Meiji Restoration and Westernization Book Review Hi, The main book we are using to evaluate is called Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration and the cha

Meiji Restoration and Westernization Book Review Hi,
The main book we are using to evaluate is called Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration and the chapters that should be focused on are chapter 2 “The Response to The West” and chapter 8 ”Restoration.”(book: Jansen, Marius B.“The Response to the West,” in Sakamoto Ryoma, and the Meiji Restoration, (Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press, 1961).
Please take a careful look at the sample, template and rubric for this book review assignment.
My previous literature review has a central thesis arguing that Western influence was the main factor leading to the Meiji Restoration to modernize Japan. This is merely just a reference of my stance but please stick to the book’s content what so ever. Moreover, to explain why do I recommend this book, you should try to relate back to my previous thesis statement.
I will attach the literature review just for a reference and for providing different sources you may use to compare with the book.
My professor is also very strict with citation, so please follow the format. Rubrics for Book Review
A
B
C
D and F
Thesis
Excellent grasp of central issues raised in the book.
Good grasp of central issues raised in the book.
Competent grasp of central issues raised in the book.
Substantial lapse in grasping central issues raised in the book
Supporting Evidence
X
Outstanding use of facts and examples cited in the book to
illustrate the big question in the book
Uneven use of facts and examples cited in the book
Minor factual errors
Factual errors
Intellectual Integration
X
Excellent use of class readings and your literature review in
evaluating the arguments in the book
Excellent use and incorporation of your literature review
Very little or no integration of your literature review
No integration of your literature review
Significant Contribution to Scholarship
X
Arguments bring out important nuances
Arguments lack important nuances
Only general arguments with only few details for support
Simple generic anecdotal remarks
Organization
X
Well written and tightly organized; observe publishable format
Minor lapse in writing and organization and/or publishable
format
Significant lapse in writing and organization and/or
bibliographical data
Poorly written and organized; miss some basic bibliographical
information
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Note: In the bibliographical information, make sure to provide the number of pages of the book
and its cost. In the sample book review for Guns, Germs, and Steel, Rick Harling tells us that the
book has 394 pages and costs $27.50. Please do the same for your book review.
The Title of Your Book. By First-Name Last-Name. (City: Publisher, Year. Pp. xxx. $yy.zz.)
Introduction (Introduce readers to the author and the work)
A very brief summary of the book
The central question
The credential of the author
Thesis and Sub-topics of the Book (Convince readers how important this work is)
What is the thesis? (What is the author’s main argument to his or her central question?)
How does the author structure the book in order to support the main thesis?
Evaluation (Show readers relations between this work and other literature in the field)
Since you are now an expert on your chosen topic, why do you recommend this book?
How does the view of this author differ from other scholars?
What convincing evidence does this author use to support the thesis?
Does this author subscribe to a certain philosophical, ideological, political, and so on,
commitments?
Loyola Marymount University
Your Name
Meiji Restoration and Westernization
Hop Tran
ASPA 2100
Father Lan Ngo
04/15/19
One of the greatest defining moments in Japanese history is the modernization of the
country during the Meiji Reformation which began in 1868. The reformation continued through
to the early 20th century. Its beginning was after the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate government
which began around 1600 and ended in 1868, a period of more than two and a half centuries.1
The Tokugawa regime promoted feudalism and enhanced seclusion from any Western influence
and engagement.2 It maintained the traditional Confucian philosophy that heavily emphasized
loyalty and obligations. However, the regime brought about several economic and social
challenges because of its incompetence and other shortcomings. The government also had
challenges in arbitrating between internal and external forces and particularly the United States
of America government. The U.S demanded a trading treaty between them in an attempt to
oppose their foreign exclusion. The treat, popularly known as the Treaty of Kanagawa or Perry
Convention brought an end to Japan’s seclusion by opening the ports of Hakodate and Shimoda
to American vessels.3 The seclusion had lasted for 220 years.
