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Takasugi Shinsaku
was a samurai from the Chōshū Domain of Japan who contributed significantly to the Meiji Restoration. He used several aliases to hide his activities from the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life Takasugi Shinsaku was born in the castle town Hagi, the capital of the Chōshū Domain (present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture) as the first son of Takasugi Kochūta, a middle-ranked samurai of the domain and his mother . He had three younger sisters by the name of , and . He had smallpox at the age of ten, but recovered from it. Takasugi joined the '' Shōka Sonjuku'', the famous private school of Yoshida Shōin. Takasugi devoted himself to the modernization of Chōshū's military, and became a favorite student of Yoshida. In 1858, he entered the '' Shōheikō'' (a military school under direct control of the ''shōgun'' at Edo). When his teacher was arrested during the Ansei Purge in 1859, Takasugi visited him in jail. Shōin was later executed on 21 November 1859. In December 1859 he r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hagi, Chōshū Domain
270px, Aerial view of central Hagi is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 43,233 in 22,803 households and a population density of 62 persons per km². The total area of the city is . It is known for being the birthplace of Hagi ware, a type of Japanese pottery. Geography Facing the Sea of Japan on one side and being surrounded by mountains on three sides, the center of Hagi is located on one of the largest delta areas in Japan. The Abu River splits into two, forming the Hashimoto River and the Matsumoto River. Outlying islands include Mishima, Oshima, Aishima, Hitsushima, Hashima, Hisima, and Oshima. of which Ainoshima and Hitsushima are inhabited. Neighboring municipalities Shimane Prefecture * Masuda * Tsuwano Yamaguchi Prefecture *Abu * Nagato * Yamaguchi Climate Hagi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') with hot, humid and wet summers combined with cool to mild winters, with a relatively high precipitation a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hagi, Yamaguchi
file:Hagicity aerialshot.jpg, 270px, Aerial view of central Hagi is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 43,233 in 22,803 households and a population density of 62 persons per km². The total area of the city is . It is known for being the birthplace of Hagi ware, a type of Japanese pottery. Geography Facing the Sea of Japan on one side and being surrounded by mountains on three sides, the center of Hagi is located on one of the largest delta areas in Japan. The Abu River splits into two, forming the Hashimoto River and the Matsumoto River. Outlying islands include Mishima, Oshima, Aishima, Hitsushima, Hashima, Hisima, and Oshima. of which Ainoshima and Hitsushima are inhabited. Neighboring municipalities Shimane Prefecture *Masuda, Shimane, Masuda *Tsuwano, Shimane, Tsuwano Yamaguchi Prefecture *Abu, Yamaguchi, Abu *Nagato, Yamaguchi, Nagato *Yamaguchi (city), Yamaguchi Climate Hagi has a humid subtropical cl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sakoku
is the most common name for the isolationist foreign policy of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate under which, during the Edo period (from 1603 to 1868), relations and trade between Japan and other countries were severely limited, and almost all foreign nationals were banned from entering Japan, while common Japanese people were kept from leaving the country. The policy was enacted by the shogunate government ('' bakufu'') under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633 to 1639. The term originates from the manuscript work written by Japanese astronomer and translator Shizuki Tadao in 1801. Shizuki invented the word while translating the works of the 17th-century German traveller Engelbert Kaempfer namely, his book, 'the history of Japan', posthumously released in 1727. Japan was not completely isolated under the policy. was a system in which strict regulations were placed on commerce and foreign relations by the shogunate and certain feudal domains ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yokoi Shōnan
(born Yokoi Tokiari; September 22, 1809 – February 15, 1869) was a Bakumatsu and early Meiji period scholar and political reformer in Japan, influential around the fall of the Tokugawa bakufu. Life and career Yokoi was a ''samurai'' born in Kumamoto, Higo Province (present-day Kumamoto Prefecture), and a distant descendant of Hōjō Takatoki. Yokoi married Yajima Tsuseko and had two children with her, Miyako and Tokio. He was sent by the domain to Edo in 1839 for studies, and developed contacts with pro-reform members of the Mito domain. After his return to Kumamoto, he started a group to promote the reform of domain administration along Neo-Confucianism lines, opening a domain school called ''Shōnan-do''. In 1857, he was invited by the ''daimyō'' of Echizen, Matsudaira Yoshinaga to become his political advisor. While in Fukui, Yokoi wrote "Kokuze Sanron" (the Three Major Discussion of State Policy). One of the topics covered in Yokoi’s treatise was on sta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sakuma Shōzan
(sometimes called Sakuma Zōzan; March22, 1811August12, 1864) was a Japanese politician and scholar of the Edo period. Biography Born Sakuma Kunitada, he was the son of a samurai and scholar and his wife , and a native of (or Shinano Province) in present day's Nagano Prefecture. At the age of 23, he went to Edo and for 10 years studied Chinese learning (). He then started to study Western sciences ("''rangaku''") at the age of 33, with the help of the ''rangaku'' scholar (). In 1844, he obtained the ''Huishoudelyk Woordboek"'', a Dutch translation of Nöel Chomel's encyclopedia, from which Sakuma learned how to make glass, and then magnets, thermometers, cameras and telescopes. The encyclopedia was later translated into Japanese by () under the title ''Kōsei shinpen'' (厚生新編). In 1849, he learned about electricity, through the book of the Dutch scientist Van den Bergh, and created Japan's first telegraph, five years before the introduction of such a telegraph by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tōhoku Region
