The Tokugawa Ancestral Law Of Seclusion History Essay

The Tokugawa Ancestral Law Of Seclusion History Essay There is widespread agreement in traditional western and Japanese historiography of Tokugawa Japan that during the period 1630 to 1853, the Japanese empire was completely isolated from the rest of the world. Discussions have highlighted the various edicts in the 1630s which on the surface were designed with a secluding purpose in mind, yet despite evidence of the limitations in trade and access as well as the expulsion of Catholics, there is irrefutable evidence which would support an alternative viewpoint. Kazui considers that the term sakoku the most popular term to describe Japanese international relations during the Tokugawa period, since Engelbert Kaempfers works were translated, is in fact not of Japanese origin and its literal definition closing the country diverges from the facts.  [1]  The contemporary term used to refer to the policy was kaikin meaning maritime restriction, appears more applicable when considering evidence of continued trade and diplomatic relations in the period. Historians have commonly come to describe the foreign policies and practices of Tokugawa rulers as based on seclusion and the widespread usage of the term Sakoku has arguably led to the misinterpretation and generalisation of Tokugawa foreign relations. The main historical focus has been limited to the role of Christianity demonstrating an intolerance to Western religion and of the port of Nagasaki as the only window to the world during the period, yet Ronald Toby and other recent scholars have examined the issue from a broader perspective including reference to the context of Japans North East Asian relations with China, Korea and Ryukyu and other examples of maintained foreign intercourse in order to give a clear outlook of the characteristics of foreign exchange during the Edo period. Whether or not the Tokugawa Shogunate intended to seclude Japan from the rest of the world is debateable despite the fact that foreign relations were minimised, especially with Europ e. It is also considered that the fear of foreignness was actually concerned more with the West than Japans Asian neighbours. There must be an appreciation of the individual examples of foreign relations as well as the changing nature of Japans socio-cultural character as a whole. While the traditional historians of the period give evidence for the assertion that the ancestral law of seclusion was rigidly observed, there are those who outline evidence refuting the claim that sakoku defined Japans foreign relations. The cultural and socio-political make-up of Japan was defined by a neo-Confucian feudal system ruled by provincial daimyo meaning self-sufficiency and a system of self-contained policy was naturally kept to during the period. Due to the nature of Tokugawa rule, contact with the outside world was seen as unnecessary, therefore foreign relations during the Tokugawa period are traditionally discussed in terms of developments in Japans European policy. This is understandable as there are two main connecting events which are easily identifiable as practical examples of a pattern of seclusion in Tokugawa foreign relations: the expulsion of the Portuguese in 1639 and the eradication of Christianity. The period is considered to be defined by seclusion, yet this may have been due to a combination of fear concerning foreign elements in society and Bakufu concern for Japans traditional culture. The position of Christianity as a religion influenced from the outside world gradually became untena ble as it was seen as a threat to Tokugawa legitimacy. Under the policies of Shogun Hideyoshi, the success European missionaries had enjoyed in Japan from 1600, effectively ended as the dynamics of Japanese politics were altered: through anti-foreign and anti-Christian policies. The seclusion edicts led to Christianity being persecuted and finally crushed an example of the proposed Bakufu reaction against globalisation.  [2]  The further example of the ban on Portuguese entrance into Japan makes it seem as though sakoku was observed at least in terms of securing the regimes own cultural traditions. Yet by barring the Portuguese and the removal of Christian influences shows the Bakufu leaders sought to eliminate only elements of unchecked intercourse such as the fear of foreign imperialism and Catholicism.  [3]  More favourable elements of foreign relations remained as proven through the allowance of the Dutch into limited ports. In this perspective, historians have come t o consider Tokugawa foreign policy as selective rather than a pursuit of total isolation. The discussion of the strictness of sakoku is not a straightforward one, as those historians who agree seclusion was observed differ in their opinions concerning the benefits and merits of the system. Varley argues that from the 1630s, there was an identifiable policy of national seclusion which actually created the conditions for the Great Peace of more than two and a half centuries. Varley proposes the intention of the Bakufu differed from the literal definition of the 19th Century term sakoku; it is conceivable that the law of seclusion was carried out in order to preserve national hegemony, At the time of its inception, the seclusion policy was more intended to establish a new international order in East Asia, with Japan at the centre than to seal the country off permanently from all but minimal ties with the outside world.  [4]  Furthermore, evidence of increased productivity in the 17th Century, as a result of the policy, makes the seclusion laws seem more positive and not for purposes of isolation. Varley notes that different historiographical viewpoints consider the termination of intercourse with Western Europe along with the repressive feudal controls over its people as arbitrary and reactionary and ignore the economic and social benefits to the measures. In this traditional perspective, the seclusion appears to have been simply for isolationist purposes yet the security of the regime was at stake and the Tokugawa rulers arguably needed to impose seclusion due to these threats. By considering that Japan took until the 19th Century to begin western style technological and scientific developments, the assumption that the seclusion policies were observed rigidly is plausible this must be true in some measure yet as Westerners still saw Japan as in the furthest extremity of the World and therefore inaccessible to an extent geographically, the advancements may not have been hampered by the proposed rigid observation of seclusion. Moreover