DBQ: Document Based QuestionHow did modern-day Japan become such a consolidated, homogeneous society?

Document 1

Source: Japan. (n.d.). In The World Factbook. Retrieved from https://goo.gl/v391Mp

DBQ: Document Based QuestionHow did modern-day Japan become such a consolidated, homogeneous society?

Document 2

Source: Lee, S. I., Murphy-Shigematsu, S. & Befu, H. (2006). Japan's Diversity Dilemmas: Ethnicity, Citizenship, and Education. New York, NY: iUniverse, Inc.

DBQ: Document Based QuestionHow did modern-day Japan become such a consolidated, homogeneous society?

Document 3

Caption: “Rise, all Japanese Citizens!”

Source: Imperial Rule Assistance Association, 1940.

DBQ: Document Based QuestionHow did modern-day Japan become such a consolidated, homogeneous society?

Document 4

Caption: “38th anniversary of Japan Ministry of War.” The poster asks people to stop shooting. They ask people to end the war. 

Source: Cleary, N. Japanese Propaganda During World War II. (Prezi). Retrieved from https://goo.gl/mcmt8m

DBQ: Document Based QuestionHow did modern-day Japan become such a consolidated, homogeneous society?

Document 5

The Seclusion of Japan***

Tokugawa Iemitsu, "CLOSED COUNTRY EDICT OF 1635"

          Although the dynamics of Japanese politics at first favored the European missionary effort, when those dynamics changed, Christianity was persecuted and finally crushed. Nobunaga's successor, Hideyoshi (1536-1598), launched the anti-foreign, anti-Christian policy that culminated in the Tokugawa exclusion edicts. Hideyoshi distrusted Europeans' motives after the Spaniards conquered the Philippines and came to question the loyalty of certain dalmyo [great lord] who had converted. In 1597, he ordered the execution by crucifixion of nine Catholic missionaries and seventeen Japanese converts. In their singleminded pursuit of stability and order, the early Tokugawa [ruler of Japan] also feared the subversive potential of Christianity and quickly moved to obliterate it, even at the expense of isolating Japan and ending a century of promising commercial contacts with China, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

          Japan's isolation policy was fully implemented by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Ievasu and shogun from 1623 to 1641. He issued edicts that essentially closed Japan to all foreigners and prevented Japanese from leaving. The following document, the most famous of Iemitsu's edicts, is directed to the two commissioners of Nagasaki, a port city in southern Japan and a center of Christianity.

CLOSED COUNTRY EDICT OF 16351. Japanese ships are strictly forbidden to leave for foreign countries. 2. No Japanese is permitted to go abroad. If there is anyone who attempts to do so

secretly, he must be executed. The ship so involved must be impounded and its owner arrested, and the matter must be reported to the higher authority. 

3. If any Japanese returns from overseas after residing there, he must be put to death. 4. If there is any place where the teachings of the [Catholic] priests is practiced, the two of

you must order a thorough investigation. 5. Any informer revealing the whereabouts of the followers of the priests must be rewarded

accordingly. If anyone reveals the whereabouts of a high ranking priest, he must be given one hundred pieces of-silver. For those of lower ranks, depending on the deed, the reward must be set accordingly. 

6. If a foreign ship has an objection (to the measures adopted) and it becomes necessary to report the matter to Edo,1 you may ask the Omura2 domain to provide ships to guard the foreign ship. . . . 

7. If there are any Southern Barbarians3 who propagate the teachings of the priests, or otherwise commit crimes, they may be incarcerated in the prison. . . . 

8. All incoming ships must be carefully searched for the followers of the priests.

1 Modern Tokyo, the seat of the Tokugawa government.2 The area around the city of Nagasaki.3 Westerners.

9. No single trading city shall be permitted to purchase all the merchandise brought by foreign ships. 

10. Samurai4 are not permitted to purchase any goods originating from foreign ships directly from Chinese merchants in Nagasaki. 

11. After a list of merchandise brought by foreign ships is sent to Edo, as before you may order that commercial dealings may take place without waiting for a reply from Edo. 

DBQ: Document Based QuestionHow did modern-day Japan become such a consolidated, homogeneous society?

12. After settling the price, all white yarns5 brought by foreign ships shall be allocated to the five trading cities6 and other quarters as stipulated. 

13. After settling the price of white yarns, other merchandise [brought by foreign ships] may be traded freely between the [licensed] dealers. However, in view of the fact that Chinese ships are small and cannot bring large consignments, you may issue orders of sale at your discretion. Additionally, payment for goods purchased must be made within twenty days after the price is set. 

