Into the Nineteenth Century | The Edo Period Episode 9

Añadido: 2026-05-12

[00:00:03]In the last episode, we covered what one might define as the golden age of the Tokugawa shogunit. As we looked to the shoguns of the 1700s, reformers and problem solvers who would work to build back the stability of the Bakufu. It was here that we learned about perhaps the last great leader of the military government, the eighth Tokugawa Shogun, Yoshimun. A figure who not only focused on civil pursuits to help the common people, but also who sought to tackle serious financial concerns and even opened the door to the study of Western knowledge, beginning the interest in Dutch studies known as Rangaku. Despite this, Japan was still a nation ruled by a warrior elite who had not actually seen war in over 100 years. The samurai and their governing systems were becoming more antiquated as the decades wore on. Yet, for a nation under the strict grip of the Bakufu, drastic change was not going to occur on its own.

[00:01:00]So it is here as we enter into the 19th century that we will witness the faltering reigns of Tokugawa Yanari and Eayoshi who would steer the government through scandal and hardship until at last the arrival of black ships from across the ocean.

[00:01:56]In 1786, Toku Bugawa Yharu, the 10th Shogun of the Edetobakufu, would pass away. He had been the grandson of the prominent Tokugawa Yoshimun, who had also contributed greatly to his upbringing.

[00:02:12]In many ways, it appears that he attempted to emulate his grandfather.

[00:02:16]Yet, his reign would never be as significant.

[00:02:19]Yharu had been shogun for 27 years after he ascended the position in 1760.

[00:02:26]He was known to be a level-headed and talented individual, which as we have previously noted was perhaps why Yoshimun had decided to name Ehadu's father Eig as his heir. Despite the fact that Eig suffered from serious disabilities, Eihadu, on the other hand, was healthy and possessed a cunning mind, one befitting of the role he would inherit. However, regardless of whatever ability he possessed, Yharu was never able to make a proper name for himself as Shogun in the way his predecessors had. The role of Shogun had gradually changed over the years. Gone were the days of the Shogun holding true and total power. Instead, a meer of bureaucracy, which some historians note to have really taken form after the reign of Yoshimun, prevented further Tokugawa shoguns from ever exercising their true potential. Some might even go so far as to argue that they too had somewhat become more figureheads within their own administration. Yet, it should be noted that they still held considerable influence all things considered. Thus, perhaps trapped in an intricate system in which he might have found it difficult to run the government in the same way his grandfather had, Yharu, it would seem, devoted himself more to hobbies and other cultural pursuits. In 1779, his young sonoto would tragically pass away prematurely, leaving questions as to who would be named Eharadu's new heir. He would eventually end up naming Tokugawa as his heir in 1781. Yayari was from a separate branch of Yoshiune's line, and upon Ehadu's own death in 1786, Eayari would become Shogun himself a year later at perhaps around the age of 15. Ianari would come to have the longest reign out of any Tokugawa shogun, remaining at top the Bakufu for five decades. Now, one might assume that with such a prolonged period of power that I would have gone down as one of the most effective shoguns of the Erobakufu, being able to plan for the long term and thereby steering the government in an effective manner into a new century. However, you would be wrong. As noted, the actual power of the shogun had become quite limited as a horde of senior officials actually ran the show. Still, Ian had the power to dismiss and promote individuals as he saw fit, which worked to set his own agenda to a degree. By the later 18th century, the primary concern was once again the financial status of the government. Financial strains were a problem which Yoshimun and his predecessors had once sought to solve decades earlier and had somewhat done so for a time. Yet with famines and other natural disasters exacerbating the issues further, the financial situation was becoming severe. Matudra Saranobu, who had commanded significant authority while Yanari was still young, began a process known as the Cance reforms, which aimed to solve the financial crisis. Yet doing more harm than good, he was eventually removed by Einari, who then began to rely off of a council of other senior leaders, who in time came to be known as the elders of the K era.

[00:05:46]For a time, they managed to weather the storm, keeping the Bakufu somewhat status quo, at least until around 1818, when certain figures began to pass away or resign due to old age. What came after was unfortunately a period steeped in corruption as figures close to Ian began using bribery to gain influence.

