Vocabulary
the term for Japan’s feudal military government before 1868
Tokugawa Shogunate
This term describes a sudden, illegal seizure of power.
a coup
Small island where Dutch traders had limited contact with Japan.
Deshima
The Meiji government abolished this class system feature to promote mobility.
hereditary status
This 1854 agreement opened two Japanese ports and allowed aid for shipwrecks.
Treaty of Kanagawa
Series of treaties that forced Japan to open its ports.
the Opening of Japan
This powerful Asian country lost a war to Britain and was forced to sign an unfair treaty in 1842.
China
This period marked Japan’s transition to a modern, centralized government.
Meiji Restoration
Feudal military government headed by the shogun.
the Bakufu
This daimyo opposed opening Japan to the West.
Tokugawa Nariaki
This former elite warrior class lost their special privileges during the Meiji Era.
samurai
The Ainu are considered descendants of this ancient people.
the Jomon
China’s defeat in 1842 taught Japan about this danger.
the power of Western imperialism and the cost of isolation
After China lost to Britain, they had to allow British people to follow their own laws and trade freely in Chinese ports.
Treaty of Nanking
These trade agreements favored Western powers and humiliated Japan.
unequal treaties
The ability of a nation to govern itself.
sovereignty
He supported limited cooperation with the West for strategic reasons.
Ii Naosuke
Japan adopted this kind of political structure inspired by the West.
a centralized government with a constitution and parliament
The Ainu’s treatment under Meiji rule was similar to this Canadian group.
The First Nations
This American commodore demanded ports be opened in 1853.
Commodore Perry
Japan realized they needed to open up to the West after seeing this happen to China.
being forced to sign an unequal treaty
This treaty with the U.S. opened Japan to more extensive trade and Western influence.
Harris treaty
To absorb a cultural group into the dominant culture.
assimilate
He promoted Western technology while preserving Japanese morals
Sakuma Shozan
This document helped reestablish the emperor’s central authority.
charter oath
This country tried to trade with the Ainu and was eventually expelled.
Russia
Japan’s internal debates and fear of colonization ultimately led to this transformation.
Meiji Restoration
This Dutch king warned Japan in 1844 to open up peacefully before the West forced them to.
King Willem II
Document issued by Emperor Meiji outlining modernization principles.
Title of the Russian monarch.
czar
He advocated for military expansion and conflict to assert Japan’s strength.
Yoshida Shoin
This Diplomatic trip abroad to study Western nations was called the...
Iwakura Mission
This European nation maintained limited trade through Deshima.
Dutch
In 1992, the Ainu were officially recognized as this by the UN.
Indigenous People of Japan
Japan at first ignored warnings about the West but changed its mind after this started showing up in its harbors.
foreign ships