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Under Perry's threat, Japan had to sign the Japan-Mi Treaty of Friendship and Trade, opening Kanagawa, Hyogo, Niigata, Osaka and Nagasaki as trading ports, and Americans had consular jurisdiction.
Japan not only failed to condemn Perry as an aggressor.
Instead, it is regarded as a hero who promoted the founding of Japan and set up statues.
At the same time, Kyoto, as the sacred ancient capital of Japan, is not allowed to enter Americans who are regarded as Tiangou by the Japanese within ten miles. However, due to having to allow free trade with the United States, Japan exported a large number of raw silk, which led to a sharp increase in the cost of Kyoto silk products and a large-scale bankruptcy of Kyoto businessmen. Prices soared, and emperors and nobles who had stayed in Kyoto for more than 200 years had to worry about the future.
Although the imperial court in Kyoto ratified the treaty, Emperor Xiaoming was furious, and the shogunate that signed the treaty was regarded as the target of public criticism and condemned by all Japan. Yoshida Shōin, who had predicted that the Japanese would become the second prophet of the Qing Dynasty if they did not prepare for coastal defense, even shouted the slogan of overthrowing the shogunate. However, the nobles and celebrities gathered around Emperor Xiaoming did not want to be so radical. Their first thought was to take advantage of the weakness of Tokugawa shogunate 13 generation general Tokugawa, and establish Ishibashi, who was born in Mitofan, as the heir of the general as soon as possible, and join other celebrities to pay tribute to the Emperor.
This relatively moderate method died out long ago, because conservative forces within the shogunate prevailed. 1858, Kazuo Tokugawa, a mentally retarded general, died of sudden illness, and was succeeded by 14 generation general and 12 year-old Tokugawa Jiamao. Although Naoki Inoue also has a clear understanding of Japan's internal and external troubles, his first consideration is to rebuild the authority of the shogunate.
1858 On August 8th, Emperor Xiaoming wrote a letter criticizing the shogunate and demanding its reform. Due to the unexpected death of the Samoan famous soldier Tsukubin, who had planned to enter Beijing by force and threatened the shogunate to carry out reform, this famous imperial edict of the May Day became a dead letter. After gaining a foothold, Naoki quickly led the shogunate to fight back, accusing the imperial edict of being forged, and arrested Saemon, Yuji and Kobayashi. Guan Bai of Kyoto resigned for a long time.
However, the shogunate did not stop there, but set off a larger-scale arrest activity. More than 65,438+000 people were arrested and executed, including Yunbin Umeda, a servant of Tadashi Sakai, Shigeru Kondo, a confidant of Mito Lord Tokugawa Zhao Qi, and Francisco Haruki Matsuhira, a confidant of Qian Yue. The Prince of Shoren-in Temple Palace, the royal family and many celebrities involved in this matter were punished by the shogunate and stopped participating in political activities for life, which was called "Anzheng Prison" in history. Bloody repression soon spread from Kyoto to other places. Not only Yoshida Shōin, who advocated overthrowing the shogunate, was executed, but Seymour Chuan Dao and Tadashi Iwai, who advocated the shogunate's leniency, were also punished. For a time, everyone in Kyoto was in danger and was silent.
Unexpectedly, however, after his operation, all the governors who originally wanted to promote the improvement of the shogunate had to really start to be threatened.
Since Konka, the edo shogunate, who likes to use ninjas to engage in secret politics, has quickly received retribution. 1on March 3rd, 860, Naoki Inoue fell in the snow outside Sakurada Gate in Edo City and died under the sword of Edo deserter. Song Pingqing Yong and Qiao Yiqing Xi, the shogunate reformers who had high hopes before, re-entered the power center of the Edo shogunate. However, once the wheel of the armed inverted curtain turns, it is difficult to stop. At this time, a person quietly stepped onto the historical stage and decisively changed the situation dominated by the shogunate.
Changes outside Sakurada Gate when Naoki was assassinated.
This man was born in the small town of Wisma in northern Germany, but he served as the British ambassador to Japan at 1862.
