Japanese History — The Meiji Restoration I

Yesterday, I spent about 6 hours watching Rurouni Kenshin (Kenshin the wanderer). It is a Japanese Anime set in the Meiji Era…of which I knew Zip. So this morning, a quick visit to Wikipedia, and some refreshing of my memory bank with Glimpses of World History (still my favourite history text) got me to the topic of this post.

Historical Context– Castaway and St. Francis

In 1542, a bunch of Portuguese Sailors were trying to get a good deal in China for a bunch of skins they were selling. In trying to make some extra speed, they decided to dice with the monsoon winds. They bet wrong, and their ship broke up in Japan, and left these hapless fellows stuck here.

Once the Portuguese knew that Japan was an inhabited island rather than just another rock, the missionaries jumped in. And not just any missionary. We are talking about the heaviest of the heavy guns. St. Francis Xavier, who previously was well known as converting more men (and women) than any 10 others before him (barring St. Paul) decided that this represented a true test of his calling. I have to say, the Portuguese colonists were not entire devastated to see him go. He had been making nasty cracks about them taking 3 or 4 wives, and he was making some very uncomfortable statements about the Inquisition, and the Portuguese wanted to see the back of him before he started boiling the oil, and getting the rack readied.

Now, you would ask…how the heck would our young Francis do any preaching? Does he know Japanese. He did not, but that never stopped a true missionary. Off he went, grabbing a local samurai on the run, and got him to translate a bit of the catechism. Conning…err Converting the local leadership was a piece of cake for an experienced man like Francis, and he soon started preaching all over the place, and more missionaries started joining the party.

A few years later, the Ruling Japanese guys got irritated with the missionaries telling them to lay off the drinking and attending mass every 7 days, so chucked the whole lot out. In fact, they were so irritated with the whole process that they said, “Bugger this whole outside world rot. I would rather sit at home.” So visitors were now encouraged to vanish…else they would be disappeared.

Commodore Perry– Japan opens up..but not by choice

From the early 1600’s to the middle of the 18th Century, only the Dutch were allowed to trade with Japanese…and even that in a tightly regulated manner. One speculates that the Dutch were let by only because they were slightly less rigid than the Portuguese about the whole “sinner shall be burnt at the stake” issue.

But in the mid 1840’s the US of A began to look towards the Pacific Nation. China had already been taken by Britain, and Japan was the only really virgin market left for expansion. (The Dutch did not count because they were only Tulip fanatics…and everyone knows Tulips are silly). A few merchants wandered up to Japan, only to be met with swords and axes.

In 1852, the Americans decided enough was enough. In wandered Commodore Perry of the US Navy, who had the latest in War Technology in the form of a steam boat with more guns than could be counted, and he insisted that he be berthed. The Japs had no choice now. Either they looked polite, saved some face and let Perry in…or they fought him, be beaten up, and still have Perry in.

Finally they did let him in, but Mr. Perry wanted more. He also wanted a trade treaty. And here, the Japanese showed their amazing skills at Bureaucracy. They fobbed him off with minor official after minor official. He finally lost his patience…delivered a letter and said he would return in a year. But he did leave with a final warning…”When I come back, I will return with more than just one ship!”

The Japanese were now in a bit of a quandary. National Pride meant that what they wanted to do was wave their swords about and scream defiance. However, they knew that their cities were coastal towns…and Commodore Perry would only have to open up for a couple of hours before their domain would be one big smoking ruin.

The Shogun who ruled Japan were not sure what to do. But one of the chief Shoguns, Abe Masahiro knew that trying to take on the Americans directly would only lead to humiliation bullied his way to signing a treaty which was fundamentally a surrender. But he did not stop with America. He continued to sign treaties with other European powers, even the English! This led to a lot of heartburn within the Shogun…but the die was cast. Japan was now open.

Signing the Treaty: Drunk as Skunks!

The signing of the treaty opened the Japanese Eyes (At least some of them). They saw the wonders of modern technology with model steam engines and stuff. But champagne was the real deal maker for them. I guess after 3 centuries of drinking sake, they would have settled for anything.

So the treaty signing with the Americans was more like a fair than anything else, what with toy steam engines and drunk Japanese officials busy making honking noises as they barrelled along the rails!

But the Japanese were not so drunk as to be totally stupid. They also got deals to make a Morse Telegraph system set up, and modern technology working. Factions of the Japanese wanted to open up the Japanese economy. These were led by the Samurai, the warriors of the Japanese society, who saw the benifits that cannon and guns could get them. The Shoguns did not quite like this, and as the real powers of the country, their word was law.

But times were changing, and soon the samurai began to fret. They figured that the Shoguns had their time, and went to the history books to check whether the shoguns really deserved their power. And amazingly, they found that the real power was supposed to be held by the emperor, with whom lay the power to tell the Shogun to go to hell! But the emperor was just a figurehead at this time.

It was time to restore power to the emperor. The Meiji restoration was about to begin.

Stay tuned for Part II. I promise it will happen…eventually!