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Japan in the Modern World: The Rise from Shogunate to Global Power
Japan in the Modern World: The Rise from Shogunate to Global Power
Group size
1-6 students
Outcome
A mini research paper
Tuition
$495
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Japan in the Modern World: The Rise from Shogunate to Global Power
In just a century, Japan transformed from an isolated samurai society into a global powerhouse as it rapidly modernized and embraced industrialization. What drove this dramatic rise, and how did its people adapt to such rapid change? This course examines Japan’s transition from the Tokugawa shogunate’s fall in 1868 to Meiji-era reforms that modernized the nation, making it an imperial power, and leading to its expansion and eventual World War II defeat. Through political documents, firsthand accounts, and scholarly debates, we will examine the forces that shaped Japan’s rise and led to conflict with the West. At the end of the course, we will explore how the US-led occupation reforms attempted to restructure Japanese society, setting the stage for postwar conflicts about the country’s national identity and its role in international affairs.
Week by week curriculum
Week 1
The end of samurai rule. We will begin by discussing the long period of warrior governance that characterized Japan from the end of the 12th century until the late 19th century, when the last shogunate fell. Students will be able to describe the significance and features of samurai rule and understand how and why this system came to an end.
Week 2
Meiji-era (1868-1912) reforms. We will learn about the changes and challenges Japanese society underwent as it borrowed and adapted Western systems and institutions. Students will be able to describe how Meiji leaders crafted a modern state as various social groups responded to and tried to influence these reforms.
Week 3
Imperial expansion and industrialization. Towards the end of the 19th century, modern statehood became increasingly entwined with imperial expansion. Students will learn how Japan’s overseas empire came into being and understand the connection between empire and the emergence of Japan’s industrial economy.
Week 4
The search for a modern Japanese identity. While the state attempted to construct a national identity based on the idea of Japan as a “vast village community,” various other “-isms” emerged to challenge the official orthodoxy. Students will be able to discuss the role that individualism, liberalism, socialism, and feminism played in prewar Japan.
Week 5
Economic crisis and total war. We will learn about how the Great Depression was experienced in Japan, the problem of Japanese fascism, and how Japan’s war with China eventually merged with the war in Europe to create the second global conflict of the 20th century. Students will be able to discuss how domestic economic and political concerns pushed the country toward aggressive military solutions overseas.
Week 6
Defeat, surrender, and occupation. World War II ended when Japan agreed to an “unconditional surrender,” an unprecedented form of capitulation that granted the US the right to remake Japanese society as it saw fit. Students will learn the ideology and effects of the US-led occupation and be able to describe how the Cold War changed the goals of the occupation.