The Meiji period which ended in 1912 is considered as the modernization of Japan since
it was characterized by the liberation of economic and political activities under a unified and
centralized system of government. The country’s legislative system was an imitation of those of
the Western.4 A new leader, Emperor Meiji took over from Choshu Satsuma, the former
Tokugawa leader who had led the state to crumble. The transition allowed Japan to welcome the
West and adopt their academic and political system leading to an overall improvement of Japan
David L Sills, ?International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences?, 3rd ed., s.v. “Meiji
Restoration.” 1968.
2
Ibid, 69.
3
Ibid, 70.
4
Ibid, 69.
1
as a country. The country’s economy was centralized and the Yen currency was first established.
5
In addition, the Japanese military was effectively transformed through the adoption of the
Yamagata Aritomo style, similar to the Prussian military style. As a result, the country’s defense
system progressed to become the leading and the most successful as shown by the country’s
prosperity and influence after the Meiji Period. Despite the controversies and skepticism the
Western influence on the country during this period, this paper argues that westernization
resulted in a progressive and modern Japan.6
Masaru Kohno, in his writing on Japan’s search for sovereignty, took a retrospective
approach in explaining the occurrences that took place under both Tokugawa and the Meiji
regimes. His approach generated a unique and non-conventional perspective to the interpretation
of governments and influence. Masaru did not think that the flaws of the Tokugawa government
were the primary causes of Japan’s failure. He fairly looked at this era by comparing its system
with the others during the same period. His argument is that the government was unable to
centralize due to its division into regions called Daimyo.7 Moreover, its lack of resources and
knowledge prevented Japan from controlling international interactions.8 His main argument is
that it is unfair to perceive the Japanese government prior to the Meiji Restoration, as not a
modern sovereign state. Instead, he asserts that the Tokugawa seclusion policy changed due to
the leader’s conscious decision and not as a result of coercion. However, the leader’s failure to
David L Sills, ?International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences?, 3rd ed., s.v. “Meiji
Restoration.” 1968: 70.
6
Ibid.
7
? Kohno Masaru. “On the Meiji Restoration: Japan’s Search For Sovereignty?.” ?International
Relations of the Asia-Pacific 1? , no. 2 (2001): 265-283.
8
Ibid, 266.
5
?
draw stronger boundaries and limitations weakened the ruling system. The Chinese Opium War
also played a role in this since the Tokugawa regime took note of this and began taking caution
when dealing with outsiders. Therefore, according to him, these were the reasons that made the
leaders make deliberate decisions to sign the Treaty of Kanagawa.
Marius B. Jansen pointed out Japan’s engagement with the West to have begun with
Commodore Perry’s pressuring of the Shogunate to open trade links with the U.S. in exchange
for power consolidation. As a result, the leadership had to compromise the nation’s philosophy
and defense in order to accommodate the demands of her treaty with the U.S. Unlike Masaru
Kohno, Marius Jansen believed this was a threat rather than a conscious and voluntary decision
of the leadership. For example, the failure to comply with the Commodore’s request of the Treaty
could put Japan at risk of war yet its defense system was not well equipped to counter the
powerful Western states. Nevertheless, the Shogunate government also felt compelled to accept
the request due to the soaring internal resentment against the bakufu members who were
responsible for policing and warfare.9 Since the system of bakufu suppressed the voices of the
lower-class citizens including the Samurai, the citizens unified to consolidate and project their
dissenting views.10 Therefore, the government anticipated frustration and rebellion thus accepting
the request to sign the Treaty.11
Mark Soderstrom’s article entitled Teaching the Meiji Restoration through Fiction and
Film, was originally purposed at teaching students to understand the Restoration, the Tokugawa
Japan, and the fall of the era through virtual presentation and analysis. Although the author does
Marius, B. “The Response to the West,” in ?Sakamoto Ryoma, and the Meiji
Restoration?.” (Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press, 1961), 53.
10
Ibid, 51.
11
Ibid, 91.