Japan was no t alone in acting as it did, but one of several countries of the Far East that minimised or restricted trade and cultural ties with the Western world in the 17th Century. As analysis has traditionally been focused on the restriction of European relations, Japans diplomatic relations in Asia have largely been ignored, yet it becomes clear that generalisations about Japans foreign relations based on the exclusion of certain people, are inadequate to explain foreign policy with other Asian countries. For instance it is apparent that the Ieyasus edict expelling Catholics from Japan in 1639 cannot be regarded in the same light as other foreign policy. From the 1970s, Japanese and American historians have challenged the traditional view of a unique isolation policy by showing that Bakufu leaders kept Japan engaged with in trade and diplomacy, in order to emphasise the positive aspects of Japanese foreign policy specifically with neighbours in Northeast Asia. Ronald Toby, considers that an examination of Japans non-European relations highlights there was less discontinuity in Japanese relations in 1630s than is traditionally thought.  [5]  Trade and dip lomatic relations in fact continued in Northeast Asia, with Korea, Ryukyu and China all engaged in intercourse with the Tokugawa Empire. In terms of the development of trade specifically, Kazui refers to the request by the Bakufu for the Dutch to supply silk to the Japanese markets soon after the exclusion of the Portuguese. In this respect, there was undoubtedly a selective motivation for the Edict expelling the Portuguese in 1609, yet as the Dutch were given trading rights instead, the practical observation of the seclusion laws are more complicated under the surface as trade prospered through certain ports. Therefore the term kaikin, meaning maritime restriction is more applicable to the historical context. Therefore, in practice, each Edict should be considered in their own merit and not as part of a general theme of intended isolation. The Bakufu knew that new relations were equally as important to its stability as the foreign relations which it terminated,  [6]  and by ma intaining maritime trade relations with certain countries Japan recognized the advantages and disadvantages to the countrys security, as well as its economical and cultural goals. Recent historiography concedes that some aspects of the Tokugawa ancestral law of seclusion may have been observed rigidly yet highlights that these aspects may have been consistent with Japanese economic relations at the time anyway. The attention to Bakufu political actions, both domestic and international, give a more concrete expression to the sense of legitimacy it was trying to foster.  [7]  Toby deduces that Japans foreign policy goals were influenced by consistent legitimising principles and it was these which were observed and not the proposed isolationist seclusion: The Bakufu genuinely wanted to hold on to Japanese culture and perhaps were only minimally isolated but only because of the determination for legitimacy and security. The limit on foreign trade and ports was another practical means of satisfying the governments legitimisation goals and brought economic stability. The various examples of Japans continued trade: especially with its Northeast Asian neighbours a nd the Dutch, albeit from restricted ports, serve to invalidate the traditional view that that the seclusion laws were observed rigidly and were meant to isolate the country from the rest of the world. Granted, there are examples of changes in relations but these were in line with Bakufu goals in order to preserve national hegemony and secure Japans best economical interests. More recent historiography, both American and Japanese, is tremendously useful in examining the observance of the ancestral seclusion laws. It is arguable that a new generation of historians are able to examine Japan without the traditional emphasis on the countrys failings in comparison with the Western development and focus on the Bakufus eagerness to increase certain imports and the selective process of Japans international commercial activity.  [8]  Ronald Toby highlights that the restraint on Japanese people from travelling abroad is also disputed in Japanese revisionist historiography, questioning a chief representation of proposed isolation in the period. A balanced interpretation of this matter would examine the foreign influence especially of the Dutch in the period, to undo the exaggerations, yet it is conceivable that this element of sakoku did exist: the restrictions of movement under the Tokugawa reign were kept to as part of the fear of foreignness and was considere d at the time to be vital to the great peace and unprecedented economic productivity. There is disproportionate historiographical emphasis on the importance of the arrival of the United States in 1853 making the opening of Japan seen more drastic than it actually was. Hellyer notes that Japan was able to be diplomatically and commercially engaged with foreign nations, The Edo-period system of foreign relations allowed Japanese leaders to remain flexible and pursue nuanced approaches to intercourse with the outside world.  [9]  If Japan was open to trade and diplomatic relations then the seclusion laws could not have been observed in terms of the closed definition of sakoku, as conservative historians propose. However, the policies of the 1630s, exterminating Christianity and blocking European access to trade ports suggest a possibility that these differences were due to rigid observance of the seclusion laws. Yet the Tokugawa rulers limited and tightly controlled the access to political, economical, and ideological influences from the outside world, in particular, the West because they were concerned with the long term process of looking after Tokugawa legitimacy and not because they wanted to isolate Japan. It was these concerns which led to selective observance of elements of the seclusion laws as well as constant changes in diplomatic and trade practices. Furthermore, the stark differences between Japanese and Western development in the nineteenth century do add credibility to the more conservative scholars interpretations. Yet, there are examples of other countries such as China which also fell behind in development, due to its global position. With an appreciation of the instances of continued and in some cases increased commercial activity, there is a strong argument that the law of seclusion was not detrimental and neither were its considered isolationist elements observed with any rigidity.

