Now you didn’t think you would get through a whole week in Japan without getting a potted history of the country did you? So here goes.
The first communities started appearing in this part of the world around the 3rd century BC which corresponds roughly to the mythical founding of Japan by the God Emperor Jimmu.
Around 600AD writing and sculpture appeared, Buddhism was introduced and the first temple was built. By 750AD emperors started taking control, situated their first capital in Nara, and built the first great temples. In 794AD the capital was relocated to Kyoto, and for the next 300 years a Chinese style monarchy dominated by a familial succession developed.
Around 1100 the power of the imperial court gave way to the clans of samurai. Struggles between them culminated in the establishment of the first shogunate (feudal government). Transfer of power to the various samurai warlords from the emperor marked a huge change in the power within the country.
In the 1300s, the establishment of Japanese feudalism, and the fusion of samurai and court culture, resulted in a flowering of the arts, tea and theatre. The most famous temples in Kyoto were constructed during this period. But it didn’t last.
By the late 1400s, repeated civil wars between the regional warlords caused the disappearance of central power, and the whole country was in permanent upheaval for about 100 years until a couple of warlords rose to ultimate power, and took the title Shogun. It was during this period that Japan had first contact with Europeans, and Christianity was introduced.
In 1603 we start to get interesting and relevant to today — the Edo period began. After the great Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, one man took control of all Japan. He was Tokugawa Ieyasu, who became shogun and undisputed ruler of the whole country.
He was a mean mother, and subdued all the other Samurai warlords, exacting huge tribute in order to keep them poor enough not to finance an uprising. He gave an ultimatum to the Emperor to cede power or else, and when he didn’t the Shogun moved the capital to Edo (Tokyo) and rendered the Emperor irrelevant.
The Shogun issued two important edicts – Japan was closed to foreigners both for travel and for trade, and Christianity was prohibited (and existing missionaries expelled or killed). And so Japan remained closed and isolated for 250 years.
However, there are no prizes for guessing which country decided to send warships to force the Japanese to open up (shades of Pearl Harbour in reverse).
Belief in ‘Manifest Destiny’ motivated U.S. expansion across the North American continent and also drove American merchants and missionaries to journey across the Pacific. At the time, many Americans believed that they had a special responsibility to modernise and civilise the Chinese and Japanese. In the case of Japan, missionaries felt that Protestant Christianity would be accepted where Catholicism had generally been rejected. To the horror of the Japanese who thought that the Shogun was invincible and would protect them, they found that people who dressed in Kimonos, fought with swords and were entranced by two fat, naked guys wrestling each other were no match for American guns and warships. They sent the Shogun packing, and reinstated the Emperor (a God of course) in Tokyo, and hoped that he would deal with the mess.
1853 saw the beginning of the modernisation and industrialisation of Japan. The Emperor decreed that if you can’t beat them, you’d better join them. He opened the country, adopted western dress, joined international forums, and started developing modern infrastructure like roads and railways, and introduced electricity.
Of course, as they modernised, the Japanese started having greater designs, and they launched military actions against Korea, Taiwan, Russia and China, much of which was successful.
But all good things must come to an end. The policy of expansion towards China led to Japan’s entry into the Second World War and eventual defeat in 1945. Successful reconstruction of the country under American tutelage is the “Japanese miracle”. The irony is that US got to control Japan and have the military presence in Asia that they craved a hundred years earlier.
Japan claims that they have had 126 consecutive emperors making it the longest unbroken line of rulers in the world.
So that’s it in a nutshell.
Today was Mt Fuji day – very hit and miss on the best of days due to its extreme height. After breakfast in town, and an explore of the ruins of the Kofu Castle – home to the ancient Kofu warlord – it was off by train through the mountains to the base of Mt Fuji. Whilst it was a beautiful sunny day, that didn’t mean that it was a clear and uninterrupted view of the mountain, and clouds half way up shrouded it all in mist. We walked through the town of Shimoyoshida and had coffee in the hope that it would clear, then walked all the way up the hill to the Chureito Pagoda and viewing spot in the hope that it would clear. But all the wishing and hoping didn’t cut it, so we eventually took an early train home in the hope of seeing it from the other side as the sun set, and we were suitably rewarded with a beautiful clear view from the Kofu Castle tower.
Mt Fuji from Kofu near sunset
Our train to the base of Mt Fuji at Shimoyoshida
Trek up to Chureito Pagoda
Chureito Pagoda
Mt Fuji surrounded by cloud
Kofu Airbnb