History of Modern Japan
Time Periods
| Dates | Period name |
|---|---|
| 1603 ~ 1868 | Edo period |
| 1868 ~ 1912 | Meiji |
| 1912 ~ 1926 | Taisho |
| 1926 ~ 1989 | Showa |
| 1989 ~ 2019 | Heisei |
| 2019 ~ present | Reiwa |
Edo Period
Class Structure
- Samurai
- Peasants
- Artisans
- Merchants
Key Points
- Tokugawa Shogunate, 15 people that hold the most power in the enitre Japan
- Daimyo (samurai), like mayor's in modern days to govern many areas in Japan
- Alternate attendance system (sankin-kōtai) to hold hostage of Daimyos' families and make them spend a lot of money, so they can't rebel against the Shoguns
- An American named Perry visited Japan in 1853 to restock his ships
- Meiji restoration means the restoring of the power of the emperor
- Christianity was banned during the Edo period
- The merchants became wealthy because Daimyos spent money to buy goods from the merchants during the process of sankin-kōtai
- Merchants wish to end the class structure because they are the lowest class (internal pressure that leaded to the Meiji restoration)
- Charter Oath: Remove rigid class structures, samurais can't have swords anymore