Assemble & Associate :: essays research papers

Assemble and Associate The first amendment of the Constitution is one of the most fundamental and essential appendages to the C onstitution that statesmen could ever have made. It basically provides the way and means for any citizen of the United States to speak freely, worship freely, assemble with whomever they want, and complain to the government. One of the most important of those freedoms however, is the right of association. Association protects the rights of persons to enter into relationships with one another unhampered by intrusive governmental regulation. More specifically expressive association protects the right to associate with others in pursuit of a wide variety of political, social, economic, educational, religious, and cultural ends. The right to associate, being derived from the provisions of free speech and assembly, is fundamental to all private associations so that they might have the right to their own standards for membership and leadership. The Boy Scouts of America has been a private organization with the mission and chartered purpose of providing character-building experiences for young people since its founding in 1910. The organization’s Oath states, â€Å"On my honor I will do my best †¦ to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.† It is a scout’s duty to uphold this oath and live by the scout law. In April of 2000 the Boy Scouts of America’s rights to establish its own standards of membership and continue to instill the values of the Scout Oath and Law into the scouts were challenged. An individual's position as assistant scoutmaster of a New Jersey troop was revoked after a division of the Boy Scouts learned that the individual was an avowed homosexual and gay rights activist. The assistant scoutmaster filed suit in the New Jersey Superior Court, and alleged, among other matters, that the Boy Scouts had violated a state law prohibiting discrimination in places of public accommodation on the basis of sexual orientation. The Boy Scouts held that this violated their First Amendment right of expressive association. The Boy Scouts of America believe an avowed homosexual is not a role model for the values espoused in the Scout Oath and Law. The right of association is utterly the most important principle in the issue of the Boy Scouts of America and their right to be selective in their requirements of leadership. The Boy Scouts have the right to assemble with whomever they choose.

My Blankie

My name probably should have been Linus, from The Peanuts, instead of Clara because I packed with my baby blankie everywhere with me until I was eleven years old. The front was turquoise blue with crazy colored jungle animals: there were pink lions, orange elephants, green hippopotamus, yellow monkeys, and purple giraffes. The back was bright orange and it was stuffed with the softest cotton batting. My Grandmother made it for me and from the day I was born it never left my side. My blankie was my best friend, it was always there to make me feel safe, and to protect me at night. Most days we would play dolls together. Then sometimes when I wanted to be a super hero I would tie my blankie around my neck and we would run around the yard. It was even my parachute the day I decided to jump off of the roof of the barn. (That is a long story for a different day). At night when my Mom would tuck me into bed I would snuggle my blankie under my chin; as I was falling asleep I would rub its fluffy softness against my cheek . It was there to protect me from my sister’s scary bedtime stories, thunderstorms, and the monsters under the bed. As long as my blankie was near me, I was invincible. As I grew up I stopped playing with my blankie. Even though I slept with it at night I realized I wasn’t going to be able to keep it with me forever. My sister teased me all the time that only babies sleep with blankies and my Mom kept telling me that I needed to throw that â€Å"old thing† way. By the time I was eleven my blankie was looking pretty worse for wear. The batting was all balled up in clumps and there were holes in it where the material was disintegrating. This is when I finally decided it was time to store my blankie away not because I didn’t need it any more but because I didn’t want to destroy something I loved so much. I really missed my dear friend on the nights when the monsters and thunder storms seemed overwhelming. Unlike Linus, I eventually outgrew my security blanket but I never forgot it. I still have it safely tucked away in a protective box under my bed, along with some other mementos that were important to me growing up. There have been times in my life that it would have been nice to have a built in friend that wouldn’t judge me for the way I looked or leave me behind if we had a disagreement; to have that warm sense of security to cuddle up with at night. If it were within my means I would make blankies for everyone because life is too short to not have one small shred of hope, an ounce of confidence, or a sense of security.

