History Accounts

2-1. Edo Japan


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Any discussion of the Meiji Restoration in Japan would be incomplete without a discussion of the Era that preceded it.

The Edo Era (or Tokugawa Shogunate) began after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.  The first half of the Shogunate was a prosperous and peaceful time in Japan.  It was ruled by a Shogun (the Emperor was only a nominal political leader) and locally by Samurais.  It followed a complex feudal system and strict social class hierarchy.  As Japan prospered cracks began to appear in the class hierarchy and the feudal system.

Japan was largely isolated from the rest of the world until the early to mid-19th century.  From this Era we are all familiar with iconic Japanese institutions such as Geisha, Kabuki, Haiku, and to some extent Sumo.  

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History AccountsBy 大牛

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