鎖国 (national isolation)

[Kagemaru]

I am curious to hear other peoples sentiment regarding 鎖国(さこく) during 江戸時代(えどじだい), and your views concerning the eventualities/ramifications it has carried to modern day Japan?

I hope for those new to this, it will add another dimension to your Japanese pursuits, as I started learning Japanese through it's history, and eventually it brought me here.

So for people unfamiliar, here's a BASIC timeline showing the period I am referring to; (1639 on the timeline) http://www.samurai-archives.com/edo.html

[Dark Elf]

Correct me, if I'm wrong, but in my opinion, period of "sakoku" has undoubtedly influenced the development of life in Japan. Here are some points, that I consider to be the effects:
1) Christianity has almost dissapeared, and lost even a small influence on people, that it had earlier, before 17 century.
2) Japanese government, after the Shimabara rebellion started to value national (cultural, religious... ) "treasures" more thoroughly.
3) Japan has preserved (more or less) its identity, and purity of population.
4)Confucian thinking, in the way of preserving traditions, and in some cases , imitating past, slowed technical development of the country, that lead to the major need to catch up with the outer world during Meiji period.

[japanfreak]

Dark Elf wrote:
Correct me, if I'm wrong, but in my opinion, period of "sakoku" has undoubtedly influenced the development of life in Japan. Here are some points, that I consider to be the effects:
1) Christianity has almost dissapeared, and lost even a small influence on people, that it had earlier, before 17 century.
2) Japanese government, after the Shimabara rebellion started to value national (cultural, religious... ) "treasures" more thoroughly.
3) Japan has preserved (more or less) its identity, and purity of population.

Amen to that. Besides which, while other, greater civilizations (India, China) were being engulfed by the great British empire, Japan alone carried on the true tradition of Asia. In effect, it kept the light of Asia burning, and proved that Asia was not as small and helpless as the Europeans imagined it to be.

[Harisenbon]

Wow. one post a year for three years... That's some crazy

[Nibble]

Great, now you've ruined it! Way to go!