The , Northeast region, , or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata. Tōhoku retains a reputation as a remote, scenic region with a harsh climate. In the 20th century, tourism became a major industry in the Tōhoku region. History Ancient and classical period In mythological times, the area was known as Azuma (, ) and corresponded to the area of Honshu occupied by the native Emishi and Ainu. The area was historically the Dewa and the Michinoku regions, a term first recorded in (654). There is some variation in modern usage of the term "Michinoku". Tōhoku's initial historical settlement occurred between the seventh and ninth centuries, well after Japanese civilization and culture had become firmly established in central and southwestern Japan. The last stronghold of the indigenous Emishi on Honshu and the site of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nagato Province
, often called , was a province of Japan. It was at the extreme western end of Honshū, in the area that is today Yamaguchi Prefecture. Nagato bordered on Iwami and Suō Provinces. History Although the ancient capital of the province was Shimonoseki, Hagi was the seat of the Chōshū '' han'' (fief or domain) during the Edo period. Nagato was ruled by the Mōri clan before and after the Battle of Sekigahara. In 1871 with the abolition of feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures (''Haihan Chiken'') after the Meiji Restoration, the provinces of Nagato and Suō were combined to eventually establish Yamaguchi Prefecture. At the same time, the province continued to exist for some purposes. For example, Nagato is explicitly recognized in treaties in 1894 (a) between Japan and the United States and (b) between Japan and the United Kingdom. Historically, the oligarchy that came into power after the Meiji Restoration of 1868 had a strong representation from the Chōshū ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suō Province
was a Provinces of Japan, province of ancient Japan in the area that is today the eastern part of Yamaguchi Prefecture. Suō bordered on Aki Province, Aki, Iwami Province, Iwami, and Nagato Province, Nagato Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichidō system, Suō was one of the provinces of the San'yōdō circuit. Under the ''Engishiki'' classification system, Suō was ranked as one of the "superior countries" (上国) in terms of importance, and one of the "far countries" (遠国) in terms of distance from the imperial capital, Kyoto. The provincial capital was located in what is now the city of Hōfu, Yamaguchi. The ''ichinomiya'' of the province is the Tamanooya Shrine also located in Hōfu. History Before the establishment of the ''Ritsuryō'' system, the area of Suō was under control of various semi-independent ''kuni no miyatsuko'': Ōshima Kuni (Suō-Ōshima), Suō Kuni (Kumage County, Kuga County), Hakuki Kuni (Kishiki County), Tsunu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ansei Purge
The was a multi-year event during the Bakumatsu period of Japanese history, between 1858 and 1860, during which the Tokugawa shogunate imprisoned, executed, or exiled those who did not support its authority and foreign trade policies. The purge was undertaken by Ii Naosuke in opposition to Imperial Loyalists. History The Ansei Purge was ordered by Ii Naosuke on behalf of the bakufu faction.Cullen, Louis. (2003). ''A History of Japan, 1582–1941: Internal and External Worlds'', pp. 184–188. He was the Senior Minister during the period preceding the Meiji Restoration and was part of the '' kōbu gattai'', the movement opposed by the Revere the Emperor, Expel the Foreigner (''sonnō jōi'') faction. The purge was carried out in an effort to quell opposition to trade treaties with the United States, Russia, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands, particularly under the U.S. - Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce. It involved the removal from power all opposition by way of imp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shōgun
, officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamakura period and Sengoku period when the shoguns themselves were figureheads, with real power in the hands of the of the Hōjō clan and of the Hosokawa clan. In addition, Taira no Kiyomori and Toyotomi Hideyoshi were leaders of the warrior class who did not hold the position of shogun, the highest office of the warrior class, yet gained the positions of and , the highest offices of the aristocratic class. As such, they ran their governments as its de facto rulers. The office of shogun was in practice hereditary, although over the course of the history of Japan several different clans held the position. The title was originally held by military commanders during the Heian period in the eighth and ninth centuries. When Minamoto no Y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yoshida Shōin
, commonly named , was one of Japan's most distinguished intellectuals in the late years of the Tokugawa shogunate. He devoted himself to nurturing many '' ishin shishi'' who in turn made major contributions to the Meiji Restoration. Early life Born Sugi Toranosuke in Hagi in the Chōshū region of Japan, he was the second son of Sugi Yurinosuke (1804–1865), a modest rank Samurai and his wife Kodama Taki (1807–1890). Yurinosuke had two younger brothers, Yoshida Daisuke and Tamaki Bunnoshin. Sugi Toranosuke's eldest brother was Sugi Umetarō (1828–1910), his four younger sisters were Sugi Yoshiko (later Kodama Yoshiko) (1832–1924), Sugi Hisa (later Odamura Hisa) (1839–1881), Sugi Tsuya (1841–1843), and Sugi Fumi (later Katori Miwako) (1843–1921), his youngest brother was Sugi Toshisaburō (1845–1876). Sugi Toranosuke was later adopted at the age of four by Yoshida Daisuke and was renamed to Yoshida Shōin. The process of adopting younger sons from the Sugi ho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
