The Bakumatsu (Part 5): Order to Expel the Barbarians

As Japan closed near the brink of war over the Namamugi Incident, the Court and the Shogunate held meetings on chasing out foreigners, which brought further complication to an already messy situation. Explore what came out of the imperial order to expel the barbarians.

The Bakumatsu (Part 4): On the Brink

Attacks on foreigners and Bakufu officials illustrated the propensity of the unpopularity of opening Japan to the world. Edo attempted to alleviate the situation. But as it progressed, conditions continued to sour. Explore developments in foreign relations that placed Japan on the brink.

The Bakumatsu (Part 3): Unity of Court and Shogunate

Ii Naosuke and Tokugawa Nariaki’s demise signaled the start of a rocky relationship between the Bakufu, the Imperial Court, and the Daimyos. Explore the attempt to unite the Shogunate and the Emperor.

The Bakumatsu (Part 2): Divided Japan

Divide and tensions followed the signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa. Historical antipathies further widened the polarization as a result of different opinions on the country’s faith. Explore the developments within Japan after 1854, when the Bakufu signed the Treaty of Kanagawa.

The Bakumatsu (Part 1): Opening of Japan

After Perry and the Bakufu signed the Treaty of Kanagawa in March 1854, floodgates opened to Japan for foreign countries to demand treaties giving Japanese a semi-colonial status. Explore the following events after the Treaty of Kanagawa and rise in interaction with the so-called foreign “barbarians.”

The Bakumatsu (Introduction): The Fall and Decline of the Tokugawa Shogunate

The Bakumatsu ended about a millennium history of shoguns that fascinated and led Japan. Explore Japan’s dissent during the period of the fall of the Tokugawa Shoguante.

Documents in History: July 1853 Memorial of Tokugawa Nariaki

On July 15, 1853, right after Commodore Perry left the Edo Bay, Tokugawa Nariaki, a known nationalist, Daimyo of Mito, sent a memorial to Edo giving 10 reasons for waging war against the Americans or other foreigners. Explore the document bellow.