[00:06:07]The poor handling of administrative affairs alongside the continuing financial hardships perpetuated strains felt in the provinces leading to a growing discontent that saw several rebellions spring up which the Bakufu and other loyal domains then promptly put down. As for Ian himself, it appears he became increasingly detached from his actual role as Shogun, instead embracing a life of luxury. He is also wellknown for being quite promiscuous, having many concubines and fathering over 50 children throughout his lifetime, many of which later being married into other food or toama families across Japan. In 1837, he would retire as Shogun in favor of his second son, Tokugawa Eayoshi.

[00:06:55]Being that his first son had died young, yet even in retirement, Eayari continued to hold nominal power as an Oso. Eayoshi inherited the same woes his father's administration had faced. But it appears he did attempt a more proactive approach of dealing with the strife. After Eay's death in 1841, Yayoshi would purge a number of officials who had been prominent under his father's reign and instead promote Mizuno Tarakuni, who would continue the attempts at financial reconstruction, yet to little success.

[00:07:31]However, in the midst of attempting to remedy Japan's domestic problems, there were growing concerns about what was happening outside of the country.

[00:07:43]The opium wars were a wake-up call.

[00:07:47]The greatqing dynasty of China had sought to challenge the west in aims of barring the British trade of opium. When an unanticipated war broke out between the two countries, theqing were met with repeated military disasters.

[00:08:02]Not only exposing how their own armed forces had declined in recent decades, but also showcasing the advancements of the west.

[00:08:11]Steamship, modern artillery, and small arms all proved to be vital technological improvements which theqing lacked.

[00:08:19]As historian Peter Worthing describes, few Chinese at the time understood the degree of the technological advantage the British would enjoy in the opium war. The 19th century brought a series of advancements in military technology, including shallow draft steam ships that could operate in 5 to 6 ft of water. The greater accuracy of their artillery combined with superior flint lock and percussion cap musketss gave the British a tremendous advantage in firepower. By contrast, the majority ofQing troops relied on traditional weapons such as the bow and arrow, spear, sword, and halbird. ThoseQing soldiers who used firearms carried outdated matchlocks, unreliable and sometimes deadly to the user. The Chinese had numerous pieces of artillery, but mostly antiquated pieces from the Ming period set in fixed positions that prevented adjusting fire.

[00:09:15]Defeat in the Anglo-Chinese wars of the mid-9th century began what many Chinese see as a century of humiliation, during which foreign powers pressed their military advantage over China to acquire territorial and economic concessions.

[00:09:31]The frightening thing was of course that if it could happen to China, it could surely happen to Japan. Japan's own military had largely stagnated throughout the Edeto period. And although Tokugawa Yoshimun had opened the doors to Rangaku or Dutch studies as a means of advancing the nation, militarily, significant progress had not been made to update forces across Japan's domains. In many ways, Japanese armies could be perhaps viewed as at roughly the same level technologically as theQing, possessing outdated firearms and artillery, and that doesn't even begin to account for methods of drill and recruitment, which too would prove vital. Safety was likely felt in the fact that Japan was an island nation and that a land invasion by a western nation in the same way as China had would prove incredibly difficult. Yet perhaps not impossible given the new technologies of the west. For roughly two centuries now, Japan had remained in a state of somewhat isolation brought about by a series of edicts which restricted entry into the country. A topic which we have previously covered in more depth.

[00:10:41]Europeans, namely the Dutch, could only enter Japan for the purposes of trade via the port of Digima in Nagasaki.

[00:10:49]However, within the past several decades, other Western nations began to attempt to gain entry of their own.

[00:10:59]Initially, new foreign arrivals came in the form of Russian ships. In 1792, they made contact with the Japanese in Hokkaido, requesting the opening of trade between the two countries, which was, of course, promptly refused. They would make a second attempt a little over a decade later in 1804, this time sailing all the way down to Nagasaki, where the Dutch had to enter. Once again, they were refused. Britain as well began increasing their operations in the region throughout the early 19th century, attempting to establish relations with Japan in 1797, 1808, and 1818. Even the United States began making attempts given that American whailing ships were already quite active in the region. Soon, foreign ships became an increasingly frequent site, causing the Bakufu to attempt to build up coastal defenses in key areas to repel any attempt of foreign invasion. By 1825, the Bakufu would even issue edicts ordering that any foreign ships, excluding those from China, Korea, and the Ryuku Islands, be immediately fired upon. Believing that Edeto and Osaka were the most vital locations to defend in the case of an invasion. By 1843, the Bakufu would even attempt to confiscate smaller domains throughout both areas as a means of strengthening defensive efforts. This was obviously met with outcry from various lords who saw this as an excessive act of dangerous overreach.

