Edo Period Research Paper

Words: 1475
Pages: 6

Today, Japan is seen as a country of mystery, shrouded by an exotic fog. It is known for its resistance to outsiders and its own unique culture despite increasing globalism. Japan fuses the ancient and the modern together seamlessly in a way that is uniquely their own. European missionaries arriving in Japan during the sixteenth and seventeenth century saw this country in much of the same way. This period of Japanese history is called the Tokugawa period, or the Edo period, and encompasses the time from 1603-1867. This was a period marked my peace and prosperity after years of civil unrest (Edo Period). There were four distinct social classes during this time: the warrior class known as the Samurai, then peasants who were the main agricultural workers, then artisans and craftsmen, followed finally by the merchants (The Edo Period in Japanese History). By 1633, the shogun had enough with European influences and began to banish all foreigners and forbid all outside contact, entering into a period of severe isolation (The Edo Period in Japanese History). This was done through a series of three decrees all during the 1630’s (Tokugawa Period). The Japanese government then turned to domestic affairs, especially the economy as they were heavily reliant on agriculture (Edo Period). …show more content…
The production of silk, cotton fabrics, paper, porcelain, as well as sake caused an increase of cities to be built (Tokugawa Period). However, after the beginning of the isolation period, almost half of all Japanese currency was lost to overseas traders (Edo Period). This economic flourishing lead to the beginning of the merchant class who made great strides in culture, art, and business. (Edo Period). The samurai class began to struggle in this time, as agriculture had not boomed like other parts of the economy. Several economic reforms were attempted, but they did not show great improvement for the warrior class (Tokugawa