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culture during this period, including Kabuki theater and Haiku poetry",1,{"id":35,"data":36,"type":37,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":33},"57f72fa0-fed0-44c7-91b6-36b090c53bd6",{"type":37,"intro":38},10,[39,40],"Which Japanese leader united Japan, and brought an end to the warring states period?","Why did Japan decide to close its borders during the Tokugawa period?",[42,47],{"id":43,"data":44,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24},"3d33b268-0ff9-463a-9ae4-938a8c214059",{"type":33,"markdownContent":45,"audioMediaId":46},"For most parts of the world, the early modern period was a time of exploration, colonization, and cultural exchange. But in early modern Japan, the exact opposite took place.\n\nIn 1633, the country closed its borders to the outside world, and focused on internal growth. They still interacted, here and there, with foreign traders, but for the most part foreigners were forbidden from entering Japan.\n\nFor the next two hundred years, Japan developed its own rich and unique culture, including Kabuki theater, woodblock prints, and Haiku poetry. This period was known as Tokugawa Japan, and it was a rare example of a country existing in a state of isolation.","d9d0b929-3ca6-4572-a2d3-0153d4a74f91",{"id":48,"data":49,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":52},"f4816323-9a56-47a7-9cd4-95e791a891d5",{"type":33,"markdownContent":50,"audioMediaId":51},"Before the Tokugawa period, 16th century Japan was rocked by civil war. Officially, an emperor was in charge of the country, but he was marginalized and largely ignored. This is often known as the ‘warring states period’.\n\nThen in 1603, a powerful warlord named Tokugawa Ieyasu managed to unite the states. He declared himself shogun – a kind of military dictator – who took control of the country as a whole.\n\n![Graph](image://9a16b4b5-1090-4779-84cd-e0027a6e046b \"Tokugawa Ieyasu. Image: Public domain\")\n\nThe emperor still existed, but the role was now purely ceremonial. Tokugawa Ieyasu had complete control. He and his descendants would rule Japan for more than two hundred years, which is why the period is referred to as Tokugawa Japan.","82f686e0-5c36-4fbc-b76c-f76ff3a5def5",[53,74,81,92,100],{"id":54,"data":55,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"f2b34741-26f9-421b-8b72-6dc4dd2fe5e5",{"type":56,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":33,"collapsingSiblings":57,"multiChoiceQuestion":61,"multiChoiceCorrect":63,"multiChoiceIncorrect":65,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6,"orderAxisType":33,"orderQuestion":69,"orderItems":71},11,[58,59,60],"5bc9e4c6-3315-4ada-b5b3-9542a17dbca5","27249425-5bf6-4ca5-bd1f-39ef3d32486b","893bb87b-56bc-454e-9e72-4235065404eb",[62],"When did Tokugawa Ieyasu declare himself shogun, and commence the Tokugawa period?",[64],"1603",[66,67,68],"1644","1591","1997",[70],"Put the following in order:",[72],{"label":73,"reveal":64,"sortOrder":33},"Start of Tokugawa Japan",{"id":75,"data":76,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"64bc1916-bdf7-45af-95ee-5a109e629f4e",{"type":56,"reviewType":33,"spacingBehaviour":33,"activeRecallQuestion":77,"activeRecallAnswers":79},[78],"16th century Japan was rocked by civil war. What is this period known as?",[80],"Warring states period",{"id":82,"data":83,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"627ac147-e06a-4681-9e04-32861be452ab",{"type":56,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":33,"multiChoiceQuestion":84,"multiChoiceCorrect":86,"multiChoiceIncorrect":88,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[85],"Which powerful warlord managed to unite Japan, and bring an end to the warring states period?",[87],"Tokugawa Ieyasu",[89,90,91],"Oda Nobunaga","Toyotomi Hideyoshi","Minamoto no Yoritomo",{"id":93,"data":94,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"22ce7690-1e49-4e11-9092-9b4a7faaf761",{"type":56,"reviewType":95,"spacingBehaviour":33,"clozeQuestion":96,"clozeWords":98},4,[97],"Tokugawa Ieyasu declared himself shogun – a kind of military dictator.",[99],"shogun",{"id":101,"data":102,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"2d3135c8-c49c-4ca6-b324-79d8f5a9eb39",{"type":56,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":33,"multiChoiceQuestion":103,"multiChoiceCorrect":105,"multiChoiceIncorrect":107,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[104],"Did Tokugawa Japan have an Emperor?",[106],"Yes – but the role was purely ceremonial",[108,109,110],"Yes – the shogun was subordinate to him","No – he was replaced by the shogun","No – Japan has never had emperors",{"id":112,"data":113,"type":24,"version":19,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":115,"introPage":123,"pages":129},"c27b949a-3654-4dc2-81ec-cb26c9f7aba7",{"type":24,"title":114},"Closed