9
?Jansen
not make any specific argument, he discloses that he provided articles that involved Western
influence and how Japan engaged with them. However, on many occasions, he apparently
supports sources that take a sympathetic approach towards the restrictive and difficult social
hierarchy within Japan. The hierarchies and restrictions, in his view, were the potential causes of
political transformations in Japan leading to its modernization. An example is his selection of the
movie Kokoro which portrays an image of the narrator’s father who committed suicide at the end
as a result of the character’s voluntary principles.12 Mark’s article is also essential in illustrating
the introduction of South East Asia’s influence on the Meiji Restoration. For example, he points
out the consequential results of China’s failure to adopt the Western ideas while Japan on the
hand made great strides due to its adoption of the ideas.13
Author Igor Fedyukin defined westernization as the process of dismissal of old traditions
and the adoption of the new ones. He also believed that westernization was an inevitable external
force that was necessary for successful reforms. His definition of westernization is based on the
understanding it is driven by self-strengthening reforms that arise during the imminent collapse
of a state or government. Although the Meiji Reformation was as a result of conflicts within the
different sectors, it was ultimately the leader’s decision to open the country to the Western states
which became a catalyst for transformation. Since the Tokugawa system was already collapsing
and Japan needed to improve her defense system, the adoption of the Western model was
imperative.14
Mark, Soderstrom. “Teaching the Meiji Restoration through Fiction and Film.” ?Japan Studies
Association Journal ?12 (2014): 44-56.
13
Ibid, 54.
14
Igor, Fedyukin, “Westernizations” from Peter I to Meiji: War, Political Competition, and
Institutional Change,” ?Theory and Society 4? 7, no. 2 (2018): 207-231.
12
In the article, ?Road to Constitutionalism,? Shinichi Kitaoka argues that the reforms came
mostly from within the country itself. The Western influence particularly of the German Empire
influenced the formation of the Japanese political system. Despite this, adrift from the Western
influence also resulted from the rebellion against the monopolistic tendencies brought about by
its liberalism and aristocracy.15 As a result, Shinichi argues, a lot of frustration came from the
minority who found it hard to contribute their opinions to the legislative system.16 Moreover, the
empire was ineffective since one emperor could not decide everything on this own. Therefore,
the restoration also reflected the inefficiency of the political system that eventually led to the
modernization of Japan.17 Generally, Shinichi’s article emphasizes on the defectiveness of the
Tokugawa system that led to the Meiji Restoration transforming Japan into a better world.
Alistair D. Swale defined the Meiji Reformation as the “great leap from traditionalism to
modernity”.18 He believed that the restoration was brought about by, rejection of the Western
influences, strong preservation of the Japanese tradition and beliefs, aspiration for the building of
a stronger and centralized government as well as the commitment in Japanese to modernization.
Swale emphasized on the internal force that created the changes rather than the Western
influence. For example, according to him, the Japanese preferred the reconfiguration of
indigenous culture instead of the adoption of Western culture. Therefore, his conclusion was that
Shinichi Kitaoka, “The Significance of the Meiji Restoration,” Asia-Pacific Review 25 no.1
(2018): 14-15.
16
Ibid, 16.
17
Ibid, 17.
18
?Alistair D. Swale, “The Meiji Restoration: Monarchism, Mass Communication and
Conservative Revolution.” In ?The Meiji Restoration?, (London, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009):
3-126.
15
modernization was mainly as a result of the transformation of the preserved Japanese traditions
into modern principles.19
In conclusion, during the Tokugawa period, Japan carried out very limited economy
activities centered on agriculture and trade with like-minded Confucian neighbors such as China
and Korea. The Japanese citizens and intellectuals were dissatisfied with the restrictive system
that created a lot of distress for the lower class as a result of inflation, immobility across the
social hierarchy, and seclusion in foreign trade.20 Despite the existing internal discourse within
the country, Western influence played a critical role in the reformation of the country under the
new regime. Evidently, the former arrival of the US Commodore Matthew Perry who demanded
Japan’s signing of a trade treaty in with the U.S in 1855 weakened the Tokugawa government
eventually leading to its collapse. Not only did the West escalate the end of the Tokugawa
regime, but it also contributed to the transformation of ideologies and their application which
was necessary for speeding up the downfall of the traditional feudal government and catalyzing
the prosperity of Japan.21 Therefore, the Meiji Restoration revealed the positive effects of
Westernization in the reformation of Japan’s politics, economy, and society at large.