There is not much trade between Britain and Japan, and the British Parliament is indifferent to Japan. However, in 1857, an anti-British uprising broke out in India, and at the same time, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom swept through the Yangtze River valley, which had commercial contacts with Britain. After dealing with all ethnic groups in the East, Mr. Sa felt morally that he could still be a partner compared with the Indian maharaja who always put the British in a black prison, the Manchu prince who broke his word, and the Japanese who slaughtered prisoners for many years and were enlightened by others. It is precisely because of Zhenzi's moral activities that Britain gradually determined its foreign policy of supporting Meiji Restoration and Japan boycotting Russia in the East.
The shogunate learned a lesson from the death of Zhi Zhi Inoue and began to have close relations with the imperial court. 14 generation general Tokugawa Jiamao married Emperor Xiaoming's sister and prince in Miyako, posing as a civil and military man. However, Emperor Xiaoming was not at ease with the shogunate. Shortly after the wedding date was set, I met with the Changzhou Lord Maori Qingyong, who went to Beijing for pilgrimage, and presented a poem, "The country is in danger, the clouds are still faint, and Lai Qing shines on the world." Since then, Shimadzu Jiuguang of Satsuma has not been far behind in Beijing.
Sachang's performance embarrassed the shogunate. 1863 In March, Tokugawa Jiamao, surrounded by five elders, immediately went to Beijing with 3,000 people, visited Tokugawa Yoshinobu with the emperor and generals, and visited Shimizu Hachiba Palace in Kyoto. On the way to Beijing this time, the death threat received by Tokugawa Jiamao was not put into practice, which also gave the shogunate the idea of rectifying the public order in Kyoto.
Since 1862, the garrison work in Kyoto has been in the charge of Songping Rongbao, a vassal of Huijin. Theoretically, he should provide 65,438+0,000 soldiers to be in charge of public security in Kyoto, but in fact, Huijin Francisco was in a vacant state because of the same financial difficulties as other Francisco at the end of the curtain. Under the eyes of the shogunate, the fallen immortals of the governors made a series of contacts in Kyoto, which made the shogunate very headache. In order to solve this problem, at the initiative of Winged Warrior Kiyokawa Hachiro, the newly selected Shi Lang Regiment was born.
1On July 8, 864, the newly elected group attacked Ikeda Prefecture near three small bridges in Kyoto, killing more than 20 Changzhou people and Tosa people and arresting dozens of people. After this war, the new electoral college became famous, and with the support of the shogunate, it grew from dozens of people at the time of its establishment to more than 200 people. Once ran rampant in Kyoto, creating many assassinations. However, two people narrowly escaped the attack, one named Guigoro (that is, the city household Longji) and the other named Sakamoto Ryoma.
A new electoral college that caused riots in Ikeda House.
As soon as Takashi, the survivor of Ikeda Prefecture incident, returned to Changzhou, he began to encourage the vassal to send troops to Beijing to avenge the emperor. 1864 In August, more than 2,000 soldiers from Changzhou were stationed in Yamazaki, Cragginess, Fujian and Kyoto, respectively, and presented to the court.
At the request of Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the head of the palace, the emperor issued an order to crusade against Changzhou. On August 20th, Changzhou Army fought fiercely with the shogunate guarding Kyoto. Although the Aizu Army originally stationed in Kyoto was not strong, the newly elected regiment just came to join in the fun. Because Samoyed troops joined the shogunate, the war situation became very unfavorable to Changzhou. Although the Changzhou army once hit the Kyoto Palace, which is close to the Emperor, under the resistance of the Samoyed army, the commander of Changzhou came to Uhee and was killed. More than 400 people were killed and had to quit the fighting. When retreating, the panicked Changzhou soldiers even shelled the emperor's palace. After the First World War, Changzhou Francisco was convicted as an enemy, and it seemed imminent to be destroyed under the national crusade organized by the shogunate.
Surprisingly, however, under the mediation of Ryoma Sakamoto, Shami and Changzhou, who fought to the death in this forbidden door change, actually joined forces against the shogunate. 1On March 7th, 866, the Saskatchewan Alliance was formally established in Samoa Mansion in Kyoto, which is now Comrade Kyoto University. The British Empire sold them warships, guns and rifles to support Saskatchewan.