country",{"id":116,"data":117,"type":19,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":33},"ed5571bb-0022-4426-ad06-806685a8c3e6",{"type":19,"summary":118},[119,120,121,122],"Despite Japan's closed borders, Dutch traders were still allowed to visit Japan through the tiny island of Dejima","Japanese scientists studied European medical books that were traded to them by the Dutch","This period was a golden age for Japanese art, with famous works like Hokusai’s '36 Views Of Mount Fuji'","Japan maintained traditional beliefs, like Neo-Confucianism, during the closed country period",{"id":124,"data":125,"type":37,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":33},"7e235a26-8a6c-4e8d-b000-e56af61a2268",{"type":37,"intro":126},[127,128],"What was 'Dutch learning', and how did it affect the social hierarchies of Tokugawa Japan?","How does the philosophy of Neo-Confucianism contrast with Christianity?",[130,145,169,193],{"id":131,"data":132,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":19,"reviews":135},"7a71b59b-35d6-4692-b13a-faa4e27777e1",{"type":33,"markdownContent":133,"audioMediaId":134},"In the 1630s, Tokugawa Ieyasu’s grandson, Tokugawa Iemitsu, took the decision to close Japan’s borders to foreign trade and travel. This policy was known as ‘sakoku’, which translates as ‘closed country’.\n\nThis decision was made because Iemitsu was concerned about the growing influence of European powers. He did not want his country to be Christianized by missionaries, or colonized by the Spanish, as was already happening in other parts of the world.\n\nHe did not close the borders completely. Dutch traders were still allowed to visit the tiny island of Dejima in Nagasaki harbor. This allowed important books, like Western medical journals, to enter the country. Japan wanted to be independent, but not to fall behind.","f882021e-1c53-4d38-8f56-0c160fc68671",[136],{"id":137,"data":138,"type":56,"version":24,"maxContentLevel":19},"32be5c0b-534a-4cb9-8635-779cef2d0465",{"type":56,"reviewType":24,"spacingBehaviour":33,"binaryQuestion":139,"binaryCorrect":141,"binaryIncorrect":143},[140],"In the 1630s, which shogun decided to close Japan's borders to the outside world?",[142],"Tokugawa Iemitsu (Ieyasu's grandson)",[144],"Tokugawa Ieyasu (Iemitsu's grandfather)",{"id":146,"data":147,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":150},"c45c8c88-5966-4614-8da0-a293ff6d69c6",{"type":33,"markdownContent":148,"audioMediaId":149},"Japanese scientists thoroughly studied the European medical books which were allowed to enter the country through Dejima. This was known as ‘rangaku’, or Dutch learning.\n\n![Graph](image://753683ac-a282-4dda-b8ae-fd139aac44ab \"Rangaku. Image: Public domain\")\n\nThey also performed their own experiments to corroborate the things they read. For example, when Japanese scientists dissected the bodies of deceased criminals, they were impressed to find that the body matched the Dutch books.\n\nAs their science advanced, some Japanese people started questioning the social hierarchies that had been part of Japan for centuries: nobles and samurai at the top, and merchants and criminals at the bottom. Dissections showed that everyone was the same on the inside, which meant these hierarchies were surely artificial.","008dc102-a7d9-4a3b-bce2-112c8bbedf9f",[151,158],{"id":152,"data":153,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"a6b56ee2-3a8d-49c7-872f-4968cac91207",{"type":56,"reviewType":33,"spacingBehaviour":33,"activeRecallQuestion":154,"activeRecallAnswers":156},[155],"Despite closing its borders to the outside world, what did Japan still allow to enter the country via the tiny island of Dejima?",[157],"European medical books",{"id":159,"data":160,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"ad12ce86-51c4-4908-b252-b0e6e1834807",{"type":56,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":33,"multiChoiceQuestion":161,"multiChoiceCorrect":163,"multiChoiceIncorrect":165,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[162],"How did Japanese scientists corroborate what they read in European medical books?",[164],"They performed dissections, mainly on deceased criminals",[166,167,168],"They performed dissections, mainly on deceased children","They compared them to the writings of Japanese ancients","They trusted these books, so did not need to corroborate",{"id":170,"data":171,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":174},"214e41d4-68cb-4e1d-a55d-c979653b86df",{"type":33,"markdownContent":172,"audioMediaId":173},"The Tokugawa period also saw many great artistic achievements, as the country developed unique artforms without the influence of foreign nations.\n\nFor example, traditional Japanese woodblock prints were able to flourish. Some of the most famous works from this era were Katsushika Hokusai’s *36 Views Of Mount Fuji*. This iconic set of works captured the beauty and majesty of Japan's highest mountain, with each print depicting it from a different angle or season.