Types of Reduced Relative Clauses

Types of Reduced Relative Clauses Reduced relative clauses refer to the shortening of a relative clause which modifies the subject of a sentence. Reduced relative clauses  modify the subject and not  the object of a sentence.   Much like adjectives, relative clauses, also known as adjective clauses, modify nouns. The man who works at Costco lives in Seattle.I gave a book, which was written by Hemingway, to Mary last week. In above  examples, who works at Costco modifies- or provides information about- the man who is the subject of the sentence. In the second sentence, which was written by Hemingway modifies the object book. Using a reduced relative clause we can reduce the first sentence to: The man working at Costco lives in Seattle. The second example sentence cannot be reduced because the relative clause which  was written by Hemingway modifies an object of the verb give. Types of Reduced Relative Clauses Relative clauses can also be reduced to shorter forms if the relative clause modifies the subject of a sentence. Relative clause reduction refers to removing a relative pronoun to reduce: An adjective/person who was happy:  happy personAn adjective phrase/man who was responsible for:  man responsible forA prepositional phrase/boxes that are under the counter:  boxes under the counterA past participle/student that was elected president:  student elected presidentA present participle/people who are working on the report:  people working on the report Reduce to an Adjective Remove the relative pronoun.Remove the verb (usually be, but also seem, appear, etc.).Place the adjective used in the relative clause before the modified noun. Examples: The children who were happy played until nine in the evening.  Reduced: The happy children played until nine in the evening.The house, which was beautiful, was sold for $300,000.  Reduced: The beautiful house was sold for $300,000. Reduce to an Adjective Phrase Remove the relative pronoun.Remove the verb (usually be, but also seem, appear, etc.).Place the adjective phrase after the modified noun. Examples: The product, which seemed perfect in many ways, failed to succeed in the market.  Reduced: The product, perfect in many ways, failed to succeed in the market.The boy who was pleased by his grades went out with his friends to celebrate.  Reduced: The boy, pleased by his grades, went out with his friends to celebrate. Reduce to a Prepositional Phrase Remove the relative pronoun.Remove the verb be.Place the prepositional phrase after the modified noun. Examples: The box, which was on the table, was made in Italy.  Reduced: The box on the table was made in Italy.The woman who was at the meeting spoke about business in Europe.  Reduced: The woman at the meeting spoke about business in Europe. Reduce to a Past Participle Remove the relative pronoun.Remove the verb be.Place the past participle before the modified noun. Examples: The desk, which was stained, was antique.  Reduced: The stained desk was antique.The man who was elected was very popular.  Reduced: The elected man was very popular. Reduce to a​ Past Participle Phrase Remove the relative pronoun.Remove the verb be.Place the past participle phrase after the modified noun. Examples: The car, which was purchased in Seattle, was a vintage Mustang.  Reduced: The car purchased in Seattle was a vintage Mustang.The elephant, which was born in captivity, was set free.  Reduced: The elephant born in captivity was set free. Reduce to a Present Participle Remove the relative pronoun.Remove the verb be.Place the present participle phrase after the modified noun. Examples: The professor who is teaching mathematics will leave the university.  Reduced: The professor teaching mathematics will leave the university.The dog that is lying on the floor wont get up.  Reduced: The dog lying on the floor wont get up. Some action verbs reduce to the present participle (-ing form) especially when the present tense is used: Remove the relative pronoun.Change the verb to the present participle form.Place the present participle phrase after the modified noun. Examples: The man who lives near my home walks to work every day.  Reduced: The man living near my home walks to work every day.The girl who attends my school lives at the end of the street.  Reduced: The girl attending my school lives at the end of the street.

