A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower (42 page)

BOOK: A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower
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Table 3.2
   Key values and practices in the Tokugawa period


widespread orthodoxy and conformism


widespread obedience – at least in form – to authority, and an idea of ‘freedom within limits’


continued distinction between formal authority and actual power, and by extension between outer form and inner substance


continued preference for equating ‘wrong’ with disruption and disobedience rather than evil


‘morally relaxed’ attitude towards sexuality


collective responsibility and accountability, enforced by vigilance and harsh punishment


cautiousness towards strangers, with strong in-group / out-group consciousness


economic astuteness, even among many peasant families


sense of materialism among many non-samurai


continuing view that life is relatively cheap


high regard for education


revival of Japanised Confucianism


idealisation of the way of the samurai


a strengthening sense of nationalism, with an especially strong distinction between Japan and the rest of the world


eventual sense of humiliation by western powers

Certain other points help explain earlier paradoxes. For example, the harsh enforcement of collective accountability helped suppress the expression of obvious self-interest. This suggests the earlier medieval paradox of blatant self-interest despite legal norms of collective responsibility was due to the failure of authorities in those days to enforce the law with sufficient vigour.

P
ART
F
OUR

B
UILDING A
M
ODERN
N
ATION:
T
HE
M
EIJI
P
ERIOD
(1868–1912)

 

4.1   Consolidating the Restoration

 

The ‘restored’ Emperor Mutsuhito, at 15 years of age, was hardly likely to proceed without guidance in his ‘enlightened rule’. Not surprisingly, his advisers were the samurai leaders who had supported his cause. These were mostly from Satsuma and Ch
sh
, with a few from other domains such as Tosa (in Shikoku) and Hizen (in Ky
sh
). There were also a few court nobles such as Iwakura Tomomi among the group of advisers, mostly to add legitimacy to what was in effect the new government.

From Satsuma came
kubo Toshimichi (1830–78), Saig
Takamori (1827–77), and Matsukata Masayoshi (1835–1924). From Ch
sh
came Kido K
in (1833–77), Inoue Kaoru (1835–1915), It
Hirobumi (1841–1909), and Yamagata Aritomo (1838–1922). They were all young, most in their early thirties. Most of them were also originally of fairly low rank within the samurai class.

It
Hirobumi, who was to become the dominant figure in Meiji, represented a classic ‘pauper to prince’ story. Born into a poor farmer’s family, in his early teens he was adopted (along with his father) into the family of a low-ranking samurai. For his subsequent exploits, which included the burning down of the British Legation, he was made a samurai in his own right in 1863. During Meiji he was to become prime minister on four occasions, and eventually obtained the title of ‘prince’.

BOOK: A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower
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