How Did The Shogunate Affect Japan

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Japan could not have achieved its current height of cultural development without foreign influence. There are key player that contribute to Japan’s advancement such as the European immigrants, the shoguns, Francis Xavier and Commodore Perry. These 4 figures were considered the external force that brought in new ideas that caused the shogunate’s power to decline. A major influence was Japan slowly commencing trade negotiations with China by 200 A.D. In the beginning there was very minor trade between China and Japan, the two traded only pottery and bronze coins. This period was Japan’s first introduction to the contemporary world, with the help of China.During the middle of the Yamato period when Japan started to compete with the much bigger…show more content…
The Portuguese found certain ideas such as Christianity hard to convey to the Japanese, but there was a large number of Japanese who accepted the new religion. A Jesuit priest named Francis Xavier brought in the many flourishing Christian missions. Travelling from city to city in Japan, Xavier discovered a mission in Yamaguchi. Using Western goods, Xavier was able to successfully convert many Japanese to Christianity. Although Xavier died a year later, his succeeded in bringing Christianity into Japan.By 1600 there was an estimate of about 150,000 Japanese converts, it took 40 years, and 75 missionaries. Due to the new religious belief, the shogunate may have lacked control over the population. Yet despite all this, Japanese culture continued unaffected by the influences throughout the Edo period (1603-1867). The government continued to operate under the feudal system, which was still ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate. With harsh social conditions and control the shogunate remained peaceful, Japan was left like this until the late 1800’s. Until with the social impact of Europe and America; Japan lean towards modernization. The start of Japan’s modernization began in 1865, when the boundaries of Japan were opened by
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