\n\n![Graph](image://9d80c39c-5e18-4739-a48f-c9f98dbbe1d8 \"One of Hokusai's views of Mount Fuji. Image: Public domain\")\n\nOther artists took a more subversive approach. He-Gassen (‘Fart Battle’) paintings became especially popular; they showed nobles and samurai producing unflattering farts, which undermined the people at the top of the traditional social pyramid.\n\n![Graph](image://401100fc-b273-4c47-a3ff-6967455171a7 \"He-Gassen. Image: Public domain\")","45a643ef-5eb8-49e9-8bf6-cfe17c54a55c",[175,182],{"id":176,"data":177,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"2510b77e-1238-41b0-8cc9-5aa3dc8d35a0",{"type":56,"reviewType":33,"spacingBehaviour":33,"activeRecallQuestion":178,"activeRecallAnswers":180},[179],"Which subversive art form took off during the Tokugawa period?",[181],"He-Gassen ('Fart Battle') paintings",{"id":183,"data":184,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"71185255-f4cf-4881-aafc-1cfeaedd91c1",{"type":56,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":33,"multiChoiceQuestion":185,"multiChoiceCorrect":187,"multiChoiceIncorrect":189,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[186],"Who did He-Gassen paintings undermine, by showing them breaking wind?",[188],"Nobles and samurai",[190,191,192],"European traders","The emperor","The shogun",{"id":194,"data":195,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":198},"81dca5a1-1906-4558-8728-ee2d65ce42e8",{"type":33,"markdownContent":196,"audioMediaId":197},"While most of the world in the early modern period was influenced by Christianity or Islam, Japan remained largely untouched by these religions, and instead continued its own traditional spiritual beliefs.\n\nNeo-Confucianism was a dominant philosophy during this time. It valued harmony with nature, and respect for living things; it was at odds with religions like Christianity that placed humans above the natural world.\n\nMany people in Japan also believed in kami spirits – small deities which existed as part of the rocks, the animals, the trees. The landscape was littered with torii gates, which were said to mark the border between the human world and the spirit world.\n\n![Graph](image://5ce6ec8b-5fab-47c5-a937-ec4c8013ae1a \"Torii gates. Image Balon Greyjoy, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons\")","5639d422-f45c-4780-bb77-3a7a198a9a53",[199,218,227,236,243],{"id":200,"data":201,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"5fd164be-f111-4b93-8269-c485adcfb49a",{"type":56,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":33,"collapsingSiblings":202,"multiChoiceQuestion":206,"multiChoiceCorrect":208,"multiChoiceIncorrect":210,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6,"matchPairsQuestion":214,"matchPairsPairs":216},[203,204,205],"b3c48af3-2077-4b6d-81fa-d4072300120f","26494c10-530a-42d9-999c-ee3a365294cb","090a11b9-8cdb-47a6-af85-4f08aa0be3fa",[207],"Which of these would you most associate with Tokugawa Japan?",[209],"Woodblock prints",[211,212,213],"Gunpowder","Llamas","Cowrie shells",[215],"Match the pairs below:",[217],{"left":17,"right":209,"direction":19},{"id":219,"data":220,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"b2c8293f-1ebc-4252-9e8e-c860f913fa34",{"type":56,"reviewType":24,"spacingBehaviour":33,"binaryQuestion":221,"binaryCorrect":223,"binaryIncorrect":225},[222],"What was the dominant philosophy in Japan during the early modern period?",[224],"Neo-Confucianism",[226],"Zen Buddhism",{"id":228,"data":229,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"bd35204b-966d-4936-bcad-b56e7772d172",{"type":56,"reviewType":24,"spacingBehaviour":33,"binaryQuestion":230,"binaryCorrect":232,"binaryIncorrect":234},[231],"In what way was Japanese Neo-Confucianism different to Christianity?",[233],"It valued harmony with nature, not dominion of man",[235],"It valued dominion of man, not harmony with nature",{"id":237,"data":238,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"9c62dc1d-a2d7-48f4-aa79-439205d74a9a",{"type":56,"reviewType":95,"spacingBehaviour":33,"clozeQuestion":239,"clozeWords":241},[240],"In Tokugawa Japan, people believed that kami spirits inhabited the natural world.",[242],"kami",{"id":244,"data":245,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"bc7f8d55-2454-4a24-84fa-75598932134b",{"type":56,"reviewType":246,"spacingBehaviour":33,"matchPairsQuestion":247,"matchPairsPairs":248,"matchPairsShowExamples":6},6,[215],[249,252,255,258],{"left":250,"right":251,"direction":19},"Sakoku","Japanese word for 'closed country'",{"left":253,"right":254,"direction":19},"Dejima","Tiny island for Dutch traders",{"left":256,"right":257,"direction":19},"Rangaku","Japanese word for 'Dutch learning'",{"left":259,"right":260,"direction":19},"Torii","Gate that marks border with spirit world",{"id":262,"data":263,"type":24,"version":24,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":265,"introPage":272,"pages":278},"66b8e47f-c594-4015-95cf-dfeed9716bb1",{"type":24,"title":264},"Decline of Tokugawa