How did Commodore Perry's arrival affect Tokugawa Japan?

Commodore Perry's arrival in Japan in 1853 ended Japan's policy of isolation, leading to its modernisation and westernisation.

Commodore Matthew Perry's arrival in Japan in 1853 marked a significant turning point in Japanese history. Until then, Japan had been a feudal society under the Tokugawa Shogunate, maintaining a strict policy of isolation known as 'Sakoku'. This policy prohibited foreign contact and trade, with the exception of limited relations with China, Korea, the Ryukyu Islands, and the Dutch through the port of Nagasaki. Perry's arrival, representing the United States, disrupted this isolation and set in motion a series of events that would transform Japan.

Perry arrived with a fleet of 'Black Ships', armed with superior military technology, and demanded that Japan open its ports to American trade. The Japanese, realising they could not match the military power of the Americans, were forced to sign the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854. This treaty, and subsequent ones with other Western powers, are known as the 'Unequal Treaties' because they were largely in favour of the Western powers, infringing upon Japan's sovereignty.

The signing of these treaties led to a period of intense political instability in Japan. The Tokugawa Shogunate was criticised for capitulating to the Western powers, leading to internal rebellion and the eventual collapse of the Shogunate in 1868. This marked the end of the feudal era and the beginning of the Meiji Restoration.

The Meiji Restoration saw the Emperor restored to power and the beginning of Japan's rapid modernisation and westernisation. The Japanese government embarked on a policy of 'catch up and overtake', sending students and officials overseas to learn from Western countries and importing Western technology and ideas. This period saw significant changes in Japan's political, economic, and social structures, transforming it from a feudal society into a modern industrialised nation.

In conclusion, Commodore Perry's arrival in Japan had a profound impact on the country. It ended Japan's policy of isolation, led to the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and triggered Japan's rapid modernisation and westernisation.