Session 6 - April 21

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Register for the discussion session on Zoom here: https://usc.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYldO2trzouGdGuk6d_qVoLuRgh88uEU9Zh

Speaker: Professor Morgan Pitelka from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Video #1: Rise of the Warriors: From Classical to Medievil Japan

 

 

Video #2: From War to Peace: The Age of Waring States (1467-1568) and the Tokugawa Settlement (1603)

 

 

Required Readings:

• The Way of the Warrior, Multiple authors
• Warriors, Warlords, and Domains, Eason
• Gender Relations in the Age of Violence, Tonomura

 

[Todd Rutley]

In case anyone wants to learn more about his interests and publications: 

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001HP6MNQ?_encoding=UTF8&node=283155&offset=0&pageSize=12&searchAlias=stripbooks&sort=author-sidecar-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader

Select Publications

• Spectacular Accumulation: Material Culture, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Samurai Sociability. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai’i Press, 2016. Winner, 2016 Book Prize, Southeastern Conference of the Association of Asian Studies.
• Kyoto Visual Culture in the Early Edo and Meiji Periods: The Arts of Reinvention. Co-edited with Alice Tseng. New York: Routledge, 2016.
• What’s the Use of Art? Asian Visual and Material Culture in Context. Co-edited with Jan Mrazek. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai’i Press, 2007.
• Handmade Culture: Raku Potters, Patrons, and Tea Practitioners in Japan. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai’i Press, 2005.
• Japanese Tea Culture: Art, History, and Practice. Editor. London and New York: Routledge, 2003; paperback edition, 2007.

Courses Taught 

• ASIA 63: First-Year Seminar: Japanese Tea Culture
• JAPN 231: Ancient and Medieval Japanese History and Culture
• JAPN 246: Early Modern Japanese History and Culture
• JAPN 363: Samurai, Monks, and Pirates: History and Historiography of Japan’s Long Sixteenth Century
• JAPN 451: Swords, Tea Bowls, and Woodblock Prints: Exploring Japanese Material Culture
• HIST 890: Material Culture and Material histories

https://history.unc.edu/faculty-members/morgan-pitelka/

This is his Amazon bio.  About Morgan Pitelka.  I am a historian of premodern Japan. I teach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  My research focuses on the history and material culture of the long sixteenth century (or what is often called the shift from medieval to early modern) in Japan. I am particularly interested in the history of the samurai, the history of tea culture, the history of ceramics, and the methodology of material culture studies.

 

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[Todd Rutley]

This note was inspired by Professor Morgan Pitelka’s video #2 on the Tokugawa Shogunate, especially the discussion of trade restrictions and Dejima Island in Nagasaki. This discussion made me see the similarities with the Qing Dynasty experience practicing a policy of isolation.

This note compares the causes and consequences of isolationism in each country.

Introduction/Context

European explorers began to enter SE Asia by ship after the 1500s, likely looking for the sources of riches that had travelled on the Silk Roads to Europe.  In 1521, Spain claimed The Philippines.  In 1557, Portugal obtained a lease on Macau that later became a territory (1887) before Macau was returned to China in1999.

The 17^th – 19^th centuries found both Japan and China in conservative eras that favored stability over innovation, and isolation rather than exploration and expansion. Both Asian countries thought that Western cultural influences were dangerous, especially religious influences.  As a result of their concerns, both Japan (in 1635) and China (in 1757) attempted to limited Western access to their respective countries. While both countries sought to block Western influence, the results and reactions were different.  

The Tokugawa Shogunate Opposition to Foreign Influences

Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the Shogunate that bore his name.  He remained as shogun only 2-3 years before abdicating and putting his son in power.  The Tokugawa Shogunate ruled from 1603–1867.

The early Tokugawa leaders were aware of an increasing foreign influence as Asian neighbors and Western countries were interested in trading with Japan.  The Spanish and Portuguese traders had been active in the prior century and in the 17^th century there was increased interest by missionaries seeking to save souls and convert the heathen. These actions raised concerns about foreign influences and the risk of social disorder.

