Geography:

Archipelago- chain of Island 4,000, 4

main islands
Mountains
Steppe Farming due to limited land
12% arable

Lack of Navigable Rivers

-Located on Rim of Fire (Volcano
activity common)

How does geography influence

Japan?

lack of resources **
Disasters -> typhoons, volcanoes
dense population
Isolation from foreign world ***
Mongols tried to invade but never
could---> Magical Winds

Isolation

Throughout Japanese
history, Japan had
stayed isolated from
foreigners
Just like China

Japan vs. China

Japan is similar to what culture?

Why?
-

cultural diffusion from China

examples: Character writing (Kana), Confucianism, Zen
Buddhism
cooking, gardening,

Early History
Small clans
Early Rulers: Yamato never very strong but
never overthrown
During middle ages, landowners became very
powerful and Japan settled into its own feudal type
system
Rice Tax

Nobles (Diamyos)rise in power

Tokugawa Shogun
Military leader of Japan
during the Middle Ages
-Used to be a temporary
title but now became a
permanent title

Emperor power declines

(figure head)

Tokugawa= Isolate!

Shogun makes
decision to keep
Japan isolated from
invaders!

Bushido
Bushido
Japanese Samurai code of warrior
**Similar to European Knights
code of Chivalry

Harakiri (seppuku)

A vulgar term meaning to slice the abdomen, which refers to a

ritualized form of suicide carried out by Japanese samurai
beginning in the Tokugawa period. More properly called
seppuku, it involved making two small cross-wise slices across
the gut while in a kneeling position, after which a second would
behead the samurai with a sword. In practice, the first step was
rarely carried out.

End of Isolation- Perry visits

Japan
During the 19th Century, The West wanted to begin
trading with China and Japan

Japan had refused as did China but in 1853, they

had persuasion
1853: US Commodore Matthew Perry brings fleet to
Japan with a letter from the US presidents asking
Japan to open up its ports- claims he will come
back with a bigger fleet if demands are not met

1854 Treaty of Kanagawa

two ports open to US

By 1860, Japan opened ports to others.

How would the Japanese feel

about being forced to do this?
-upset at shogun
-realized they were weak and Tokugawa
Shogun realized time was over
-Japan looks to new emperor Mutsuhito for
pride and nationalism
-Chose name Meji which means
enlightened ruler
oif you cant beat the west, be the west

Russells Rule
Meiji =
Modernization/
Industrialization

Made Japan a modern economic and World power by creating

industry

Modernized Japan

Schools modeled after US

Army of Germany
Navy of Britain
Germanys government
Industrialize like west 1870- 1914
Build factories
Build railroads

Conclusion
With modernization came
more money and more
POWER

Japan by 1894- felt equal

with West wanted to show
their power to the world

Began to follow Western

footsteps of imperialism

What is imperialism?
taking over a territory of a
weaker nation by a stronger
nation ( Bully effect) and
use them for resources

Sino- Japanese War 1876

Japan vs. China
oLike western countries, Japan forced
Korea to open up ports but China
protested both agreed not to fight but
China sent in troops and Japan responded
and defeated China easily
Got control of Taiwan and other
islands

 This left Russia realizing Japan was a major

power in Asia and challenged their
supremacy

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905

Both wanted control of Manchuria
Japan offered to recognize Russian rights in
Manchuria if Russia stayed out of Korea
O They did not and war started
O Japan wins and US negotiated treaty between
both countries
Japan gains complete control of Korea
Annexation of Korea

WWI- Japan fought with Allies

(US, Russia, Great Britain and
France)
1914-1918
Win war but get nothing for help in winning
war
Disappointed and relationship with West
declines

1918-1938

-Japan continues to imperialize in order to

obtain more resources and power. They had faced
major depression during the 1920s due to a major
earthquake and depression in West

REMEMBER Japan needs resources and is not a

self sufficient country based on geography

WWII
During WWII
Japan aligns with
axis powers of
Germany and Italy.
They share betrayal
of others. Japan
and Italy were left
out of WWI treaty

December 7th, 1941

Pearl Harbor Attack
Why did they do this?
Japan wanted dominance in Pacific and only
powerful nation with any interest in Pacific Ocean. They
figured if they took out harbors in Pear Harbor which
contained submarines, carriers, and destroyers, US would
not be able to help other nations in Pacific because it would
be too far away
o Successful attack except for one thing: Japan did not count on
Air-craft carriers not being at Pearl Harbor
These would later allow US to attack Japan (island hopping)
and eventually drop the A-bomb

Results
A-bomb dropped on Nagasaki and
Hiroshima and Japan is rebuilt by US
Emperor is no longer seen as divine
Creation of a Mixed Economy like US
-Rebuilt into Economic power of technology