Japan",{"id":266,"data":267,"type":19,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":33},"228c0ca7-ab30-4fa5-9fc4-81d48b815d41",{"type":19,"summary":268},[269,270,271],"Tokugawa Japan opened its borders to the world in 1853, after America came knocking with gunboats","The Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown in 1868, leading to a period of rapid modernization","Modern Japan is a blend of Western influence, and traditional Tokugawa culture",{"id":273,"data":274,"type":37,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":33},"e5b6b871-b2ed-41ab-9c68-bfaa1c92c05b",{"type":37,"intro":275},[276,277],"What finally sparked Japan's decision to re-open its borders to the world?","How did the re-opening of Japan's borders impact its traditional culture?",[279,303,337,354],{"id":280,"data":281,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":284},"71cff00d-4225-405a-842d-2aa602cd7c21",{"type":33,"markdownContent":282,"audioMediaId":283},"The ‘closed country’ period of Tokugawa Japan came to a sudden end in 1853, when America sent a fleet of warships and demanded that the country open its borders to foreign trade.\n\nThe Japanese were reluctant, but they eventually agreed after the Americans began to fire their cannons at Japan’s coastal towns. This is sometimes known as ‘gunboat diplomacy’, and it is one of many examples, throughout the early modern period, when gunpowder proved decisive.\n\n![Graph](image://1debb0d2-38f6-4013-8515-9213ad670ab6 \"American ship. Image: Public domain\")\n\nThe Japanese signed a Treaty of Amity and Commerce, which officially opened their borders to the world. This also marked an important moment in American history. Not long before, they had just been a collection of British colonies, but now they were stamping their authority on world affairs.","f0f4d0d1-3da9-4ef2-a2ab-2d7140285d6a",[285,296],{"id":286,"data":287,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"a51b77f3-28b5-423d-be8d-88b11765a974",{"type":56,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":33,"multiChoiceQuestion":288,"multiChoiceCorrect":290,"multiChoiceIncorrect":292,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[289],"In 1853, which country arrived with a fleet of gunboats, and forced Tokugawa Japan to open its borders to the world?",[291],"United States",[293,294,295],"Britain","Spain","Netherlands",{"id":297,"data":298,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"962b843b-9dad-4f92-a79e-22041bfa4127",{"type":56,"reviewType":33,"spacingBehaviour":33,"activeRecallQuestion":299,"activeRecallAnswers":301},[300],"What treaty officially opened Japan's borders to the world?",[302],"Treaty of Amity and Commerce",{"id":304,"data":305,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":308},"6c2cdd9f-7302-4d4c-805a-c04be72603c4",{"type":33,"markdownContent":306,"audioMediaId":307},"In the wake of opening their borders to the world, Japan underwent a major political upheaval. The Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown, and replaced by a government who wanted to rapidly modernize the country.\n\nIn 1868, a new government charter proudly declared that 'knowledge shall be sought throughout the world so as to broaden and strengthen the foundations of imperial rule.' They now actively invited foreign influence, after two centuries trying to avoid it.\n\nIt was not long before people in Japan were wearing Western-style clothing, such as top hats and frocks, instead of traditional robes and kimonos. Tokugawa building styles were also replaced by Western architecture, while steam-powered ships and gunpowder rifles were used to modernize the Japanese army.","bffb7004-7be7-4a38-94cd-18c34076bb12",[309,328],{"id":310,"data":311,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"4fd6831f-02df-4d45-a32d-715ecaadfa0f",{"type":56,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":33,"collapsingSiblings":312,"multiChoiceQuestion":316,"multiChoiceCorrect":318,"multiChoiceIncorrect":320,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6,"orderAxisType":33,"orderQuestion":324,"orderItems":325},[313,314,315],"87b76131-0d5f-454f-901b-830c5db92b17","3424da53-f4c4-4d77-a4d2-2b7d50bcf943","011492c5-4fea-4310-b3bb-ca83fbccef3a",[317],"In what year was Tokugawa regime overthrown?",[319],"1868",[321,322,323],"1736","1857","1912",[70],[326],{"label":327,"reveal":319,"sortOrder":24},"End of Tokugawa Japan",{"id":329,"data":330,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"83d4432d-ceb4-4e47-902f-91170598b846",{"type":56,"reviewType":24,"spacingBehaviour":33,"binaryQuestion":331,"binaryCorrect":333,"binaryIncorrect":335},[332],"Not long after opening its borders, the Tokugawa regime was overthrown and replaced by a new government. What did they declare?",[334],"Japan would seek knowledge throughout the world",[336],"Japan would close its borders again",{"id":338,"data":339,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":342},"ccaeb479-f048-4b52-a110-dc128f845b2a",{"type":33,"markdownContent":340,"audioMediaId":341},"Many people embraced the modernization of Japan, but some people mourned the Tokugawa traditions which had been replaced by Western ideals.