In 1635, Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of the founder, issued an edict that effectively closed Japan to foreigners with few exceptions.  Contact with Europeans after 1635 was limited to the Dutch who were permitted to trade at the port of Dejima inside the Nagasaki harbor.  The period of isolation lasted about 220 years until 1854.    

Japan’s isolationism was forcibly ended by the American Navy under Commodore Matthew C. Perry. Perry used the threat of military attack to force Japan to sign the Treaty of Kanagawa (March 31, 1854) and open up to the West. This was the same “gunboat diplomacy” used by the US and other Western powers in China during the Opium Wars.

Japan’s opening up after the 1854 Treaty of Kanagawa led quickly to the 1868 Meiji restoration and Japan’s adoption of Western style imperialism.  This period from 1868-1945 saw Japan adopt the methods of Western military aggression and apply these to its neighbors in Korea, Formosa, Manchuria and China.

In summary, Japan under Tokugawa rule succeeded in blocking the West’s influence for over 200 years. After being forced to open, it rapidly began to emulate the practices that made the West wealthy and powerful. This intentional and deliberate modernization process allowed Japan to quickly catch up to the West in scientific, industrial and military techniques. 

The Qing Dynasty Opposition to Foreign Influences

Qing Dynasty China (1644-1911) was politically isolationist. It did not want its society corrupted by foreign influences. To limit foreign influences, and to keep those influences far from the Beijing capital, the Qing Dynasty implemented the “Canton System” (1757–1842) that allowed international trade to take place only through the Canton port under Chinese regulation.

China’s isolationism lasted about 85 years before it was ended by the first Opium War (1839-42).  China’s isolation was ended by the British Navy which attacked China starting in 1839.  To conclude the first Opium war China was forced to sign the Treaty of Nanjing (August 29, 1842) and open up to the West. This was the first of many unequal treaties signed between the Qing Dynasty and the West.

China tried to block the West in 1839 and this led to Britain starting the Opium Wars. This resulted in China being forced to open up to many Western powers. It was not until after 1945 that foreign force was removed from Chinese soil.

In China, the opening up after the 1842 Treaty of Nanjing lead to increased foreign influence and continued Chinese weakness.  Although there were many reactions to foreign influence over the next 70 years (Taiping, self-strengthening, Boxer rebellion, May 4th movement), it was not until 1949 that China was able to stand up and reject Western imperialism. 

Post-1949, China reentered a period of self-imposed isolation and severely limited international contact.  This period did not end until the post-Mao reform period of the late 1970s.

Conclusions

Both Japan and China tried to limit Western cultural influences which they believed posed risks to the stability of their societies. They were both right! Opening up to Western imperialists led to considerable upheaval in both countries.   

Both Japan and China tried to limit international trade to one physical location to limit the presence and influence of foreigners. China chose Canton on the south coast, far away from the northern capitol in Beijing. Tokugawa Japan chose Dejima Island in the Nagasaki harbor on the west coast of Kyushu, far away from the important cities of Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo) located on the main island of Honshu.

All attempts at self-isolation failed.  What lessons can we draw from this?

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[Todd Rutley]

This note reviews the causes and consequences of isolationism in Korea.

Introduction/Context

Korea is located in the center of East Asia (see map attached) between China and Japan. This peninsula nation’s location explains why Korea has experienced many invasions by land and sea in the last 2000 years. 

The Korean isolation policy was adopted in 1865 in response to perceived foreign threats. The Korean policy was adopted about 108 years after the Qing Dynasty adopted the “Canton System” in 1757 designed to limit foreign barbarian contacts with the Middle Kingdom. The Korean policy was adopted 230 years after a similar policy was adopted in Japan by Tokugawa Iemitsu (1635).

The fact that the three major powers in Asia all adopted a policy of isolation raises questions about the similarities between the causes and the effects of this policy.

For example, was the common threat that of Western influence or was it other influences? Were the foreign threats cultural, religious, or military? All of the above? Were other powers seeking “tributary style” symbolic relationships, formal military alliances, religious influence, more merchandise trade, or territorial annexation?