[00:12:30]Within a year, the efforts were abandoned.

[00:12:33]The world was indeed changing.

[00:12:35]Apparently, even the Dutch had begun to warn Japan that their isolation could not last forever and that sooner or later they would need to open up to the West. By 1842, the order to fire at foreign ships had also been repealed. It is said that this was partially in response to an earlier controversy in 1837 called the Morrison incident. This was when an American merchant vessel named the Morrison attempted to land in Japan to return home a number of Japanese castaways. Their mission was peaceful and neither concerned with trade nor politics, merely wishing to repatriate Japanese castaways.

[00:13:12]Ultimately, the ship would be fired upon and eventually forced to turn away. When the Japanese later discovered the true intentions of the mission, further outcry contributed to the Bakufu's rescending of the fire on-site edicts by 1842. Although Japan was no longer openly hostile to any arriving ship from Europe or America, they still continued to respond harshly to anyone attempting to arrive, turning ships away and warning them to never return. This all begs the question, why did Japan fight so hard to keep their country largely closed off to the west? Was it still fears from Western influence and Christianity which had been problematic centuries earlier? Or was there a more recent concern? Well, the answer is perhaps a combination of factors. The Bakufu, although facing uncertain times due to a number of domestic concerns, still had kept Japan largely stable and secure within its iron grip. Opening the country risked mass destabilization in a variety of ways. Additionally, the Opium Wars were, as noted, a terrifying development that the Bakufu likely wished to avoid altogether simply by denying the opening of any discourse with other foreign nations and through the shoring up of their defenses. If they kept a strong and resilient face, perhaps they could keep all other Western nations at bay and continue on as things were, it was by no means a perfect solution. But there were likely too many fears if there were any attempts at alternatives.

[00:14:45]Yet, while this remained the official position of the Bakufu for a time, there were certainly other Japanese figures who did advocate for opening up the country. Historian Kenneth Henchel discussed the evolving situation at the time, stating, "By the middle of the 19th century, the Shogunate Ted realized that Westerners were probably not going to leave Japan alone. However, having seen what was happening in China with its Western induced opium wars, it was even more determined to keep them at bay. Aided by staunch nationalists, it even attempted to prevent debate about the issue of relations with westerners.

[00:15:21]Takano Choi was imprisoned and later forced to commit suicide for his audacity in urging the opening of the country to foreign contact. Even the compromised view of Sakuma Shozan who advocated a blending of Japanese and western strengths and coined the slogan toyonotoku seono gakug eastern ethics western sciences was enough to bring about his assassination.

[00:15:45]The issue of opening Japan was becoming yet another sign of the Bakufu becoming increasingly problematic. Where before financial strain, inefficient bureaucracy, and rumblings of growing corruption were all contributing to views of an alien government, now there emerged the issue of the Bakufu also holding the nation behind in attempts to continually uphold old policies of self-imposed isolation. Of course, there were many in Japan who favored these policies, too. As we just noted, by no means was one viewpoint held by the majority. While on one side, there were those who had legitimate fears of opening up to the West. On the other, there were those who saw it as inevitable and necessary in the modern age. For them, this was yet another example of a growing weakness within the Bakufu. As Tokugawa leadership neared its 250th anniversary, things had never looked so tumultuous. One thing was for sure, however. If Japan was to ever open, it needed to be pried open, forced to finally engage with the West more seriously.

[00:16:53]Some foreign nations had already come to understand this and knew that the use of such force was the necessary answer.

[00:17:01]After the United States had been repeatedly unsuccessful in their dealings with Japan, a new mission, one led by Commodore Matthew Perry, would depart for Japan in the fall of 1852.

[00:17:18]In the next episode, Perry's expedition will arrive. With modern warships at his back and a threatening demand to finally open the country, Japan will never be the same.

[00:17:33]Thank you for watching and don't forget to like, subscribe, and ring the notification bell if you enjoyed this video and found it to be most informative.