Edo Period (1603-1868)

The Edo Period, also known as the Tokugawa Period, was one of the most defining moments of Japanese culture. It began when the warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu took over Japan after the Battle of Sekigahara and became the shogun, or general, of Japan. This period was defined by the isolation of Japan from the rest of the world. Ieyasu, who initially welcomed the Portuguese missionaries and Christianity, soon began to fear that Westerners were using missionaries to take over the country, so he banned Christianity and forbade anyone to enter or leave the country. The Edo period had a complex social system including various classes and restrictions for each class to keep them under the Shogun's control.

Being isolated, this was also a very peaceful time. The samurai, who were previously involved in war, devoted their time to the arts. Many forms of art, including ukiyo-e and kabuki, flourished in this time.

The Edo period began to end when Matthew C. Perry arrived in his black ships and demanded that Japan open its ports. Following this was a brief period called the bakumatsu, where the shogun attempted to modernize to reassert his dominance, but eventually was overthrown and the Emperor restored to power.

Sites in Japan related to the Edo Period:

Alberta/Japan Network