From 1633 until 1868, Japan was Sakoku (鎖国 which translates to 'locked country'). It was Japan's foreign relations policy that essentially stated no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country upon penalty of death. Pretty severe, huh?
The policy was enacted by Japan's ruling shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, through policies enacted between 1633-39, and remained until Commodore Perry sailed into Japan in 1853 - though it was still illegal to leave Japan until 1868, the so-called Meiji Restoration.
But, you know what I find very interesting? The word 'sakoku' was created in 1801 by Tadao Shitsuki who was translating writing by German Engelbert Kaempfer, who wrote about Japan. It was inspired by a foreigner, in other words.
So... why shut out the world and keep Japan secluded? Well, the Tokugawa family who ruled Japan had in 1616 killed the Toyotomi family who had previously ruled. While Tokugawa Iemitsu's father and son's were warriors and thus more respected, Tokugawa Iemitsu wasn't.
To maintain control, be essentially became a pain in the butt. Lords of the provinces had to visit Edo (old name for Tokyo) every year bringing tribute - and even had to leave their wives and children there as hostages. Paranoid? Yup.
Then there was the thought that foreigners were conspiring to rise up the populace in rebellion - and here, the shogun may not have been paranoid. He thought the Spanish were interested in overthrowing his reign with their Christianity.
Even further back in the 1570s, Portuguese Jesuit missionaries were welcomed by local rulers in western Kyushu area of Japan, who benefited from the lucrative Portuguese trade in Chinese silk.
Then there were more foreigners arriving - Spanish friars, English and Dutch traders - all in competition with each other.
In 1587, the initial tirade against missionaries began - first decrees expelling them, and then actual action. In 1597 in Nagasaki, 26 Christians, nine foreign missionaries, and 17 Japanese laymen were - in a unique bit of irony, crucified. Take a look at the photo up above - that's the memorial for the Nagasaki massacre.
Now... you have to understand... I'm not making excuses here, but the Christians did have a way of marching into a country and stripping it of its beliefs to save the poor heathen bastards, and by 1597, there were some 300,000 Christians in Japan.
Back to Tokugawa Iemitsu,between 1622 and 1633 he had 131 Christians executed in public spectacles seen by thousands of people - to ensure the rest of the country got the message that while might be good for your soul, it is rather bad for your health.
After a rebellion by 37,000 peasants and ronin (masterless samurai) in 1638 - some Christian converts--the Japanese shogunate massacred them.
The closing of the borders was made to protect the shogunate, though for some reason, the Dutch were allowed to continue trading - but only in a small area of Nagasaki.
With the regime change in 1868, an estimated 30,000 "hidden Christians" came forth to revive the church in Japan.
All well and good, right? But Japan still was a some-what closed society.
While foreigners may indeed have been allowed back in to Japan, they stuck to the larger cities, like Tokyo, Osaka, Nagasaki, and others. The rest of Japan, never got to deal with foreigners all that much--something that continued on well into the 1990s (World War II excepted, of course).
I think that is a reason why locals in the smaller towns will stop and stare and say, "Hora! Gaijin-da! (Look a foreigner/outsider!)"... we're still a bit of a rarity.
Even nowadays, Japanese folk when talking to a foreigner--like myself--will always say things like: That is a Japanese kimono; or those are Japanese chopsticks; or ask if I like Japanese rice. There's a sense of pride - it's not really bragging, because if it is, it's kind of lame.
The Japan Exchange & Teaching Programme is a fine way for Japan to get foreigners into the small towns and cities. It's not like we are really needed for English teaching--at least not back in the 1980s and 90s. I think we were there mostly to internationalize the Japanese - to let them know that we aren't a threat, but mostly, that despite a few cultural differences, we are just like them.
Somewhere
Andrew Joseph
Today's title is by The Sunshine Underground - listen HERE. It's a cool little song from a U.K. group.