14. The date of departure homeward of foreign ships shall not be later than the twentieth day of the ninth month. Any ships arriving in Japan later than usual shall depart within fifty days of their arrival. As to the departure of Chinese ships, you may use your discretion to order their departure after the departure of the Portuguese galeota.7

4 Members of Japan's military aristocracy.5 Raw silk.6 The cities of Kyoto, Edo, Osaka, Sakai, and Nagasaki.7 A galleon, an oceangoing Portuguese ship.

15. The goods brought by foreign ships which remained unsold may not be deposited or accepted for deposit. 

16. The arrival in Nagasaki of representatives of the five trading cities shall not be later than the fifth day of the seventh month. Anyone arriving later than that date shall lose the quota assigned to his city. 

17. Ships arriving in Hirado8 must sell their raw silk at the price set in Nagasaki, and are not permitted to engage in business transactions until after the price is established in Nagasaki.

You are hereby required to act in accordance with the Provisions set above. It is so ordered.

8 A small island in southwest Japan, not far from Nagasaki.

Source: Watts, S. (n.d.). The Seclusion of Japan. Retrieved from http://users.wfu.edu/watts/w03_Japancl.html

DBQ: Document Based QuestionHow did modern-day Japan become such a consolidated, homogeneous society?

Document 6

Letter from the US President Millard Fillmore to the Emperor of Japan (1852-1853)

From Millard Fillmore, President of the United States of America,to His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of JapanNovember 13, 1852

GREAT and Good Friend: I send you this public letter by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, anofficer of the highest rank in the navy of the United States, and commander of the squadronnow visiting your imperial majesty’s dominions.

I have directed Commodore Perry to assure your imperial majesty that I entertain thekindest feelings towards your majesty’s person and government, and that I have no other object in sending him to Japan but to propose to your imperial majesty that the United States and Japan should live in friendship and have commercial intercourse with each other.

The Constitution and laws of the United States forbid all interference with the religiousor political concerns of other nations. I have particularly charged Commodore Perry to abstain from every act which could possibly disturb the tranquility of your imperial majesty’sdominions.

The United States of America reach from ocean to ocean, and our Territory of Oregonand State of California lie directly opposite to the dominions of your imperial majesty. Oursteamships can go from California to Japan in eighteen days.

Our great State of California produces about sixty millions of dollars in gold every year,besides silver, quicksilver, precious stones, and many other valuable articles. Japan is also a rich and fertile country, and produces many very valuable articles. Your imperial majesty’s subjects are skilled in many of the arts. I am desirous that our two countries should trade with each other, for the benefit both of Japan and the United States.

We know that the ancient laws of your imperial majesty’s government do not allow offoreign trade, except with the Chinese and the Dutch; but as the state of the world changes and new governments are formed, it seems to be wise, from time to time, to make new laws. There was a time when the ancient laws of your imperial majesty’s government were first made. About the same time America, which is sometimes called the New World, was firstdiscovered and settled by the Europeans. For a long time there were but a few people, and they were poor. They have now become quite numerous; their commerce is very extensive; and they think that if your imperial majesty were so far to change the ancient laws as to allow a free trade between the two countries it would be extremely beneficial to both.

If your imperial majesty is not satisfied that it would be safe altogether to abrogate theancient laws which forbid foreign trade, they might be suspended for five or ten years, so as to try the experiment. If it does not prove as beneficial as was hoped, the ancient laws can be restored. The United States often limit their treaties with foreign states to a few years, and then renew them or not, as they please.

I have directed Commodore Perry to mention another thing to your imperial majesty.Many of our ships pass every year from California to China; and great numbers of our people pursue the whale fishery near the shores of Japan. It sometimes happens, in stormy weather,that one of our ships is wrecked on your imperial majesty’s shores. In all such cases we ask, and expect, that our unfortunate people should be treated with kindness, and that

DBQ: Document Based QuestionHow did modern-day Japan become such a consolidated, homogeneous society?

their property should be protected, till we can send a vessel and bring them away. We are very much in earnest in this.

Commodore Perry is also directed by me to represent to your imperial majesty that weunderstand there is a great abundance of coal and provisions in the Empire of Japan. Oursteamships, in crossing the great ocean, burn a great deal of coal, and it is not convenient tobring it all the way from America. We wish that our steamships and other vessels should beallowed to stop in Japan and supply themselves with coal, provisions, and water. They will pay for them in money, or anything else your imperial majesty’s subjects may prefer; and werequest your imperial majesty to appoint a convenient port, in the southern part of the empire, where our vessels may stop for this purpose. We are very desirous of this.

