Sakoku

Quick Facts: Who was Sakoku?

Subject:

Sakoku

Known for:

Japan's strict 200-year isolationist policy limiting foreign trade and contact.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Sakoku was the isolationist foreign policy of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate under which, during the Edo period (from 1603 to 1867), relations and trade between Japan and other countries were severely limited, and almost all foreign nationals were banned from entering Japan, while common Japanese people were kept from leaving the country. The policy was enacted by the shogunate government (bakufu) under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633 to 1639. Japan was not completely isolated under the sakoku policy. Sakoku was a system in which strict regulations were placed on commerce and foreign relations by the shogunate and certain feudal domains (han). There was extensive trade with China through the port of Nagasaki, in the far west of Japan, with a residential area for the Chinese.

Career & Major Achievements

The policy stated that the only European influence permitted was the Dutch factory at Dejima in Nagasaki. Western scientific, technical and medical innovations flowed into Japan through Rangaku ("Dutch learning"). Trade with Korea was limited to the Tsushima Domain, today part of Nagasaki Prefecture, and the wakan in Choryang, part of present-day Busan. There were also diplomatic exchanges done through the Joseon Tongsinsa from Korea. Trade with the Ainu people was limited to the Matsumae Domain in Hokkaido, and trade with the Ryūkyū Kingdom took place in Satsuma Domain (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Apart from these direct commercial contacts in peripheral provinces, trading countries sent regular missions to the shōgun in Edo and at Osaka Castle. The policy ended after 1853 when the Perry Expedition commanded by Matthew C. Perry forced the opening of Japan to American, and by extension, Western trade through a series of treaties, called the Convention of Kanagawa. The term sakoku originates from the manuscript work Sakoku-ron (鎖國論) written by Japanese astronomer and translator Shizuki Tadao in 1801. Shizuki invented the word while translating the works of the 17th-century German traveller Engelbert Kaempfer, namely his book 'the history of Japan', posthumously released in 1727. It is conventionally regarded that the shogunate imposed and enforced the sakoku policy in order to remove the colonial and religious influence of primarily Spain and Portugal, which were perceived as posing a threat to the stability of the shogunate and to peace in the archipelago.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1603: 1603 Milestone — Sakoku was the isolationist foreign policy of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate under which, during the Edo period (from 1603 to 1867), relations and trade between Japan and other countries were severely limited, and almost all foreign nationals were banned from entering Japan, while common Japanese people were kept from leaving the country.
2. 1633: 1633 Milestone — The policy was enacted by the shogunate government (bakufu) under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633 to 1639.
3. 1727: 1727 Milestone — Shizuki invented the word while translating the works of the 17th-century German traveller Engelbert Kaempfer, namely his book 'the history of Japan', posthumously released in 1727.
4. 1801: 1801 Milestone — The term sakoku originates from the manuscript work Sakoku-ron (鎖國論) written by Japanese astronomer and translator Shizuki Tadao in 1801.
5. 1853: 1853 Milestone — The policy ended after 1853 when the Perry Expedition commanded by Matthew C.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Sakoku

True or False: “The primary reason for Sakoku was the complete elimination of all European cultural influence from Japan.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While Western influence was restricted, the policy allowed limited scientific and technical exchange through Dutch learning (Rangaku) at Nagasaki.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Sakoku