Is It True to Say That Japan Was Ready for Change Even Before the Coming of the West?

Is it true to say that Japan was ready for change even before the coming of the west?

Before the coming of the west, to be accurate at the coming of Perry in 1853, the situation in Japan was already for change. This could be viewed in the political, social, economic aspects. Decline of the Tokugawa Shougunate power and new tension among differenet social class had already provided forces of change. The coming of the west could only accelerated the realizing of change, which the greatest one was the restoration of Emperor Meiji in 1868. All these will be discussed in the following.

Politically, the status of shogunate was gradually decreased as the gravity was shifted to the Tozama clans. Thanks to the seclusion policy, the Tokugawa Shogunate enjoyed 200 years of peace in Japan. However, the hereditary system of the Tokugawa Shogunate gave rise to a series of incapable shoguns, which could not solve the domestic problems. Even reforms were introduced, such as the Tempo Reform in the 1830s, they aimed merely at enlarging existing benefits of the shogun, and unable to ease the social instability. The incapability of the shoguns in the Bakumatsu period was one for the force of change.

Meanwhile, the Tozama clans enjoyed increasing power and strength, which the most distinct were the Satsuma and Choshu. The outer location of the Tozama clans made them exempted form the political intrigues and power struggles of central Japan, thus provided chance of prosperity. The Tozama clans were able to learn from the outside world. The lifestyle of the samurai in those clans was affected not so severely, in the time of Sankin-kotai System made both Daimyos and samurai became extravagant. The morale and military spirit of Tozama clans preserved. In terms of financial ability, they yielded more and had more new land for cultivation, as well as the convenience opportunity to trade in coastal areas, resulted in more financial power. More effective and efficient local internal...