\n\nThis feeling of loss is reflected in two famous works from the 1900s: Junichiro Tanizaki’s essay *In Praise Of Shadows*, and Soetsu Yanagi’s book *The Beauty Of Everyday Things*.\n\nBoth works lamented the passing away of old traditions. Tanizaki argued that electric lighting had robbed Japan of the soft, beautiful shadows once cast by candles and sunlight. Yanagi, meanwhile, celebrated the beauty of everyday objects like handmade pottery, which could not be matched by mass-produced items from abroad.","7e9e26e9-475f-4b6e-81ed-f8b77815db79",[343],{"id":344,"data":345,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"26c37e9d-4ef5-4165-bda5-171879485b9a",{"type":56,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":33,"multiChoiceQuestion":346,"multiChoiceCorrect":348,"multiChoiceIncorrect":350,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[347],"In the essay 'In Praise Of Shadows', what did Tanizaki argue had robbed Japan of its natural beauty?",[349],"Electrical lighting",[351,352,353],"Industrial pollution","Gunpowder weapons","Mass production",{"id":355,"data":356,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":359},"dd465864-7fea-43e6-a75e-572173875760",{"type":33,"markdownContent":357,"audioMediaId":358},"When Tokugawa Japan opened its borders to the world, Western influence quickly eroded its culture and way of life. In the decades since, this trend has only continued.\n\nModern Japan is highly Westernized, with a culture influenced by American society, music and television. Even their language has been influenced by the West, with many English words and commercial slogans entering the Japanese vernacular.\n\nBut at the same time, many traditional elements from Tokugawa Japan have managed to survive this process. Traditional artforms, like woodblock prints and haiku poetry, are still celebrated throughout the country. Overall, the modern nation of Japan has struck a balance between Western modernity and Tokugawa-inspired tradition.","fc7bcb7e-caa3-4d67-a6e6-9b1e3555d1ac",[360,377,389],{"id":361,"data":362,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"3fa9d82d-2509-4cb6-b255-9b45d3a3a248",{"type":56,"reviewType":246,"spacingBehaviour":33,"matchPairsQuestion":363,"matchPairsPairs":364,"matchPairsShowExamples":6},[215],[365,368,371,374],{"left":366,"right":367,"direction":19},"Katsushika Hokusai","Painted '36 Views Of Mount Fuji'",{"left":369,"right":370,"direction":19},"Junichiro Tanizaki","Wrote 'In Praise of Shadows'",{"left":372,"right":373,"direction":19},"Soetsu Yanagi","Wrote 'The Beauty Of Everyday Things'",{"left":375,"right":376,"direction":19},"Tosa Mitsuoki","None of these",{"id":378,"data":379,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"70ea5b46-0c73-4a9b-9c19-31fcbdf705a9",{"type":56,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":33,"multiChoiceQuestion":380,"multiChoiceCorrect":382,"multiChoiceIncorrect":386,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":388,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[381],"After opening its borders, how did Japan change?",[383,384,385],"People adopted Western-style clothing","People adopted Western-style architecture","The army adopted steam ships and rifles",[387],"Christianity became the country's main religion",true,{"id":390,"data":391,"type":56,"version":33,"maxContentLevel":19},"7db60fbc-a5c1-4250-ba69-806d88206787",{"type":56,"reviewType":19,"spacingBehaviour":33,"multiChoiceQuestion":392,"multiChoiceCorrect":394,"multiChoiceIncorrect":396,"multiChoiceMultiSelect":6,"multiChoiceRevealAnswerOption":6},[393],"How might you describe the culture of Japan today?",[395],"Hybrid of Western modernity and Tokugawa tradition",[397,398,376],"Predominantly Western modernity","Predominantly Tokugawa tradition",[400,461,591],{"id":22,"data":23,"type":24,"version":24,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":26,"introPage":34,"pages":401},[402,429],{"id":43,"data":44,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"parsed":403},{"data":404,"body":407,"toc":427},{"title":405,"description":406},"","For most parts of the world, the early modern period was a time of exploration, colonization, and cultural exchange. But in early modern Japan, the exact opposite took place.",{"type":408,"children":409},"root",[410,417,422],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":413,"children":414},"element","p",{},[415],{"type":416,"value":406},"text",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":418,"children":419},{},[420],{"type":416,"value":421},"In 1633, the country closed its borders to the outside world, and focused on internal growth. They still interacted, here and there, with foreign traders, but for the most part foreigners were forbidden from entering