The Shogun feared Westerners wanted to take the country over. From 1639 until the middle of the 19th century, Japan ceased dealing with all foreigners, bar the Dutch who were allowed trading rights at Nagasaki. Yet, after Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu's death, many of these developments took place behind closed doors. The teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, who advocated keeping people in their place amongst other things, gained prominence. The British Museum is staging its own exhibition at the end of June of prints of heroes of the kabuki theatre in Osaka between 17.Īrms and armour became more ornamental as they were no longer required for real fighting, but became largely ceremonial. There was a proliferation of woodcut prints and more lavish textiles and ceramics. Merchants, though at the bottom of the four-tier social order topped by the samurai, had money to spare on such delights because the warring had stopped. What happened under the Tokugawa Shogunate was that because of the comparative peace, it was a wonderful period for the arts, the Ukiyo-e school of floating world pictures." They had mastered the art of porcelain, which they took from the Chinese and the Koreans. Silk was made in Japan at that time and there were high-class ceramics. And all the textiles and cloths were fantastic. They were very cultured in that way," she said. "It was an extremely sophisticated court at Edo. Mavis Pilbeam, the author of a children's book on Japan under the Shoguns and a British Museum librarian, said the relative peace enabled Japan's cultural life to flourish - painting, calligraphy, theatre and music were already a well-established part of upper-class life. He is remembered for his successful unification of Japan and for bequeathing it a long-absent stability through the establishment of the Tokugawa dynasty. But effectively his rule continued until his death, bolstered by having his children in positions of authority across Japan and by tactics such as holding the wives and families of the territorial lords hostage at the Shogun palace at Edo (later Tokyo). Tokugawa Ieyasu was Shogun for a couple of years before ceding power to one of his five sons. He was putting Japan on the diplomatic map." He also dealt with nearer countries like Thailand. But Ieyasu sent diplomatic gifts to the kings of England, France and Spain and to the Pope. "Here was this country on the far side of the world which the people of Europe had hardly heard about. "What is quite staggering, really, is that he tried to establish diplomatic relations with the crowned heads of Europe," Mr Bottomley said. He began to look outwards to countries, such as Portugal and Holland, whose traders and missionaries had begun to make contact during the 16th century. What was extraordinary about Lord Tokugawa was that he did not simply consolidate his position in Japan. "The emperors were there in the imperial palace in Kyoto, powerless paupers, carrying out a few ceremonial duties," said Ian Bottomley, the senior curator of oriental arms and armour at the Royal Armouries. While the ostensible rulers were Japan's emperors, from the 13th century they effectively abrogated power to the military. After that, he was granted the title of Shogun, or military leader of Japan, which meant that he was running the country.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |