Tokugawa Ieharu's Failure Of The Tenmei Famine In Japan

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Already affected by the Tenmei famine in 1783, Japan’s decline began with threats and warnings from westerners that demanded the opening of trade ports since the 1636 enactment of Sakoku. Before the eruption of Mount Asama, the Tokugawa shogunates were in complete control, however, on August 4th 1783, the volcano located on Honshu Island erupted and spewed out boiling lava, gases and mud down the paths of numerous villages and towns. The eruption was recorded to “[send] its plume of ash so high that the sunlight was blocked over much of northern Japan for the next few months” (Nakasendoway.) Mount Asama had always been the most active volcano on Honshu Island and had already erupted sixty four times before 1783, however it proved to be more …show more content…

Weeds, leaves and straw were becoming regular meals for citizens and by 1787, the famine was estimated to kill around one million people. Within this era, Tokugawa Ieharu was the shogun although it was actually his great-grandson Tokugawa Iesada that made Japanese history by allowing foreign ships to settle at Japan’s trade ports. Iesda was the fourth son of Ieyoshi and was considered to be incompetent-for he made no political decisions or participated in any meetings leaving all negotiations up to his chief councillor Abe Masahiro. One of the decisions made by Masahiro that sparked the decline of the Tokugawa era was the appearance of Commodore Mathew Perry in 1853. Mathew Perry wanted to open and westernize Japan because he needed coal for American steamships. The first visit from Perry was on July 8th …show more content…

The bakufu’s inability to defend themselves became widely believed and stimulated two strong domains that strived to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunates. Signed on 1854, the Treaty of Kanagawa guaranteed that Japan would protect and show hospitality to any stranded Americans and open two ports for refueling steamships. Some effects that contributed to the decline of the economy was the immense amounts of foreign money brought in because the bakufu was unable to control the fluctuating prices of Japanese products. Furthermore, after the Kanagawa treaty was signed, American ambassador Townsend Harris established relationships with the bakufu and convinced the shogun that signing an extended treaty would allow Japan to have access to military services and technology. On 1858, Japan reluctantly signed the negotiation that opened up six new trading ports. However, it wasn’t only Townsend Harris’s persistent convincing and persuading that eventually got Japan to sign the negotiation. Months after the Kanagawa treaty was signed, chief councillor Abe Masahiro passed away and current shogun Tokugawa Iesada was ill. Masahiro’s successor, Hotto Masayoshi took over his position and held a strong belief that any action of violence against the foreigners would result in terrible consequences. Because of

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