uniforms and violence essays

uniforms and violence essays Bomb threats, shootings, fist fights and even name calling: all of these are taking place in our schools today. School boards around the country are searching for the cause in a desperate attempt to end the school violence. Some say forcing the students to wear uniforms will do the trick. I do not think wearing uniforms will lessen school violence any more than Many students express who they are through the way they dress. For example, if a teenager wants to show the world that he loves Jesus, then he or she might wear a T-shirt that states a positive view on the subject. Similarly, a student might want to wear green colored clothing to celebrate St. Patricks day. School uniforms would destroy both of these instances of Just as it is with every group of people, there is going to be a few folks who strive to be noticed my others. If uniforms are enforced, the students can no longer express themselves through their clothes. Therefore, they will find new ways to let their true feelings shine through. Piercings, weird hair and dramatic make-up will become more popular. That would result in our schools consisting of stranger looking people The establishment of school uniforms will not affect the amount of school violence. Clothing is not the problem. Studies have shown that the cause for violence in the schools starts at home between a student and his or her family. Teenagers who have been neglected or mistreated by their parents tend to be the ones who commit violent acts against their teachers I feel that the use of uniforms will strip the student body of its individuality and cause negative creativity. Students will rebel and be uncooperative in class, thus causing more on-campus violence. We need to focus on developing a better home life before we try to chang ...

Charges against 'sexting' teenagers highlight legal gaps by Alexandra Essay

Charges against 'sexting' teenagers highlight legal gaps by Alexandra Marks - Essay Example While the government is doing its best to protect young people from exploitation in ways it believes are most appropriate, some strongly hold the contrary view that teenagers of today would grow up fine, the same way those before them did, without the need of arbitrary laws that often stereotype and brand them as something they are not or, worse, turn them into something that society abhors-criminals. The article, moreover, elucidates that many of today's minors are being punished to suffer a penalty for something that some members of society do not even essentially consider as sin. According to them, there are certain things whose magnitude demands for formal social controls (in the form of laws controlling such behavior), yet there are things that are best dealt with within the family, as they have always been dealt with in the past few years. This issue connects with every facet of social structure by triggering differing opinions on the gravity of the matter as an issue of right and wrong, legal and illegal. Indeed, what is legal does not necessarily mean to be also moral, and vice versa. It is to be noted that every social strata, group, organization, and institution has its own perception of good or bad that, as expected and is but natural, would often come at variance with that of other units of society as explained by its differing social orientations. It is to be remembered that each of these units have influenced in one way or the other the shaping of these teenagers, as well as the shaping of laws and society's general sentiment on the issues. What the Issue Says about Our Society This issue tells us that society is a complex web of differing individuals that shape it and, in turn, are likewise shaped by it. The complexity of how society works is founded on the interplay of several aspects, such as power, values and norms, and shared or differing views of life in general. Societal values and norms, for example, determine what ways of doing things are acceptable to society and is often the main basis upon which laws are founded, though some concepts pertaining to power and influence cannot be discredited as well. Indeed, some are more powerful and influential than others; thus, they are more able to impose their perceived values and norms upon the entire society. Also, there is often, always a variation in what people may perceive as a shared view among everyone in a society. While most people agree that teenagers need moral guidance or protection, some prefer stringent measures, while others believe that such things are best resolved within the confines of the home and should only be discussed between parents and children. For in society's effort to save these children, it could instead lead it further astray, which takes a herculean effort to reverse. The Relationship between the People Involved and the Larger Society or Community While the people involved may not feel strongly that this issue is of a matter public concern, still there are some who believe that they exercise a moral responsibility to society as a whole. The latter feel that it is their bounden duty to protect the morals of society. It, however, should be noted that while a teenager may only look at the issue of sexting from his or her viewpoint, our

Written Business Communication (Original Posting #1) Assignment

Written Business Communication (Original Posting #1) - Assignment Example I should try to resolve the conflict with my current employer by asserting the involved legal and ethical issues in the case for abolition of the intention to implement the technology. I should insist on a win-lose strategy in which I should be the winner because my position is right, as opposed to that of my employer (Singh, 2009). If the attempt fails then I should inform my previous employer of the case and at the same time seek legal protection for my job. While I recognize breach of my former employer’s intellectual property rights by using the software in my current organization, allowing the organization to proceed with the implementation undermines justice to my former employer. Virtue ethics, on this basis, requires my firm stand against implementation of the software by my current employer. My position against use of the software also does not justify my dismissal and this means injustice should I lose my job for doing the right thing. The situation therefore justifi es my right to seek legal intervention against my dismissal (Brooks and Dunn,