17 - Sunrise: The Dawn of the Empire of Japan

Footnotes of History

Want more FOH? Visit footnotesofhistory.com/join Shownotes at footnotesofhistory.com/17 In the exciting climax to our mini series looking at imperialism in Eastern Asia, Japan is torn apart by a vicious civil war that pits the Shogunate against the Samurai. Tensions had built ever since the Americans had arrived and forced the Shogunate to submit to trade. In the capital Edo, the connections with Europe had led to the opening of trading posts, the establishment of churches and even Western-oriented schools where hip Japanese sent their children to learn about fashionable European culture. With western merchants prancing around Edo like it was their own New York, many samurai had simply had enough. The resulting war was by no means an accident – some clans had been planning their revenge since 1603. Regardless, in 1869, the new Empire of Japan was proclaimed from the new capital - Tokyo.