186710/2 Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the last general who was defeated in the second Changzhou crusade, had to accept the proposal of Toyoji Yamauchi, a Tubo warlord, in Nijo Castle, Kyoto, and implement the major policy of returning. However, the inverted curtain faction is not satisfied with this.
65438+ 10 65438+April 4, the same day that Tokugawa Yoshinobu's request for restoring major policies reached the hands of the emperor, the demoted official Iwakura Tomomi got the imperial edict against the shogunate from the Meiji emperor who was only 15 years old. On the other hand, once the shogunate gave up power, some forces were also dissatisfied with it, mixed with some conspiracy. 1 15 June 65438+ 10 15, the main adviser to the return of the big government, Ryoma Sakamoto, finally fell to the sword of the assassin. There are different opinions about who the assassin is, but the author prefers the newly elected group. The war between the rebels and the shogunate is inevitable, and Kyoto will once again become the last battlefield so far.
1868 65438+ 10 On October 2nd, Tokugawa Yoshinobu met with foreign ministers of various countries in Osaka. At the same time, 30,000 shogunate troops headed for Kyoto, where they fought fiercely with 5,000 allied forces commanded by Saigō Takamori at Niaoyu Street and Fumikou in the south of Kyoto. In just one day, the shogunate army was completely defeated. On October 4th, 65438/KLOC-0, panicked Tokugawa Yoshinobu fled Osaka by boat. The pursued Changzhou Army took over Osaka on October 9th, 65438/KLOC-0. Osaka Castle, which once witnessed the demise of Toyotomi family, now also witnessed the sunset of Tokugawa shogunate. Later, with the bloodless opening of Edo on May 3, the curtain fell and the battle was officially declared victory.
The final battle-the battle between birds and feathers
Kyoto has always been the most important stage in this magnificent reform movement, which lasted for more than ten years and was initiated by junior samurai. Many citizens and businessmen in Kyoto, out of disgust with the shogunate, spontaneously sheltered the reformists and passed on their message. For example, Ryoma Sakamoto once hid in a timber merchant near Kawahara-CHO.
From Kawahara-machi to the north, it is the famous road of reform in Kyoto, and there are many former sites of governors who participated in the shogunate in the Edo era. This road ends at Changlin Temple in Liushi, Machi, where Sakamoto Ryoma's mentor Sheng Haizhou lived after being dismissed by the shogunate. Many Changzhou people who shed blood and died in Kyoto while changing houses in Ikeda were enshrined in the national defense shrine in the eastern suburbs of Kyoto after their death, and the inscription written by their mentor Yoshida Shōin was forever engraved on the stone tablet in front of the Kyoto government library.
Characteristic revival of declining ancient capital
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After Meiji Restoration, Japan carried out drastic reforms and embarked on the fast track of economic development. 1868 Japan, whose per capita income was only half that of the Qing Dynasty, had become a developed country that surpassed Europe by the end of the Meiji period. However, compared with the vigorous development of Japan, the development speed of Kyoto has obviously lagged behind.
As the Meiji government moved its capital to Tokyo, Kyoto gradually became a forgotten ancient capital. Although the Meiji Restoration introduced many new things-post offices, trams, telephones, joint-stock companies, banks and so on. -It also took root in Kyoto. From 65438 to 0908, as many as 4,000 people installed telephones in Kyoto, and the industry and commerce in Kyoto did not develop greatly. More than 30 years after Meiji Restoration, the population of Kyoto only increased by 30,000. 1898, Kenzaburo Oe, who became the first elected mayor of Kyoto, put forward a grand plan to revive Kyoto when he took office-building railways, factories and canals, but he was still stranded when he left office because of financial problems.
1904, Kikujiro, son of Saigō Takamori, the great hero of Meiji Restoration, became the second elected mayor of Kyoto. Although his father has been dead for many years, thanks to his rich contacts in Japanese political circles, Xixiang Kikujiro was successfully approved by the Ministry of Finance to issue local bonds for the construction of public facilities in Kyoto.