Japan.",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":423,"children":424},{},[425],{"type":416,"value":426},"For the next two hundred years, Japan developed its own rich and unique culture, including Kabuki theater, woodblock prints, and Haiku poetry. This period was known as Tokugawa Japan, and it was a rare example of a country existing in a state of isolation.",{"title":405,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":428},[],{"id":48,"data":49,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":52,"parsed":430},{"data":431,"body":433,"toc":459},{"title":405,"description":432},"Before the Tokugawa period, 16th century Japan was rocked by civil war. Officially, an emperor was in charge of the country, but he was marginalized and largely ignored. This is often known as the ‘warring states period’.",{"type":408,"children":434},[435,439,444,454],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":436,"children":437},{},[438],{"type":416,"value":432},{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":440,"children":441},{},[442],{"type":416,"value":443},"Then in 1603, a powerful warlord named Tokugawa Ieyasu managed to unite the states. He declared himself shogun – a kind of military dictator – who took control of the country as a whole.",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":445,"children":446},{},[447],{"type":411,"tag":448,"props":449,"children":453},"img",{"alt":450,"src":451,"title":452},"Graph","image://9a16b4b5-1090-4779-84cd-e0027a6e046b","Tokugawa Ieyasu. Image: Public domain",[],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":455,"children":456},{},[457],{"type":416,"value":458},"The emperor still existed, but the role was now purely ceremonial. Tokugawa Ieyasu had complete control. He and his descendants would rule Japan for more than two hundred years, which is why the period is referred to as Tokugawa Japan.",{"title":405,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":460},[],{"id":112,"data":113,"type":24,"version":19,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":115,"introPage":123,"pages":462},[463,485,515,561],{"id":131,"data":132,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":19,"reviews":135,"parsed":464},{"data":465,"body":467,"toc":483},{"title":405,"description":466},"In the 1630s, Tokugawa Ieyasu’s grandson, Tokugawa Iemitsu, took the decision to close Japan’s borders to foreign trade and travel. This policy was known as ‘sakoku’, which translates as ‘closed country’.",{"type":408,"children":468},[469,473,478],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":470,"children":471},{},[472],{"type":416,"value":466},{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":474,"children":475},{},[476],{"type":416,"value":477},"This decision was made because Iemitsu was concerned about the growing influence of European powers. He did not want his country to be Christianized by missionaries, or colonized by the Spanish, as was already happening in other parts of the world.",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":479,"children":480},{},[481],{"type":416,"value":482},"He did not close the borders completely. Dutch traders were still allowed to visit the tiny island of Dejima in Nagasaki harbor. This allowed important books, like Western medical journals, to enter the country. Japan wanted to be independent, but not to fall behind.",{"title":405,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":484},[],{"id":146,"data":147,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":150,"parsed":486},{"data":487,"body":489,"toc":513},{"title":405,"description":488},"Japanese scientists thoroughly studied the European medical books which were allowed to enter the country through Dejima. This was known as ‘rangaku’, or Dutch learning.",{"type":408,"children":490},[491,495,503,508],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":492,"children":493},{},[494],{"type":416,"value":488},{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":496,"children":497},{},[498],{"type":411,"tag":448,"props":499,"children":502},{"alt":450,"src":500,"title":501},"image://753683ac-a282-4dda-b8ae-fd139aac44ab","Rangaku. Image: Public domain",[],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":504,"children":505},{},[506],{"type":416,"value":507},"They also performed their own experiments to corroborate the things they read. For example, when Japanese scientists dissected the bodies of deceased criminals, they were impressed to find that the body matched the Dutch books.",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":509,"children":510},{},[511],{"type":416,"value":512},"As their science advanced, some Japanese people started questioning the social hierarchies that had been part of Japan for centuries: nobles and samurai at the top, and merchants and criminals at the bottom. Dissections showed that everyone was the same on the inside, which meant these hierarchies were surely