edo Period (Gosho)

Sumitomo Family-16c Adopt Western copper refining,

copper trade (Kyoto)

-17c Move to Osaka

-Besshi Copper Mine (under Bakufu’s

commission)

<Transition to Meiji>

Manager: Hirose Saihei-Avoiding gov’t confiscation

-Introducing Western mining

technology to renovate Besshi

-Business diversification

Mitsui Family-17c From Matsuzaka

-Kimono trade & money exchange in

Edo, Kyoto, Osaka – huge success

<Transition to Meiji>

Manager: Minomura Rizaemon -Cope with bakufu policy

to protect Mitsui business

-Support and work with

new government

-Internal reform:

from gosho to zaibatsu

-1876 Establish Mitsui Bank & Mitsui

Trading Company Konoike-Sake making, trading, loans to daimyo

-No serious internal reform in Meiji

-Failed to form zaibatsu (Sanwa Bank)

Onogumi? Tennojiya?

Hiranoya? Shimadagumi?

Kashimaya?

Terakoya (Private Primary Schools)

• Private teaching (3Rs:read, write, abacus) at teacher’s house, all over Japan (20,000+)—contributing greatly to literacy

• Any intelligent person can be a teacher, any child can study (ages about 7-13)

• Individual teaching, with flexible time and flexible fee

P.35

<Typical curriculum>8-12am Writing (brush & ink)

12-1pm Lunch at home

1-2pm Arithmetic, moral

2pm Go home

<Exams and exhibitions>Monthly exams

Year-end final exam

Writing exhibitions, Apr & Aug

<Holidays>3 days/month, plus others

Bakufu Schools and Han Schools (Official Teaching)

• The core curriculum was ancient Chinese philosophy, especially Confucianism (6-5c BC) 儒学.

• Confucianism emphasized social order, respect for superiors and elders, the role and duties of the ruler, and rituals and ceremonies (legitimacy for class society).

• Study consisted of reading old Chinese literature in Japanese way, memorizing, and interpret the meaning.

• Eminent bakufu scholars:Fujiwara Seika (1561-1619)Hayashi Razan (1583-1657)Arai Hakuseki (1657-1725)

• Later, Bakufu also taught Dutch, Western medicine, militarynavigation, etc.

PP.33-34

Bakufu school at Yushima Seido (Ochanomizu, Tokyo).

Confucianism was taught to the sons of bakufu samurais.

Shokason Jukuby Yoshida Shoin (1830-59)

松下村塾（吉田松陰）

• Studied in Edo and Nagasaki

• Strong personality and pro-emperor, anti-bakufu ideas

• Jailed 3 times for trying to go abroad and criticizing

government, finally executed in Edo

• Taught young samurai and non-samurai at Shokason Juku

from 1855 to 1857 (2.5 years)

Shokason Juku, Hagi, Choshu Han

Produced many political leaders

Ito Hirobumi (Prime Minister)

Yamagata Aritomo (Prime Minister)

Kusaka Genzui (anti-bakufu fighter)

Takasugi Shinsaku (anti-bakufu fighter)

P.34

Kangi-en by Hirose Tanso (1782-1856)

咸宜園（広瀬淡窓）

• Established in 1817, succeeded by 9 rectors until 1897

• Largest private school in Edo period, attracting over 4,000 students

• Main courses: ancient Chinese literature and philosophy

• Three non-selectivity principle—anyone accepted regardless of age, education background or class/family

• Monthly student evaluation—classified into 19 levels; competition based on monthly study results

• All students lived in school dormitory

Kangi-en, Hita (under bakufu’s direct rule)

Famous graduates

Takano Choei (doctor, scholar of western studies)

Omura Masujiro (military reformer)

P.34