This was a bold move at that time, especially when Japan was in the Russo-Japanese War and was tightening its belt from top to bottom. But relying on the enthusiasm of Kyoto citizens to build their hometown, Xixiang Kikujiro's bonds were subscribed. All kinds of public works and urban transformation in Kyoto were finally completed during his term of office. Kyoto has also ushered in a period of rapid economic development. Using the power provided by the hydropower station on the canal, Kyoto has realized the city's electric lighting. By the time Kikujiro 19 12 left office in Xixiang, the population of Kyoto had increased to 500,000. Although it was not as big as 2 million in Tokyo and 6,543,800+3,000 in Osaka, it was still the third largest city in Japan.
19 12 another great event happened in Japan, that is, the death of Emperor Meiji. Japan has entered the era of Taisho. With the rapid economic development, Japan's parliamentary democracy has been constantly improved, and the requirements for property for election qualifications have been continuously reduced. By 1925, universal suffrage for school-age men was achieved. At the same time, in the whole Taisho era, the civic movement in Japan has been on the rise. Kyoto is one of the most active cities in the civil movement 19 15, which demands the government to cancel business tax, textile consumption tax and pass tax.
In the era of Taisho Emperor, there was a short-lived "Taisho democracy"
1927, the genius writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa, who wrote the novel Rashomon with Kyoto as the background, committed suicide, indicating the bleak future of this country. The glory of democracy in Taisho era was short-lived, and it soon became a national craze in Showa era. After World War I, the decline of the British Empire, which once dominated the world order and used the Royal Navy to escort free trade, led European and American countries to turn to trade conservatism one after another, which made Japan, with its narrow domestic market, suffer greatly. Many clubs and banks in Kyoto also went bankrupt. Japan, which suffered heavy losses in the trade war, finally embarked on the road of militaristic expansion.
1937 after the outbreak of the war of aggression against China, Japan began to turn to the war system in an all-round way, and its economy also began to turn to the government-led war planning economy. Many small private enterprises in Kyoto were forced to merge to produce military products needed for the war. Local free elections in Kyoto were cancelled, and the elections were held among candidates designated by the government.
Before the war, universities permeated with liberalism and left-wing ideas became the key targets of rectification. University professors who criticized the government were dismissed, college students and middle school students were required to participate in military training, and right-wing groups such as patriotic associations were established in schools to brainwash the younger generation with the idea of kingdom first. In downtown Kyoto, a curfew was imposed during wartime, and alcohol trading was strictly prohibited. After the outbreak of the Pacific War, Kyoto, like other places, implemented a food rationing system, and the food was distributed by the government. Fortunately, for the citizens of Kyoto, such a day does not need to last long.
194 1 in April, a short and thin middle-aged man came to Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto as a professor. The year before last, his works were just published by Ritsumeikan Press, but they soon became banned books. He is the main planner of Japan's foreign aggression and is known as the smile of Ishihara, the brain of war. Although the Japanese-American war has not yet broken out, Ishihara is completely disappointed with the future of the Japanese war. 1938 was sent to Angkor Wat, Kyoto as the commander of the fortress because of opposing the expansion of the war of aggression against China, and has now retired.
Ishihara, who lost his fertility in his early years and was also a devout believer in the Rilian Sect, claimed that he realized the significance of the final war when he visited the Rilian Sect Temple day and night. He claimed that there was bound to be a war between the eastern civilization headed by Japan and the western civilization headed by the United States. This war will be the last war of mankind, and advanced weapons such as airplanes, submarines and atomic bombs will be put into use. But at the same time, he thinks it is unwise to go to war with the United States now. "It is foolish to fight for oil." Japan will be defeated in this war, but because of the existence of the Soviet Union, the United States will not completely destroy Japan. Japan's hope in the future lies in forming an East Asian Union with China, and then defeating the United States to dominate the world.