...continued in PDF

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[Sarah Evert]

The social history and the ways marriage and adoption worked is really interesting. The writings depicting how it could be heartbreaking to be a wife/concubine that was no longer favored was particularly interesting. Also the shock at the Priest witnessing homosexuality among warrior classes without shame attached is an excellent lesson regarding how societies have viewed sexuality differently and more fluidly. The common people have the least recorded information which is a shame because that can give us the most practical and accurate history of what life was like for most people, not just the elite. Was monogamy typical among the common people, or was there polygamy in those populations as well? 

[Martha Pao]

War is always ugly.  But the accounts we have from Japan during the Warring Period paint a heroic picture, filled with stories of honor, benevolence and courage and an oracle to boot! The Heike monogatari and others, disseminated largely by traveling storytellers, presumably in the oral tradition and embellished over many recountings, is reminiscent of epic tales of the west.  Think of the poetry of the moment with your opponent declaring: ‘Though I think you are an unworthy enemy, for the charm of your words I will give you an arrow; have it! And make it an honor in this life or a remembrance in the next!’ And then you die…

As of right now, I don’t have any good way to incorporate it to a lesson, but it’s beautiful.

[Martha Pao]

In “Gender Relations in the Age of Violence” one could substitute “age of violence” for “age of increasing poverty”.  So, in times of diminishing resources, be it because of war, natural disasters or population shifts, among others, one group will attempt to repress another, in the misguided hope that more jobs will be available if fewer people are competing.  Since this happens repeatedly throughout history, it would be easy to compare two such events in different cultures/historic times and explore consequences over time.

The one thing that I found surprising in this reading was that adoption and having blood heirs was an equally acceptable way to continue one’s family line.  I wonder if this attitude might still be reflected to this day in the way Japanese people see the family name and I wonder what implications it might have.

[Morgan Burt]

Thank you Professor Pitelka for your insights. In the second lecture, I appreciated the conversation on the "Three Unifiers" and the journey to reunite Japan. The Tokugawa period seemed to be the most influential in the structural changes in Japan. The government system established seemed to be structured similar to the US government, with a separation of powers. Moving forward in the Tokugawa period, the establishment of large cities or domain capitals seemed to be an effective way to create a more unified Japan and also serve as protection around the island. Unification seems to be the case due to the lengthy parades and meetings at the capital of Edo. Finally, the establishment of Dejima Island was another form of protection, from outside influence and colonization. The structure and relationship between the Netherlands and Japan was fascinating. Overall, I enjoyed both lectures, and look forward to hearing more tomorrow in our meeting. 

[Tara Corral]

Just a general reflection based on the second video. What I found caught my attention the most was the retelling of the "Three Unifers." It was interesting to see how each individual learned from the past and seemed to make the necessary changes so as not to allow Japan to fall into a state of disarray.  Oda Nobunaga was the first individual of the three unifiers, but he also seemed to be the most ruthless just based on the video. He was betrayed by one of his own men which I imagine is due to some of his ruthlessness but it's toyotami hideyoshi who avenges his death but dies of old age leaving his younger son unable to rule. The last individual Tokugawa Ieyasu who learns from the previous two and retires at a young age so he can manage from behind the scenes with his son already positioned as a leader. Now whatever you might say I think thats really smart to begin thinking not just about your glory at that moment but how to continue ruling or peace in the future. 

I do have a thought though about Japan's later rules to not allow its own people outside of the country. I am not sure if I missed it but what was the purpose of locking down the culture, was it to keep their country safe and their culture. But what was the problem with sending its own people out, would that not broaden Japans reaches around the world? 

[Richard Cate]

There is an oddity to war. To be in it it is indeed ugly, the things you see, the fear that most control but is ever present. The sights, sounds, smells never leave you and the men you kill never leave your dreams. If you are lucky then over the years the people in your nightmares become commrads, even friends. No one (talking about line soldiers) is left unchanged, the person who left home never returns.

And yet, the shared crucible creats a bond beyond man and wife or sibling, often even parent and child. That bond is compelling, it will never be achieved in civilian life and so it forms a special place in your soul. When old soldiers get together after many years have passed they embrace, they cry the feel the bond just as strongly, without the fear anymore, even the enemy you fought so hard is a brother because of the shared experience.

