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By: Anthony Chan, Chad Brathwaite, Grace Kim, Mark Chen
Culture of the Japanese developed through interactions in commercial
cities: Edo and Osaka.
Samurai class adapted to the government needs, but they also became leading
customers for luxury goods (silk, sake, fans, porcelain, books…)
Porcelain dominated in Japan with the knowledge of the Korean experts
from the war.
Made for European markets.
Japanese
Porcelain
The Dutch East
India company
transported
Japanese porcelain
to European states.
These popular
designs were
imitated by
Europeans as they
tried to make their
own ceramic ware.

Although the trading with Europe resulted in
many benefits from cultural sharing, the Japanese
elite were not open to foreign influence.
▪ Japanese adopted the closed country policy due to the rising
numbers of Christian converts in their country.
▪ Christian communities were forced into hiding or out of the
country, and the Japanese became more hostile.
▪ As a result, the population stayed culturally homogenous.

The Tokugawa government was based on the
Confucian philosophies, but the decentralized
government did not contribute to the
Confucian ideas.
▪ Economy grew faster than population, so many luxury
goods and rare cultural resources were common in many
Japanese households.
▪ Population enjoyed the freedom and developed a colorful
culture with the creation of the kabuki theater.
Kabuki
Theater
This performance in
the Kabuki Theater
shows the colorful
props and costumes
used in the
performances. The
new theater
represented the
freedom that
emerged from the
Tokugawa
Shogunate.
Japan was originally behind in technology
- Had porcelain making
- But, only had wooden-block printing, unlike the European printing press
- Did not have gunpowder
- For example, when Japan attempted to control the mainland Asia, Japan
was beaten by the Korean “turtle boats”
- Europeans were advanced in technology
- Had gunpowder
- Had scientific revolution:


- Discovered new aspects of astronomy
- Discovered the laws of physics (gravity)
- The Russians have similar technology to the
Europeans
- However, the Russian firearms were not as
high-quality
- So, the Russian Empire relied on brute force of
its forces rather than sophisticated weapons.
- However, the Russian Empire did have a
modern imperial navy
- Though Japanese seemed behind, actually
surpassed European counterparts
- After contact with European, Japanese started
the “gunpowder revolution”
- Japanese copied and improved the European
firearms
- But, after Japan fell into isolation, the lack of
motivation caused the Japanese to fall behind
Cross-Cultural
Interaction
“Dutch Studies”
learned
astronomy,
weapons,
shipbuilding,
mathematics,
anatomy,
medicine, and
geography.
Dutch Ship : De Zeven Provincien

Gunpowder Revolution:
 Japan started producing its own gunpowder

Overseas trade of Northern and Southern Extreme.

Religious diffusion of Christianity

Porcelain constituted Japan’s exports to Europe

Creation of Language influenced by the Chinese and
Koreans
 The woodblock printing of China and Korea has been
transferred into Japanese way of life.
 Welcomed trade from Spain, Portugal, Netherlands,
and England, but regulated it.

Being a powerful warlord and a military state, Hideyoshi
went to attack China and Korea, in hoping to capture
both, but failed after he died
The Japanese didn’t really interact with the Russians
until 1792, when the Russians were exploring the
sea.
 The Russians didn’t try to establish trade with the
Japanese until 1804

Political Change
Before 1603, Japan was Feudal society with the various
islands ruled by individual Daimyo (warlords)
In 1603, a centralized government was established known
as the Tokugawa Shogunate.
During the 1700s, population growth put a strain on the
lands of centralized government, leading to an increase in
popularity and economic growth in the rural areas where
lords promoted new settlements.
Political Change
Tokugawa Leyasu, founder of
the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Japanese interaction with Europeans:
 Led to a change in military technology:
▪ The Japanese daimyo were utilizing western-style
firearms.

Japan’s interaction with Europe led to
cultural diversity, for it led to an influx of
Christianity.
CHRISTIANITY
VS.
BUDDHISM
•
European Missionaries converted
approximately 300,000 Japanese to
Christianity by the Early 17th century.
•
Out of fear , The Buddhist leaders of Japan cut
off European trade and between 1633 to 1639,
passed multiple reforms in order to weed
Christianity out of Japan.