Japan (Edo or Tokogawa Period)
Longevity
1615-1867. 252 years,[1] although there is some debate as to when the period started and when it ended.
Economy
There was a change in agriculture during the Tokogawa period. At the beginning of the 17th century, farmers grew crops mainly for family consumption. Gold and silver coins were mainly used, but there was also some paper money in circulation. Inflation accelerated toward the end of the Edo period (especially after international trade was resumed).[2]
Size
377,682 sq. km approximately.
Military Power
The Tokogawa period was an extremely insular period in which the government did not interact with other countries in any campacity so it is difficult to guess their relative strength. However, every daimyo (roughly translated, a major land owner or feudal lord) had at least some samurai under their control, so they had a means of defending themselves. Samurai’s had certain rights, including the right to kill any peasant who behaved insolently towards them. Toward the end of the Tokogawan period, there were 1.8 million of them.[3]
Technology
The Tokogawa Period was a time of steady improvement in the technology that was available,[4] as well as a time of steady urbanisation throughout Japan. For example, Edo was a small fishing village before Tokogawa Ieyasu started his government there. The fishing village grew into a major city. It still the current capital but renamed Tokyo.
Leadership (Score:54)
The government was established by force after a long war with other daimyos. Tokogawa Ieyasu took the title of Sei-i taishogun, or Commander in chief of the pacification of Savages, from an emperor powerless to deny it. This essentially meant that he and his descendants ruled the nation of Japan for the best part of the next three hundred years.[5] There were fifteen shoguns in all.[6]
The leadership of this country ‘resulted in a degree of power unprecedented in history of Japan’,[7] and this can be shown by how isolated the country became. The ports were closed to most foreign traders, which also might be somewhat due to the fear Tokogawa had of Christian invasion at the beginning of his reign.[8] This seclusion was ended in 1853 when an American Commadore arrived on the shores with four warships and demanded to speak to the leaders.[9]
Population 27.2 million (Score: Compare to others)
In Japan, census first started being taken from around 1568 by Oda Nobunaga and the policy was continued by Hideyoshi, until 1591 when Japan became united under Hideyoshi and census taking became law, mainly for political reasons.[10]
In reports taken to the Shogun, the population in 1726 was shown to be 26.5 million and in 1850, the reports show the population had increased to only 27.2 million. There were regional fluctuations between regions in this time, due to food shortages or natural disasters that happen but there was a definite increase in population when more and more peasants moved to the new urban cities that the Tokagawa period was producing.[11]
[1] Glenn T. Trewartha, Japan A Physical, Cultural and Regional Geography, (Methuen Ltd: London, 1965),
[2] http://www.grips.ac.jp/teacher/oono/hp/lecture_J/lec02.htm, 14:21, 26/03/14
[3] Mikiso Hane, Japan A Short History, (Oxford Publications: Oxford, 2000), pg. 61
[4] Edwin O. Reischauer, Japan The Story of a Nation, (McGraw-Hill Publishing Company: New York, 1990) pg.80
[5] Richard Bowring and Peter Korniki, The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Japan, (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1993), pg. 67
[6] http://www.grips.ac.jp/teacher/oono/hp/lecture_J/lec02.htm, 14:21, 26/03/14
[7] S.N. Eisenstadt, Japanese Civilisation A Comparative History, (University of Chicago Press: London, 1996) pg. 186
[8] Eisnestadt, Japanese Civilisation, pg. 187-8
[9] Hane, Japan A Short History, pg. 60
[10] David J. Lu, Japan: A Documentary History, (East Gate: London, 1997), pg. 190
[11].Trewartha, Japan Geography, pg. 106
1615-1867. 252 years,[1] although there is some debate as to when the period started and when it ended.
Economy
There was a change in agriculture during the Tokogawa period. At the beginning of the 17th century, farmers grew crops mainly for family consumption. Gold and silver coins were mainly used, but there was also some paper money in circulation. Inflation accelerated toward the end of the Edo period (especially after international trade was resumed).[2]
Size
377,682 sq. km approximately.
Military Power
The Tokogawa period was an extremely insular period in which the government did not interact with other countries in any campacity so it is difficult to guess their relative strength. However, every daimyo (roughly translated, a major land owner or feudal lord) had at least some samurai under their control, so they had a means of defending themselves. Samurai’s had certain rights, including the right to kill any peasant who behaved insolently towards them. Toward the end of the Tokogawan period, there were 1.8 million of them.[3]
Technology
The Tokogawa Period was a time of steady improvement in the technology that was available,[4] as well as a time of steady urbanisation throughout Japan. For example, Edo was a small fishing village before Tokogawa Ieyasu started his government there. The fishing village grew into a major city. It still the current capital but renamed Tokyo.
Leadership (Score:54)
The government was established by force after a long war with other daimyos. Tokogawa Ieyasu took the title of Sei-i taishogun, or Commander in chief of the pacification of Savages, from an emperor powerless to deny it. This essentially meant that he and his descendants ruled the nation of Japan for the best part of the next three hundred years.[5] There were fifteen shoguns in all.[6]
The leadership of this country ‘resulted in a degree of power unprecedented in history of Japan’,[7] and this can be shown by how isolated the country became. The ports were closed to most foreign traders, which also might be somewhat due to the fear Tokogawa had of Christian invasion at the beginning of his reign.[8] This seclusion was ended in 1853 when an American Commadore arrived on the shores with four warships and demanded to speak to the leaders.[9]
Population 27.2 million (Score: Compare to others)
In Japan, census first started being taken from around 1568 by Oda Nobunaga and the policy was continued by Hideyoshi, until 1591 when Japan became united under Hideyoshi and census taking became law, mainly for political reasons.[10]
In reports taken to the Shogun, the population in 1726 was shown to be 26.5 million and in 1850, the reports show the population had increased to only 27.2 million. There were regional fluctuations between regions in this time, due to food shortages or natural disasters that happen but there was a definite increase in population when more and more peasants moved to the new urban cities that the Tokagawa period was producing.[11]
[1] Glenn T. Trewartha, Japan A Physical, Cultural and Regional Geography, (Methuen Ltd: London, 1965),
[2] http://www.grips.ac.jp/teacher/oono/hp/lecture_J/lec02.htm, 14:21, 26/03/14
[3] Mikiso Hane, Japan A Short History, (Oxford Publications: Oxford, 2000), pg. 61
[4] Edwin O. Reischauer, Japan The Story of a Nation, (McGraw-Hill Publishing Company: New York, 1990) pg.80
[5] Richard Bowring and Peter Korniki, The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Japan, (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1993), pg. 67
[6] http://www.grips.ac.jp/teacher/oono/hp/lecture_J/lec02.htm, 14:21, 26/03/14
[7] S.N. Eisenstadt, Japanese Civilisation A Comparative History, (University of Chicago Press: London, 1996) pg. 186
[8] Eisnestadt, Japanese Civilisation, pg. 187-8
[9] Hane, Japan A Short History, pg. 60
[10] David J. Lu, Japan: A Documentary History, (East Gate: London, 1997), pg. 190
[11].Trewartha, Japan Geography, pg. 106