artificial.",{"title":405,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":514},[],{"id":170,"data":171,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":174,"parsed":516},{"data":517,"body":519,"toc":559},{"title":405,"description":518},"The Tokugawa period also saw many great artistic achievements, as the country developed unique artforms without the influence of foreign nations.",{"type":408,"children":520},[521,525,538,546,551],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":522,"children":523},{},[524],{"type":416,"value":518},{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":526,"children":527},{},[528,530,536],{"type":416,"value":529},"For example, traditional Japanese woodblock prints were able to flourish. Some of the most famous works from this era were Katsushika Hokusai’s ",{"type":411,"tag":531,"props":532,"children":533},"em",{},[534],{"type":416,"value":535},"36 Views Of Mount Fuji",{"type":416,"value":537},". This iconic set of works captured the beauty and majesty of Japan's highest mountain, with each print depicting it from a different angle or season.",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":539,"children":540},{},[541],{"type":411,"tag":448,"props":542,"children":545},{"alt":450,"src":543,"title":544},"image://9d80c39c-5e18-4739-a48f-c9f98dbbe1d8","One of Hokusai's views of Mount Fuji. Image: Public domain",[],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":547,"children":548},{},[549],{"type":416,"value":550},"Other artists took a more subversive approach. He-Gassen (‘Fart Battle’) paintings became especially popular; they showed nobles and samurai producing unflattering farts, which undermined the people at the top of the traditional social pyramid.",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":552,"children":553},{},[554],{"type":411,"tag":448,"props":555,"children":558},{"alt":450,"src":556,"title":557},"image://401100fc-b273-4c47-a3ff-6967455171a7","He-Gassen. Image: Public domain",[],{"title":405,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":560},[],{"id":194,"data":195,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":198,"parsed":562},{"data":563,"body":565,"toc":589},{"title":405,"description":564},"While most of the world in the early modern period was influenced by Christianity or Islam, Japan remained largely untouched by these religions, and instead continued its own traditional spiritual beliefs.",{"type":408,"children":566},[567,571,576,581],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":568,"children":569},{},[570],{"type":416,"value":564},{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":572,"children":573},{},[574],{"type":416,"value":575},"Neo-Confucianism was a dominant philosophy during this time. It valued harmony with nature, and respect for living things; it was at odds with religions like Christianity that placed humans above the natural world.",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":577,"children":578},{},[579],{"type":416,"value":580},"Many people in Japan also believed in kami spirits – small deities which existed as part of the rocks, the animals, the trees. The landscape was littered with torii gates, which were said to mark the border between the human world and the spirit world.",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":582,"children":583},{},[584],{"type":411,"tag":448,"props":585,"children":588},{"alt":450,"src":586,"title":587},"image://5ce6ec8b-5fab-47c5-a937-ec4c8013ae1a","Torii gates. Image Balon Greyjoy, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons",[],{"title":405,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":590},[],{"id":262,"data":263,"type":24,"version":24,"maxContentLevel":19,"summaryPage":265,"introPage":272,"pages":592},[593,623,645,681],{"id":280,"data":281,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":284,"parsed":594},{"data":595,"body":597,"toc":621},{"title":405,"description":596},"The ‘closed country’ period of Tokugawa Japan came to a sudden end in 1853, when America sent a fleet of warships and demanded that the country open its borders to foreign trade.",{"type":408,"children":598},[599,603,608,616],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":600,"children":601},{},[602],{"type":416,"value":596},{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":604,"children":605},{},[606],{"type":416,"value":607},"The Japanese were reluctant, but they eventually agreed after the Americans began to fire their cannons at Japan’s coastal towns. This is sometimes known as ‘gunboat diplomacy’, and it is one of many examples, throughout the early modern period, when gunpowder proved decisive.",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":609,"children":610},{},[611],{"type":411,"tag":448,"props":612,"children":615},{"alt":450,"src":613,"title":614},"image://1debb0d2-38f6-4013-8515-9213ad670ab6","American ship. Image: Public domain",[],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":617,"children":618},{},[619],{"type":416,"value":620},"The