These are the only objects for which I have sent Commodore Perry, with a powerfulsquadron, to pay a visit to your imperial majesty’s renowned city of Edo: friendship, commerce, a supply of coal and provisions, and protection for our shipwrecked people.

We have directed Commodore Perry to beg your imperial majesty’s acceptance of a fewpresents. They are of no great value in themselves; but some of them may serve as specimens of the articles manufactured in the United States, and they are intended as tokens of our sincere and respectful friendship.

May the Almighty have your imperial majesty in His great and holy keeping!

In witness whereof, I have caused the great seal of the United States to be hereuntoaffixed, and have subscribed the same with my name, at the city of Washington, in America, the seat of my government, on the thirteenth day of the month of November, in the year onethousand eight hundred and fifty-two.

[Seal attached]Your good friend,Millard FillmoreBy the President:Edward Everett, Secretary of State

Source: Asia for Educators. (2009). Commodore Perry and Japan (1853-1854). Retrieved from http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1750_perry.htm

DBQ: Document Based QuestionHow did modern-day Japan become such a consolidated, homogeneous society?

Document 7

The Korean minority, as a biggest national or ethnic minority in Japan, has drawn the attention of the Human Rights Committee since its consideration of the initial report submitted by the Japanese government in 1981.

Today, the number of Koreans who make up this ethnic minority in Japan is estimated to be about 980,000.  Over 90 percent of these are second, third, fourth and fifth generation Koreans and Korean-Japanese who were born and raised in Japan.   About 45 percent of them do not possess Japanese nationality and are still, by legal definition, "foreigners."  Japanese society has discriminated against the Korean minority as former colonized people and the government has excluded Koreans from various rights, using foreign nationality as legal grounds for differential treatment.

The Japanese government described in the initial report under the ICCPR (1980) that "minorities in the sense prescribed by the Covenant do not exist in Japan."1  Later, in the third periodic report (1993), the government recognized only Ainu peoples as a minority under article 27 of the ICCPR.  In response to this situation, the Human Rights Committee described as one of its "Principal Subjects of Concern" in the Comments (Concluding Observations) that, "The Committee notes with concern the exclusion of Koreans from the government's concept of minorities."2  

Source: Research-Action Institute for the Koreans. (2008). NGO Written Information for Preparation of a List of Issues to Japan Regarding the Korean Minority.

1 CCPR/C/10/Add.1, 14 November 1980.2 CCPR/C/79/Add.28, 5 November 1993, paragraph 15.

DBQ: Document Based QuestionHow did modern-day Japan become such a consolidated, homogeneous society?

Document 8

Letter from the US Navy Commodore Matthew C. Perry to the Emperors of Japan(1852-1853)

From Commodore Matthew C. Perry[Sent in Connection with the Delivery of a White Flag]July 14, 1853

For years several countries have applied for trade, but you have opposed them on accountof a national law. You have thus acted against divine principles and your sin cannot be greater than it is. What we say thus does not necessarily mean, as has already been communicated by the Dutch boat, that we expect mutual trade by all means. If you are still to disagree we would then take up arms and inquire into the sin against the divine principles, and you would also make sure of your law and fight in defence. When one considers such an occasion, however, one will realize the victory will naturally be ours and you shall by no means overcome us. If in such a situation you seek for a reconciliation, you should put up the white flag that we have recently presented to you, and we would accordingly stop firing and conclude peace with you, turning our battleships aside.

Commodore Perry

Source: Asia for Educators. (2009). Commodore Perry and Japan (1853-1854). Retrieved from http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1750_perry.htm

DBQ: Document Based QuestionHow did modern-day Japan become such a consolidated, homogeneous society?

Japan’s homogeneity: DBQ: Document Based Questionhttp://www.japantoday.com/category/arts-culture/view/japan%E2%80%99s-minorities-the-illusion-of-homogeneityhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/at/contemp_japan/cjp_society_01.htmlhttps://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/3388395Google scholar: Japan's minorities : the illusion of homogeneityhttps://books.google.co.id/books?hl=en&lr=&id=QsNCzpXGAxQC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Japan%27s+minorities+:+the+illusion+of+homogeneity&ots=fStFHE3fCO&sig=eR0aYzPJP82kLcNpwWVg2GE1nQk&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Japan's%20minorities%20%3A%20the%20illusion%20of%20homogeneity&f=false