Alistair D.Swales, “Mass Media and the Development of Civil Culture,”: 87-126.
Robert S. Wicks, “The Ancient Coinage of Mainland Southeast Asia.” ?Journal of Southeast
Asian Studies 1? 6, no. 2 (1985): 195-225.
21
Ibid, 201.
19
20
Bibliography
Fedyukin, Igor. “Westernizations” from Peter I to Meiji: war, political competition, and
institutional change.” ?Theory and Society 4? 7, no. 2 (2018): 207-231.
Sills, David L. ?International encyclopedia of the social sciences?, 3rd ed., s.v. “Meiji Restoration.”
1968.
Jansen, Marius B.“The Response to the West,” in ?Sakamoto Ryoma, and the Meiji Restoration?,
(Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press, 1961), 53.
Kitaoka, Shinichi. “The significance of the Meiji Restoration.” ?Asia-Pacific Review 2? 5, no. 1
(2018): 5-18.
Kohno, Masaru. “On the Meiji Restoration: Japan’s Search For Sovereignty?.” ?International
Relations of the Asia-Pacific ?1, no. 2 (2001): 265-283.
Soderstrom, Mark. “Teaching the Meiji Restoration through Fiction and Film.” ?Japan Studies
Association Journal ?12 (2014).
Swale, Alistair D. “Mass Media and the Development of Civil Culture.” In ?The Meiji Restoration,?
(London, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009): 87-126.
Wicks, Robert S. “The ancient coinage of mainland Southeast Asia.” ?Journal of Southeast Asian
Studies 1? 6, no. 2 (1985): 195-225.
Review
Reviewed Work(s): Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared
Diamond
Review by: Rick Harling
Source: The Historian, Vol. 64, No. 3/4 (SPRING & SUMMER 2002), pp. 869-870
Published by: Wiley
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/24451170
Accessed: 28-11-2016 18:50 UTC
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Book
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Phil Giltner
United States Military Academy Phil Giltner
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. By Ja
W. W. Norton, 1996. Pp. 394. $27.50.)
The author of this study has outlined a most ambitious project b
a short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years” (9). From
question that is, explored is, why have Western Eurasian societies
the last five centuries? To answer this question, the earliest de
human societies is examined. Jared Diamond’s training and
equipped him to carry out this task. His undergraduate work w
and writing. His Ph.D. work included the three fields of molecu
biology, and biogeography. He has traveled extensively to Afric
and has spent considerable time in New Guinea, where one tho
thousand languages are spoken.
In the prologue, both the thesis and the motivation for the stud
sentence: “History followed different courses for different peopl
among peoples’ environments, not because of biological differe
selves” (25). This thesis is stated, restated, and implied most con
entire book from many points of view and orientations. First,
Crescent, the historic origin of Eurasian peoples, the author fin
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870
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Four sets of differences are identified as the root causes of why peoples have evolved
the way they did. The first set of environmental features “consists of differences of wild
plants and animal species available as starting materials for domestication” (401). The
second set of features is governed by the rate of diffusion within a continent. The third set
relates to the rate of diffusion between continents. The fourth set of factors pertains to the
total geographic area and total population size (407). All of these factors can be scientifi
cally quantified, according to Diamond. From this quantification, the author suggests,
historical trends may be statistically observed. Although scientific approach and analysis
of historical trends may give insight to macrohistorical tendencies, “introspection gives us
far more understanding into the ways of other humans” (425).
The approach of this book should be mandatory for any course in historiography.
However, this reviewer finds Diamond’s work a totally orthodox approach to history.
Herodotus, the first philosopher of history, may not have been too sophisticated in
the fields of satellite cartography, evolutionary biology, and the physics of carbon-14
dating, but he had something in common with the author of this book. Herodotus recog
nized no difference between history and nature, and neither does the approach of Jared
Diamond.
Rick Harling
Westfield State College Rick Harling
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