Japanese signed a Treaty of Amity and Commerce, which officially opened their borders to the world. This also marked an important moment in American history. Not long before, they had just been a collection of British colonies, but now they were stamping their authority on world affairs.",{"title":405,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":622},[],{"id":304,"data":305,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":308,"parsed":624},{"data":625,"body":627,"toc":643},{"title":405,"description":626},"In the wake of opening their borders to the world, Japan underwent a major political upheaval. The Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown, and replaced by a government who wanted to rapidly modernize the country.",{"type":408,"children":628},[629,633,638],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":630,"children":631},{},[632],{"type":416,"value":626},{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":634,"children":635},{},[636],{"type":416,"value":637},"In 1868, a new government charter proudly declared that 'knowledge shall be sought throughout the world so as to broaden and strengthen the foundations of imperial rule.' They now actively invited foreign influence, after two centuries trying to avoid it.",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":639,"children":640},{},[641],{"type":416,"value":642},"It was not long before people in Japan were wearing Western-style clothing, such as top hats and frocks, instead of traditional robes and kimonos. Tokugawa building styles were also replaced by Western architecture, while steam-powered ships and gunpowder rifles were used to modernize the Japanese army.",{"title":405,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":644},[],{"id":338,"data":339,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":342,"parsed":646},{"data":647,"body":649,"toc":679},{"title":405,"description":648},"Many people embraced the modernization of Japan, but some people mourned the Tokugawa traditions which had been replaced by Western ideals.",{"type":408,"children":650},[651,655,674],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":652,"children":653},{},[654],{"type":416,"value":648},{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":656,"children":657},{},[658,660,665,667,672],{"type":416,"value":659},"This feeling of loss is reflected in two famous works from the 1900s: Junichiro Tanizaki’s essay ",{"type":411,"tag":531,"props":661,"children":662},{},[663],{"type":416,"value":664},"In Praise Of Shadows",{"type":416,"value":666},", and Soetsu Yanagi’s book ",{"type":411,"tag":531,"props":668,"children":669},{},[670],{"type":416,"value":671},"The Beauty Of Everyday Things",{"type":416,"value":673},".",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":675,"children":676},{},[677],{"type":416,"value":678},"Both works lamented the passing away of old traditions. Tanizaki argued that electric lighting had robbed Japan of the soft, beautiful shadows once cast by candles and sunlight. Yanagi, meanwhile, celebrated the beauty of everyday objects like handmade pottery, which could not be matched by mass-produced items from abroad.",{"title":405,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":680},[],{"id":355,"data":356,"type":33,"maxContentLevel":19,"version":24,"reviews":359,"parsed":682},{"data":683,"body":685,"toc":701},{"title":405,"description":684},"When Tokugawa Japan opened its borders to the world, Western influence quickly eroded its culture and way of life. In the decades since, this trend has only continued.",{"type":408,"children":686},[687,691,696],{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":688,"children":689},{},[690],{"type":416,"value":684},{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":692,"children":693},{},[694],{"type":416,"value":695},"Modern Japan is highly Westernized, with a culture influenced by American society, music and television. Even their language has been influenced by the West, with many English words and commercial slogans entering the Japanese vernacular.",{"type":411,"tag":412,"props":697,"children":698},{},[699],{"type":416,"value":700},"But at the same time, many traditional elements from Tokugawa Japan have managed to survive this process. Traditional artforms, like woodblock prints and haiku poetry, are still celebrated throughout the country. Overall, the modern nation of Japan has struck a balance between Western modernity and Tokugawa-inspired tradition.",{"title":405,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":702},[],{"left":4,"top":4,"width":704,"height":704,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":705},24,"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"m9 18l6-6l-6-6\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":704,"height":704,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":707},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M4 5h16M4 12h16M4 19h16\"/>",1778228220806]