There is the fact that Man is never more dedicated to a single cause. Never overcomes such hurdles or is more inventive than when we are at war. It is the one thing humans do really well. Then we have a hundred thousand years of experience as Homo Saoiens, Sapiens (Man, Thinking, Thinking)

Then there is the glory, time turns the horror of being covered in the blood of what is left of your best buddy to be a badge of honor to have done your duty to "god and country" but more importantly to each other. A soldier fights for his buddys; to not let them down and to do extrodinary things that no rational person would do, just to not let them down. Look into the eyes of one who has been there on whichever battlefield we have ever spilt blood for, they have a special look. Part of it is to have been there, to have done what was done and to have survived. It is a feeling od accomplishlement and pride as the reality of those moments are filtered by the years. If you want to get a sense of it watch the movie, "We were soldiers." It gets it mostly right.

[Richard Cate]

Many years ago when researching Japan for my lessons I came across a for of the Haiku that reflected the mental aspect of Zen warrior training. The "No Minds" philosophy. It was used in the Tokugawa period, but does not appear to be widespread, perhaps it was a lesson from a Zen Master. It is most challenging. The  goal is to seek perfection while knowing that you will likely never acheive it, It is the goal of a lifetime not of the moment. I try to teach my students that it is less important to succeed than to to keep working to perfect what you do. What is more important the journey or the destination. Which enriches your life and thouse around you more.

You may like to try my "Tokugawa Era Haiku" assignment:

A).  The Haiku format is 3 lines totalling 17 syllables,

Line 1: 5 syllables

Line 2: 7 syllables

Line 3: 5 syllables

It does not mean 6 syllables in one of the lines, it is a strict format guideline.

B).  It MUST be about nature...Humans and their creations are NOT considered nature!

C).  It must be POSITIVE. No negatives, no death, blood etc. (You can write about a butterfly but you cant squish it)

D).  It is a FROZEN MOMENT IN TIME, a photo painted with descriptive words. NO MOTION it is a single image.

E).  It is in the present, right now

F).  It does not need to be in proper English, in fact it is better to not be. you do not need to use connecting words ( Aszure Butterfly is just fine.

G).  The picture you paint cannot use emotional words, like love. However it needs to evoke a positive, calming emotional response in the reader.

H). NO ACTION WORDS may be used or implied--no movement of any kind, it is a frozen image. Also No evaluative words, such as pretty, as they mean something different to each reader. Be precise in your description of the frozen image you see in your mind so that you can convey it exactly into the mind of each of your readers.

Stay small, Zen art looks at a small piece of a thing to develop understanding of the whole thing. A single pair of bamboo leaves open the understanding of the entire bamboo forrest. Think of your Haiku, your frozen image as the first step on a journey of discovery  Each of us will take a different path  as events and our personal natures dictate in our quest for understanding, of oneness. But, as with the circle of life we all start with that first step. Your image, your Haiku is that first step. Do not be discouraged if the first attempt does not do that you have a lifetime to revise and perfect it.

I teach this to my magnet kids but My AVID and resident school kids also do it and can come up with some remarkable work. The drawback is it takes a lot of concentrating to grade it, comment and suggest and regrade the revissions. I have one student who is still working on his 3 months later.

[Sean Lobberecht]

I found the conversation of the three unifiers (Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu) very interesting due to the fact that I had only ever heard of Ieyasu. In the context that I have learned about Japanese history, Ieyasu was the great leader that unified the warring factions of Japan. In actuality it was the work of all three men that led to the unification of Japan. What I found most interesting is how Ieyasu was able to learn from the mistakes of his predecessors in order to hold power and ultimately launch a dynasty that would last for 15 generations. I do not think the leaving out and combination of historical figures is a phenomenom isolated to Japan,it happens all over the history curriculum. 

