The Black Ships

How do the black ships fit into the story of modern day Tokyo?

In 1633, the current Shogun and son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Iemitsu, banned all travel and trade overseas, effectively closing the doors of Japan.

One of the main reasons for this isolation was a fear of the spread of Christianity and a subsequent dilution of Japanese culture and beliefs. The idea of the ban was to protect Japan from what were perceived to be negative influences.

Captain Matthew Perry

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It was this protectionist policy that, for a long time, ensured the success of the Edo period.

For many years people were content as they benefited from the process of urbanization under the Shogun and his government.

However, as commerce continued to grow and people's attitudes changed, the rigid control of the Shogun began to be questioned.

In 1853, the American naval officer, Captain Matthew Perry and his fleet of black ships, made their appearance in Edo Bay. America wanted access to Japan and was determined to get it.

The black ships were a clear threat of war from America that the Shogun could not ignore. Not yet equipped to deal with the threat of arms, the Shogunate was forced to concede and opened the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to the US in 1854.

The Meiji Restoration

As time went on, the government was forced to open up more and more Japanese territory to America, which fueled the frustration that already existed amongst the populace.

Eventually the Imperialists, who after all had learned their lesson well from observing the American tactics, rebelled and reinstated the Emperor as ruler of Japan. This action ended the Edo Period and brought about the period known as the Meiji Restoration.

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