The Cultural Developments in Japan - Essay Example

To understand the Cultural developments in Japan after Meiji restoration, one has to look in detail into the culture of the period preceding it, that’s Tokugawa period. Meiji restoration period was a total shift from the earlier conservative socio-cultural structure towards a more modern social structure. This period -- 1868 to 1912 --- was the historical stepping stone from which the modern Japan, strong and tall, emerged. Tokugawa period was a feudal period in the history of Japan. As in any feudal system the government structure was very simple. At the top of the political power and governance was Tokugawa Shogun or the “great general”. He held the main executive power. Under him were governors who were feudal lords or the daimyos. At the lowest level was the Samurai, or the traditional military fighters. They formed the bureaucracy. In between were the farmers, merchants and artisans. The society was very conservative with very prominent social class divisions. Social class of a person was determined by heredity. Personal development beyond one’s social class was impossible. Farmers were the majority in this social class and the samurai were the most powerful. The Tokugawa society was a closed one. This closed social system cut them completely off from the outside world. . Thus they kept the door closed to the West for more than two hundred years. These were years of peace with in Japan, of relative prosperity and cultural advancements. But what they missed during these reclusive years were the industrial revolution that changed the face of the Europe and the United States. It was the period of Meiji restoration that opened the door of Japan to the West and enabled the country to catch up with the western developments. While going Westward, Japan was careful enough not to lose their cultural identity. The period of Meiji restoration while imbibing the modern values from the West, resisted a total cultural sweep by the West as happened in many of the Asian countries, and it is this fact which made this period in the history of Japan culturally important. Any society which used the Western style of education, science and technology would feel a cultural stress. Japan was no exception. The Meiji restoration period modernized Japan in the Western model, but helped the society to overcome its cultural stress. Hence this period of Meiji restoration remains a prelude to the modern history of Japan. . In 1868 Tokugawa shogun lost his power. The emperor took over again, with the name of the reign as Meiji (‘enlightened one ). “Civilization and Enlightenment” was the slogan of the new emperor. The attempt was to reshape the society, the economy, the military and all such infrastructures in the model of the West. Thousands of well-paid foreigners were called into Japan to instruct University professors, doctors and engineers. Students were sent to Europe and America to study in Western universities. The most important cultural development that happened after the Meiji restoration was the abolition of the strong class system that prevailed. Privileges in the society were decided by class positions attained through heredity. Family line stopped to decide the social status of the individual when this class system was abolished. Social status came to be determined now by personal ambition, individual talent, education and hard work. This gave every individual a chance to develop his talents and go upwards in the social ladder .The feudal lords and the Samurai were the classes most adversely affected. The feudal lords were controlling their own domains or areas in the country both politically and economically until then. By July 1869 they were asked to give up control over these areas of power and a perfectly centralized state was formed. The military system of Japan was based on the hereditary class of the Samurai warriors.. This class of traditional warriors also enjoyed some special privileges like free rice contributed by the farmers in return to the protection given to them by the samurai. In 1873 Japan adopted the policy of compulsory military service in the Western pattern. This policy took away the special status the samurai enjoyed in the society. As a compensation to the loss of old privileges, the feudal lords and the samurai were offered a yearly stipend by the Govt. But later it was settled for one time payment in government bonds. Wearing of samurai sword was banned by 1876. The hair style of the old samurai with hair knot at the top of the head disappeared as they joined the main stream of society as different professionals. The abolition of feudalism and class divisions was a great cultural development because it made possible great social as well as political changes. The door of opportunities was opened in front of the people overnight. They suddenly got the freedom to choose occupations which earlier were denied to them due to the class restrictions. The scope for personal development and better life became enormous with equal chance for every one in every field of life without any restrictions. The Western style of education changed the architecture of the cities. It changed the dressing styles of the people in the cities. The Architectural look of the cities like Tokyo suddenly changed from the traditional to the western. People in the cities changed their traditional dress called Kimono to the Western clothes. As a result there was a real boom in the textile industry. Another noteworthy cultural development, that is to be seen parallel to the westernization of Japanese society, is the effort taken by the Meiji Govt. to protect the cultural heritages of Japan. The emperor belonged to the Shinto ideology, the indigenous and ancient religion of Japan. This religious ideology was fused with the Buddhist rituals of worship. Thus in Japan Shintoism and Buddhism were fused together as a new doctrine called Ryobu Shinto. “Ryobu Shinto became a form of Shinto praxis that could be performed in shingon temple precincts without much concern about whether the practice was “Shinto” or “Buddhist”. (Shinto: The way home, Thomas P. Kasulis, PP 101) Just after the Meiji restoration there was an attempt to separate Shintoism from Buddhism. This led to violent clashes. Many Buddhist temples were destroyed. Thousands of Buddhist temples were closed. Monastery land got confiscated. Buddhist images were widely destroyed. Following these incidents the Grand Council adopted a policy of protecting the cultural monuments and works of art. The protection of cultural heritage became a focal issue from then on in Japan. Even today Japan remains a model for other nations regarding the protection of its cultural heritage. “Japan’s system for the protection of its cultural heritage is a comprehensive, workable model for countries that wish to preserve and protect important cultural heritage with in their border.” (Who owns the past?, Cultural Policy, Cultural property, and Law, Kate Fitz Gibbon, PP 331) This pride and sense of preservation of the cultural heritage, stemmed out after the Meiji restoration, may answer why when Akira Kurosawa, the great Japanese film maker, adopted Macbeth by William Shakespeare into a film called “Throne of Blood” (1957), it became totally a Japanese film, not only in costumes and makeup but also in the style of acting and even in the movements of the actors. Such Complete transformation of a work of art from one culture to another happens rarely in other countries and cultures. For this modern Japan must thank the leaders of Meiji restoration. ======================= Works Cited: 1). Kasulis Thomas P, Shinto: The way home, University of Hawaii Press, August 1, 2004 2) Gibbon Fitz Kate, Who owns the past? , Cultural Policy, Cultural property, and Law, Rutgers University Press, September 30, 2005 Read More