Tokugawa Ieyasue By Nobunaga Od The Unification Of Japan

Japanese unification started in the late 16th century by Nobunaga Oda and continued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. When Tokugawa Ieyasu took the power the ‘unified Japan’ was just at the beginning, therefore, as the great strategist who was, his first aim was to centralise and increase power of the shogunate in order to facilitate Tokugawa control throughout the country while at the same time eliminate any potential threat. This obsession with order can be seen in any aspect of Tokugawa shogunate and therefore, besides society and politics, in foreign trades. However, the first century of Tokugawa period was not marked by isolation. In fact, after Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s death and as Tokugawa Ieyasu took the power, he managed to re-establish friendly

Beginning with the creation of the Sakoku edict of 1635 Japanese people were no longer able to travel abroad or return from abroad and the violation of this was condemned with death. Successively, Spanish and Portuguese were banned from coming to Japan, Christianity was subjected to a merciless persecution with the aim of eradicate the religion completely from Japan and, even though maintain relations with the Dutch, the freedom regarding trading was limited by the confinement of the latter mentioned to the artificial isle of Dejima. Trying to give an explanation of this change, the purpose of this essay is to show the main aim of the creation of the Closed Country edicts and policy and consequently the closure of Japan from the outside world and that behind the creation of the Sakoku edict of the mid-1630s there was no impulsive and xenophobic intent, but contrarily, a deeply reflected plan to consolidate their own power and prestige. In addition to this, it is really important to specify that the Sakoku edict was not created in its entirety from the beginning, but depending on the situation specific decrees were added.

“The sending of Japanese ships to foreign countries is strictly forbidden”

2. “The travel of Japanese people to foreign countries is forbidden. If a person secretly travel abroad, that person will be punished with death, and the ships along with their captains [owners] must be detained while the incident is reported to the authorities”

3. “Japanese who return after having crossed over to and lived in foreign countries will be punished by death” it is understandable that the pre-created system of shuinjō came to an end. The main reason of it was to exercise shogunate authority over foreign relations reducing the power of regional daimyo. In fact, the most powerful daimyo that could represent a threat to the Bakufu were the ones settled in western domains in Kyūshū, where also the major trading occurred. This uncertainty over the loyalty of these daimyo was present since Hideyoshi was in power and that, is also the main reason because he placed the strategic city of Nagasaki under the direct control of the shogunate. Another reason of the end of traveling outside Japan was to control illicit movement that could have occurred during trades. Cases of violation on the ban on Christianity, like entering priests hidden inside Japanese vessels in Japan, were