Compared with these whimsical concepts, Ishihara's courses at Ritsumeikan University are worth pondering. In the two-semester course of war history, Ishihara discussed in detail the failure of Napoleon's expedition to Russia in 18 12 and the British blockade of France in 1795~ 18 15. The former is reminiscent of Hitler's blitzkrieg against the Soviet Union, which dominated Europe at that time, while the latter is a weakened version of the American blockade against Japan.
As predicted by Ishihara, the brainwashing of militarists can't compete with the power of American reinforced concrete after all. The war soon spread to Japan, and Kyoto was bombed by allied forces like other cities. But out of respect for Japanese traditional culture, and more importantly, Kyoto itself lacks developed industrial facilities, the scale of these bombings is too small to mention. 1945 alone dropped several bombs on the eastern suburbs of Kyoto, killing 36 people. 1In August, 945, Japan announced its surrender, and the Sixth Army of the United States took over Kyoto as the winner.
After the war, Japan fell into deep disillusionment and panic. Due to military control, the import of grain and raw materials from overseas decreased, and the price increased by 300 times in just two years. 1950, the shrine in the northwest suburb of Kyoto was burned by monks in this temple, which later became the material of Yukio Mishima's novel "Shrine", which seems to be an fable in this turbulent era:
A young monk who became a monk with deep idealism for Buddhism, after a long period of hard work, finally had deep doubts and remorse about this temple built for faith, because he couldn't stand the strong contrast between the splendid temple and the outside world's suffering reality, and finally burned it down. Japanese society after the war was on the verge of collapse, but fortunately, they met MacArthur.
The burning of Kinkaku Temple is also a reflection of Japan's morbid psychology after the war.
MacArthur is regarded as the greatest warrior in the 20th century by western historians. He knows Machiavelli's maxim that successful reforms often retain the appearance of the old system. He made a drastic transformation of Japanese society without touching the Mikado system. Full universal suffrage has been achieved and the right to vote has been extended to women; University autonomy and freedom of speech have been restored; The landlord's land was distributed to landless farmers; The huge family chaebol was dismantled into hundreds of unrelated small companies; The factory originally used to produce arms has been transformed into an enterprise that produces daily necessities; Laws have been enacted to protect workers' rights and interests and allow them to form trade unions.
After more than two years of extreme chaos after the war, Japan's economy has embarked on the fast track of rapid recovery and development. 195 1 year, MacArthur left sadly because of the controversy in the Korean War, but three years later, the Japanese economy ushered in a glorious period called "SHEN WOO's Prosperous Age". From 65438 to 0968, Japan surpassed West Germany to become the second largest economy in the world.
MacArthur helped the Japanese people liquidate militarism.
Compared with the rapid development of other cities, the economy of Kyoto, which lacks good natural endowments, has declined. Fortunately, since it was first elected as the mayor of Kobe after the war, Kyoto has set the goal of building a cultural city, and has formed twin cities with Xi 'an, Paris, Kiev, Boston and Florence.
Today, Kyoto ranks seventh in Japan in terms of economic level and population. Although there is still a big gap compared with the first-tier cities in Japan, its unique historical background, humanistic customs and elegant and quiet living environment still attract people from all over the world to travel and live here. The story of Kyoto for thousands of years is also a concentrated Japanese history, just like the immortal bird of Kyoto's city emblem. Although it has suffered many times, it will eventually be reborn.
Finally, attach some eggs. The favorite detective Conan Zhong, although there are not many stories in Kyoto, three of Conan's theatrical versions are set in Kyoto: The Crossroads of the Labyrinth, which was widely acclaimed in 2005, reproduces the place where Yuan Yijing was born and raised in Kyoto; 20 12 "Far Sea Detective" took place in Wuhe Port under Kyoto Prefecture, and it was also the last job of Ishihara Kanji. Tang Hong's love song 20 17 is set in the western suburbs of Kyoto, Sano and Du Yue Bridge. As for the Kyoto Aya Road Police Station, which keeps a gray mink as a pet, his surname naturally comes from the Kyoto Aya Road Brocade Market.
If readers are interested in Kyoto, follow Conan's footsteps and come to Kyoto in the spring when cherry blossoms are flying or in the autumn when red leaves are in full bloom.