I think an interesting way to engage students in the learning of the three unifiers would be to hold a debate where students must argue for which leader they think was most influential in the unifying of Japan. You could make this a two day activity where you do a centers activity on day one, introducing the students to all three figures, their accomplishments, and their downfalls. On the second day you could set up a debate where students are assigned a leader. they must argue for why their leader is most important. After an initial round of opening statements you could give groups time to formulate questions to ask the other groups. After a round of questioning students could have a few minutes to craft closing statements. Then the class decides via a vote on which was most important. 

I really enjoy bringing debate to my class room as I think it helps students become better at not only public speaking but being able to craft arguments and explain conclusions which I believe translates into their writing. I have been attending workshops this year offered by Boston Debate League. the workshops are free and an excellent resource for anyone wishing to bring debate to their class rooms.

[Sean Lobberecht]

I have been aware through previous studies of the period of Japanese isolationism and think this period could be taught in many curriculums. I think this period lends itself well to a plethora of essential questions that one could use to guide learningin their class rooms. "Why did Japan decide to Isolate themselves from most of the world for nearly 200 years?" "What benefits, if any did Japan enjoy by isolating themselves form the rest of the world for nearly 200 years?" "What did Japan tend to lose from their period of isolationism?" Essential questions like these could lead to conversations about technology, geopolitical politics, Japan's politics, and much much more. One immediate take away I have from this seminar is that you can not really seperate the histories of different places like curriculums tend to do. Understanding this period of Japaneese history can not be done without understanding the history of Asia and the world at this time. You can not gain a great understanding of why Japan did this without understanding the outside influences that played a role in this decision. I found it exceptionally fascinating that the only contact they had with anyone outside of Asia was the Dutch because they just wanted to trade. 

I think an interesting activity to complete with students would be to compare the advancements of the rest of the world at this time compared to Japan. What new technologies did Japan miss out on? What new forms of government had taken hold? How had the rights of everyday people been advanced? How did Japan stay hip to the times through their limited interactions with Korea, China, and the Dutch?There is really a lot to dig into here.

this would also be an interesting time to study with students in a class that focuses on government and politics. there are many other examples from history where nations have practiced isolationism, the United states after world war 1 is a prime example. An in depth study of the different episodes of national isolationism might render some interesting conclusions and takeaways for students.

 

[Sean Lobberecht]

The study of the Tokugawa is very interesting to me, especially the similarities that can be drawn between this government and more modern governments in its structure. I found the comparison of how states were moderated under the Tokugawa regime and the structure of the state and federal government in modern United States politics very interesting. I think a lot of times people have this preconcieved notion that the United States did something never seen before with the passing of the Constitution but this is not the case. Although major differences can be seen in the rights of the people between japan and the United States the structure of the actual government seems to be pretty similar. How the Tokugawa dynasty retained control by worrying about major threats to their power and not caring about small details of day to day governance is impressive. It seems throughout history few leaders possess the ability to not want to wield absolute power over their subordinates and this tends to be the route of their demise. By allowing individual states to govern on most issues how they pleased allowed for the Tokugawa to retain control.

While their can be similarities drawn between governments like the United States and the Tokugawa regime, they did have several other tricks up their sleeves for retaining power. Their policy of holding warlord leaders' kin captive, putting competing warlords farther away from the center of power, and requiring warlords to spend half the year in Edo really helped them preserve the power that they had gained. this is obviously much different than the United States government but the comparison is intriguing none the less. 

[Sean Lobberecht]

The Kenmon Taisei or the balance of power between the Buddhist faction, the Imperial Court, and the Shogunate is a fascinating dimension of Japanese politics. I feel this topic could be explored in multiple ways depending upon which grade level one is teaching. I think an interesting activity for 7th graders (the grade I teach) would be to simulate a mock meeting of government where students play the roles of the different factions. Each group could have different abilities and there could be different checks on each factions power. I think this could be a few day event where every day in class we look at a different historical event fro Japanese history and students rotate playing the role of a different faction. I think this could give students great insight into not only the different factions but force them to tackle japanese history from different angles. I think this activity would also give students an excellent insight into how governments were run in the past. Very rare do we have an absolut ruler who wields power unconditionally. Giving students the opportunity to see how entangled politics are I think will make them enjoy the subject more as they get to play out the historical events as if they were living them.

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